Isn’t Life Strange?

The Chicago Cubs (my favorite MLB team) and the crosstown rival White Sox met at Wrigley Field today for Game Two of their three game series in interleague play.

There’s quite a lot of acrimony between Cubs and White Sox fans living in the Chicago area and I never really understood it. I’ve personally never disliked the Sox, but manager Ozzie Guillen is making it easier to reconsider.

Former Cardinal great, Jim Edmonds (8-time Gold Glove Award winner, 4-time All Star, 2004 Silver Slugger Award winner), now playing for the Cubs, hit two home runs in the same inning against the Sox today. Edmonds had been struggling earlier this season as a San Diego Padre and he got a second opportunity from the Cubs to try and regain his old form. He seems to be making the most of that opportunity, slowly winning over Cubs fans who hated seeing him at the plate when he wore Cardinal red.

But look at what Guillen had to say today:

“He just had a good day. I’m not going to promote the guy who is hitting .218 (actually .238), “ White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said of Edmonds.

“I’d rather have him out there than (injured Alfonso) Soriano. He’s a veteran player and he knows what he’s doing … Hopefully he doesn’t have another game like that against us. Jim doesn’t scare me. I’ll pitch to him anytime.”

Ozzie Guillen obviously has no class, and no respect for a player who isn’t exactly an easy out. It’s no crime to point out Edmonds’ troubles this year but to pretend that today’s accomplishment is a fluke or that he deserves no credit for his effort demonstrates a severe lack of character. But then I’ve known about Guillen’s lack of character for some time.

Sox fans must be proud.