Dayan Viciedo is not doing himself any favors this spring. He followed up a two-at-bat, two-strikeout performance that looked as ugly as it can get on Saturday by not running out a pop-up in Monday's "B" game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sitting in the Camelback Ranch stands with assistant general managerRick Hahn, Williams yelled from his perch about Viciedo's lack of efforton this particular play. It was a stern suggestion, with no margin forinterpretation, regarding this non-grinder type of move. [...]
"I was more upset than Kenny was. We don't put up with that stuff here,and we don't like players playing like that," said Guillen, speaking onthe matter following the White Sox 5-4 loss to the Mariners in theafternoon's Cactus League contest.
We'll see what happens, but there's a precedent. The last time Williams bitched out a player for not running hard down the first base line in a meaningless spring game, he was eventually traded to the New York Yankees for a garbage plate.
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Assorted thoughts:
*Alex Rios, making his debut in the outfield as he gets over a sore shoulder, looked good in his two at-bats, smoking a single to left and crushing a homer just left of center. He says old video clued him in to how he lost his stance. Whatever the case may be, he certainly wasn't pulling off the ball.
*Daniel Cabrera may not throw 98 m.p.h. anymore, and he still may have no idea where it' s going, but at least he's extremely slow to the plate.
*Sergio Santos struggled with fastball location as well, but he looked like he had more confidence in his slider. Watching the reactions he induced with it, you can see why.
*Bill Melton said Mark Kotsay was "well liked" moments before bouncing into a 6-4-3 double play. I'm thinking of calling him "Biff." We need a new nickname now that the Gentleman Masher has moved on.
