Bobby Jenks, Oney Guillen both wrong in asinine war of words

I really don't want to write this, but it's a slow news period, so there's literally nothing else on which to comment.

Except for Oney Guillen.

By now you've certainly read Guillen's tweets in response to Bobby Jenks' comments about Ozzie Guillen's ability to run a bullpen. Both parties were out of line in this instance.

Let's deal with Jenks first. Oney was right in his string of tweets—the Sox did protect Jenks after claiming him off waivers from the Angels in late 2004. The dirty laundry Oney aired was uncalled for—true or not—but Jenks' personal issues were no secret when the Sox got him. If those issues continued when he came to the organization, the Sox made sure they weren't known.

Secondly, from my perspective, Ozzie knows how to manage a bullpen. I may not agree with all of his moves—mainly, playing the percentages at all costs—but his use of Matt Thornton and Chris Sale down the stretch last year reinforced my confidence in Ozzie's ability to manage his bullpen.

And, while Ozzie maybe shouldn't have gone public with his comments, Jenks didn't deserve to be handed the closing role had he re-signed with the team. While his 2010 performance involved a lot of bad luck, his durability has come into question in recent years. The Sox have made it no secret that they're not pleased with Jenks' conditioning, so maybe if he did something to fix that he would've been guaranteed the closer role if he re-signed.

Finally, Jenks won't close in Boston unless he takes a tire iron to the shoulders of Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard. That's the thing I don't get. Jenks is complaining about not being guaranteed a closer role in Chicago, so he signs to be a seventh/eighth-inning guy in Boston? If he signed with Tampa Bay or another team in search of a closer, I could understand a little more. But, from what I can gather, Jenks passed up a chance to close to go somewhere he won't close. Whatever.

But then there's Oney. Had Oney stopped at saying something to the effect of "Jenks shouldn't have said that because of all the Sox did for him," that'd have been fine. No issues. But then Oney goes on to say other stuff. The only proper manner to dissect those tweets is in the spirit of FJM:

"hahah memo to bobby jenks get a clue u drink to much and u have had marital problems hugeee ones and the sox stood behind u"

"they did not air out ur dirty laundry, u came to srping not drinking and then u sucked and started srinking again be a man"

By saying this, you're no better than Jenks.

"be a man and tell the manager or the coaching staff how u feel or the organization when u were with the sox not when u leave"

I wish you stopped here. Because you're right.

"u cried in the managers office bc u have problems now u go and talk bad about the sox after they protected u for 7 years ungrateful"

Again, the point is this: The Sox protected Jenks, and then he rips them on his way out. It's fine to be mad about that. But you airing Jenks' dirty laundry is just as bad, if not worse (it's probably worse) than Jenks saying negative stuff about Ozzie and the organization.

"if it wasnt for u and mainly u freddy garcia would have like 17 wins and the sox would have beat the twins"

The White Sox lost two games in which Freddy Garcia exited with a lead. Jenks blew one of them (July 18's epic collapse against Minnesota), with Sergio Santos taking the hit in an Aug. 21 loss to Kansas City. Yes, the Sox would have beat the Twins one more time and still lost the division. And Garcia would've won 13 games. That's not close to "like 17."

"and u self diagnosed urself bc u didnt want to pitch un real i hope the sox let this guiy f*cking have it"

So, wait, conditioning wasn't his problem?

"oh and yes i remember clearly u blowing a hugee game in 09 and u laughing ur bearded ass off while everyone busting there tail"

Isn't a closer's job to not internalize blown saves so they don't get in his head? Maybe I have less of a problem with this than everyone else, I guess.

"i thought u were a man not some punk who runs away and talks bullsh*t. u coward. say it to there face when u were with them"

And you're airing all this on twitter.

This goes on, but you get the point. That Oney has a major backer in the media is only fueling his rants, too.

At least Oney did come out with a veiled apology in an interview with the aforementioned major media backer (whose journalistic integrity *probably* should be called into question when Oney retweets everything written by him because it's so catered against Kenny Williams and toward the Guillen family), so there's that.

But Oney's been in this position before. Hell, it got him fired. At some point, shouldn't he realize he frequently takes things too far on twitter?

And look, speaking as a human, I can see why Oney was so angry. I mean, the ability of his father to do his job was called into question. I can see why that would make someone angry. But, at the end of the day, twitter isn't the right place for him to vent.

It never has been, and it never will be.

*****

Be sure to check out other Guillen-Jenks flap takes from newly-minted SSS chief Jim and James at White Sox Observer. James nailed it with this closing line:

"It seems like Oney really wants to have his father's back, when he might be better off as far away from it as possible."