Robin Redux

The more I see of Grady Sizemore in the dugout, the more he reminds me of Robin Ventura, a very good ballplayer in over his head as manager. Sizemore’s 3-16 record since taking over for Mickey Mouse looks to be proof of that. Last night, the Sad Sox fell to the Mets, 5-1, collecting all of five hits. But, hey, that’s better than the three on Thursday, right? For you fans keeping count out there, the Sad Sox are 31-105 on the season. A loss today, and they equal a franchise-worst 106, WITH A MONTH LEFT TO PLAY. After the game, Sizemore told reporters, “Sometimes you don’t get the hits, or they don’t fall in, and you can’t get them when you need them. It’s just baseball.” [today’s Sun-Times] What, he was watching “Chinatown” before the game? Sizemore also said he’s trying to have players focus on the game at hand, not the record that looks ever more likely to be set with each loss. “The record is not anything we can focus on. It’s about getting better, playing good baseball and competing.” Mickey Mouse couldn‘t have said it better. Here’s the thing—a manager should want to avoid that record at all costs, save for possible injury. To pretend it doesn’t matter contradicts the very essence of competitive sports. The idea is to win, not lose. People keep score and judge accordingly.