The Mouse that Roared

Another game, another loss, another flirtation with being no-hit. White Sox lose, 4-1. Same old same old, with a difference because manager Mickey Mouse finally blew his cool. Addressing reporters after the game, Mouse said starter Garrett Crochet “pitched his a** off,” and the future ex-manager was spot-on about that. Crochet went six innings against the 33-18 Orioles, giving up two runs on three hits with a walk and eleven strikeouts. Crochet would repeat what Steve Carlton did in 1972 (27-10, 1.97 ERA, Cy Young Award) if only the Sox could replicate the Phillies’ 59 wins that year. And that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Maybe Mouse came to this depressing realization, and maybe that’s why he added “most of the guys were f****** flat today. Unacceptable. That’s all I’ve got.” [quotes from today’s Tribune and Sun-Times, which couldn’t agree on the placement of quotation marks and whether or not to use “butt” in place of “ass” or go with “f—” or “[expletive]’ ] Postgame analyst Ozzie Guillen praised Mouse for his honesty while noting he waited 216 games to hear it. Better late than never when it comes to speaking the truth and hiring a new manager.