Another great Chicago fire?

After scoring a measly six runs in three games while getting swept in Minnesota, the Chicago White Sox returned home to U.S. Cellular Field to face the Toronto Blue Jays.

Chicago seemed to be in no hurry to turn around their momentum, as the Jays promptly disposed of the Sox 12-2.

Jerry Manuel, whose job has been on the line since the second half of the 2002 season, was ejected in the fifth inning arguing a call at third base. Manuel has never been known for being a firecracker. While his managerial pacifism worked in the 2000 season, leading the Sox to the AL Central pennant, he has come under fire for not changing his approach enough when the team is scuffling.

After Monday night's ejection (which made it his fourth this season), the Sox proceeded to not reach base until the ninth. The White Sox prior to the game had a new hitting coach as Greg Walker replaced Gary Ward, and Manuel drew up an "offense for defense" lineup, putting Magglio Ordonez in center field and Brian Daubach in right. However, these changes produced the same lackluster result.

The knee-jerk reaction is to fire Manuel, whose White Sox are four games under .500, and the people who say that have their reasons. This team has under-produced for the last two seasons (though the White Sox of 2001 had a serious rash of injuries that no manager could overcome), and if he can't motivate the players and get them going, maybe somebody else can.

Add in the fact that the White Sox have changed hitting, pitching, and base coaches for this season, and by using simple deduction, the manager is really the only coach left to change.

Another popular answer is to fire Kenny Williams, the general manager. Williams has made some questionable moves (shipping Ray Durham to Oakland for very little in return), and some very bad moves (trading Kip Wells and Josh Fogg to Pittsburgh for Todd Ritchie).

In his defense, however, this 2003 team looked very strong on paper. He attained Bartolo Colon for virtually nothing, and most baseball people agreed that Billy Koch was an upgrade over Keith Foulke at closer. I've had Williams' problem on my own fantasy teams -- I'm in charge of a good-looking team that is at the bottom of the standings. When you're dealing with fans, players and contracts, it's even harder to make mid-season changes.

The problem the White Sox have is the same problem that a lot of teams have in every professional sport -- the players do not receive enough of the blame. Paul Konerko is hitting .215 this year and has left no rally unkilled, the Big Hurt is hitting weak flares, Mark Buehrle has lost seven games already this year, and Rick White makes me want to set myself on fire -- he bumped up his 7.27 ERA to an even 9 after Monday's game.

The fans, media, and even the brass for a majority of teams will immediately pin the blame on the manager. From the rate that NHL coaches are hired and fired, professional hockey players seem to rate lower than golden retrievers on an attention-span scale.

Baseball players do not seem to be much better in this respect. I admire Kenny Williams for sticking with Manuel this long. (Last year, in response to a reporter commenting on how Williams can't fire every player, Williams responded, "Yes, I can.")

Now as it stands, it may be time for a managerial change. But it would not be fair for Manuel if a few players were not shown the door on his way out as well. Williams has tinkered with the starting rotation and the bullpen, while the lineup has been spared. That lineup was supposed to be the strength of this team, and Williams worked to make the pitching adequate. The pitching is there for the most part, but the offense is nowhere to be found.

With exception of Magglio Ordonez, no position player should be untouchable. If Williams shipped off someone like Carlos Lee, Konerko, or Frank Thomas without a lot of publicity beforehand, it might motivate the rest of the lineup to change whatever they can to be more productive.

The clubhouse should have the atmosphere of 1930s Russia during Stalin's five-year plan. The workers see men in uniform come in and carry away a fellow employee, and that employee is never seen again. As a result, the rest of the workers pick up the pace a little, fearing the same fate.

If a supposed fixture in the line-up is traded away, perhaps the other guys will work harder to protect their own spots. None of the White Sox players have stepped up to take any responsibility, so maybe Williams can put their selfish tendencies to good use.

Jerry Manuel is a good person, and had success managing a young ballclub. As more veterans were added to the team the past few seasons, Manuel's grip on his squad started to slip, and he has had trouble getting them going on a consistent basis. Perhaps bringing in a veteran manager like Bobby Valentine can be the solution to this problem, and at this point it might not hurt.

It's not possible for nine Jerry Manuels to take the field, though, and chances are that it won't happen with Bobby Valentine either. As soon as the game starts, Manuel's power extends only up to the lineup card.

Contrary to what the players might believe, they are not invincible. Perhaps Kenny Williams should make that clear.