When Orlando Hudson implied that racism might be at the root of Jermaine Dye's current unemployment, there were more than a few skeptics who said Dye's picky nature was the real source of the problem.
That camp just got a lot more proof on Friday morning when the Chicago Sun-Times ran an article on the possibility of Dye returning to help the struggling offense of the White Sox.
Dye told the paper he's still a versatile sort that can help out in the outfield, at first base and designated hitter. He also says the much talked-about $3 million offer from the crosstown Cubs wasn't a formal one and that he last drew interest from the Brewers.
Everything about the interview seemed to indicate that Dye is ready to head to work with a smile, until his last quote in the piece:
Ozzie Guillen is also quoted extensively in the article and the White Sox manager wonders why Dye — who stunk up the second half of 2009 — doesn't take a cheap deal as a means to rehab his numbers. If he does that, he not only gets a chance at another contract past this season but could be midseason tradebait if the White Sox or another team continue to flounder. So what started a season in which he was unwanted by all 30 MLB teams could end with a chance at his second World Series title with a contender — if only Dye is willing to suck up his pride and take a risk.
Dye is welcome to play his situation however he pleases, of course. And maybe he's still hoping the Red Sox will decide they'd rather waste at-bats on him than David Ortiz or that the Giants will realize their great pitching staff needs some more run production than what they're currently getting. If he would prefer to wait around for a tailor-made situation that may or may not exist for him, that's fine. It's his career. It's his risk.
But by publicly reiterating what it will take for him to get out of bed in the morning, Dye just took away whatever evidence that Hudson may have thought was behind his previous complaint
That camp just got a lot more proof on Friday morning when the Chicago Sun-Times ran an article on the possibility of Dye returning to help the struggling offense of the White Sox.
Dye told the paper he's still a versatile sort that can help out in the outfield, at first base and designated hitter. He also says the much talked-about $3 million offer from the crosstown Cubs wasn't a formal one and that he last drew interest from the Brewers.
Everything about the interview seemed to indicate that Dye is ready to head to work with a smile, until his last quote in the piece:
"'I'm not going to a bad team, and I'm not playing for $1.5 million."
Uh, yeah ... So there's that.
Ozzie Guillen is also quoted extensively in the article and the White Sox manager wonders why Dye — who stunk up the second half of 2009 — doesn't take a cheap deal as a means to rehab his numbers. If he does that, he not only gets a chance at another contract past this season but could be midseason tradebait if the White Sox or another team continue to flounder. So what started a season in which he was unwanted by all 30 MLB teams could end with a chance at his second World Series title with a contender — if only Dye is willing to suck up his pride and take a risk.
Dye is welcome to play his situation however he pleases, of course. And maybe he's still hoping the Red Sox will decide they'd rather waste at-bats on him than David Ortiz or that the Giants will realize their great pitching staff needs some more run production than what they're currently getting. If he would prefer to wait around for a tailor-made situation that may or may not exist for him, that's fine. It's his career. It's his risk.
But by publicly reiterating what it will take for him to get out of bed in the morning, Dye just took away whatever evidence that Hudson may have thought was behind his previous complaint
