Of Ozzie Guillen and blow-up dolls

May 6th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

It’s bad enough the Sox are coming off a four-game sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays. It’s bad enough their first place title is now gone, destined never to return again this season. It’s bad enough Guillen turned out one of his famous tirades in which he called the Sox “Chicago’s bitch.” (Can’t say I necessarily disagree.)

On top of all this, Guillen now has to deal with columnists shocked — absolutely shocked I tell you! — that a major league clubhouse might, get this, not respect women all the time.

Designed to help the team break out of its slump, the shrine featured two female blow-up dolls surrounded by ‘’strategically placed” baseball bats and was accompanied by a sign that read, ”You’ve Got To Push,” Canada’s National Post reported.

”A few of the bats were doing naughty things,” Sun-Times beat writer Joe Cowley wrote in his blog. Apparently one of the dolls was propped up by a bat in its rear end. Whether the lewdness was intentional or not, this was inappropriate. As were the blow-up dolls. Period.

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Apparently the sensitivity training classes Guillen attended after using a gay slur in 2006 did not include a segment on blow-up dolls.

Just so we’re clear, had there been any female reporters working Sunday’s game — my understanding is there weren’t — the Sox could have found themselves in legal trouble as a result of the display. It’s also possible male reporters were offended by the display.

But this isn’t about reporters’ feelings. Reporters are conduits to the fans. What a team does behind closed doors is its own business. But once the locker room opens, the franchise is on public display. So, how do you like your team now, Sox fans? Do you think the players respect women? I’m not so sure about that.

So in an effort to try and lighten the mood and help the team hit, the Sox have effectively pissed off a female Sun-Times columnist and still aren’t hitting at all. So, to tally: one Guillen outburst, one borderline sort of, but not really offensive prank by the Sox all within the span of one series. And it’s only May. This season, I have a feeling, only promises to get better.