I pick on Ozzie even when he’s trying to be nice

A quote from Ozzie after today’s game:

"The kid has a great future," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said of
Papelbon, who’s given up only two runs all season. "What he has done
for the Boston Red Sox is amazing. They needed a closer the last couple
of years and they have found one."

Now, if he has such a great future, you’d think that Ozzie would play him on Tuesday.  We’ll see about that.  My criticism comes in that last line.  Ozzie might forget this, but in 2004, the Red Sox had a closer.  A very good one at that.  And last year, we didn’t technically have a closer, but Mike Timlin did a good enough job that he pitched us into the ALDS with seven wins, three losses, 13 saves and a 2.24 ERA while pitching in 81 freaking games.  Maybe not a traditional closer…but he certainly did the job. 

More important is Keith Foulke.  2004 doesn’t happen for the Sox without Keith Foulke.  In the last three seasons (counting this one) we’ve only been without a closer for one.  Semantics, maybe, but when Ozzie gets to sounding all sanctimonious it p1sses me off.  Thank you, Ozzie, for telling the world how good this kid is.  Before you filled us in, we didn’t have a clue because his 26 saves and 0.41 ERA are so misleading.

Yes, I realize Ozzie could come up with the cure for cancer and I’d find a way to criticize him.  What’s your point?