As expected, the official White Sox explanation of the firing of batting coach Bill Buckner differs sharply from Buckner’s explanation of his dismissal.
General Manager Ron Schueler and manager Terry Bevington each said Sunday that Buckner was fired Saturday night because Sox hitters had not lived up to the high expectations set for them.
Buckner said Saturday night that his dismissal was “a personality thing–I didn’t get along with the manager.”
The Sox scored 17 runs in the three losses immediately preceding Buckner’s dismissal. Sox pitchers gave up 34 runs in those games, but Schueler looks back further to see the offense’s shortcomings.
“Go back 30 days or more,” he said. “A lot of guys have not lived up to expectations. We’re 10th in the league in scoring runs, and this team was built around offense.”
Whose decision was it to fire Buckner? “Mine,” said Bevington. Why? “To be short and sweet about it, we were disappointed in the offensive production. For the whole year. Not just Albert Belle. Others as well.”
Schueler vigorously denied reports that he had refused to shake hands with Buckner after the firing and that he was not available to comment on the dismissal. Schueler said “the system was down” in explaining why he hadn’t returned calls.
First base coach Ron Jackson was named interim hitting coach. Minor-league instructor Bryan Little is interim first base coach. “The word `interim’ applies to all of us,” said Bevington.
Power report: The Mariners totaled four home runs in Sunday’s double-header: two by Ken Griffey Jr. and one apiece by Jay Buhner and Edgar Martinez. Seattle has a season-high string of 13 straight games with at least one homer and 22 homers over this stretch.
The Mariners lead the AL with 190 homers. At this pace, they’ll finish with 250, second in history to Baltimore’s 257 last year.
Buhner’s homer was No. 30 of the season, If he reaches 40, he’ll join a group of only nine players who have hit 40 or more for at least three straight years: The list: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews, Ted Kluszewski, Duke Snider, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew and Frank Howard.
Injury report: The Sox placed pitcher Bill Simas on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, retroactive to Friday, with tendinitis in his right rotator cuff. Right-hander Jeff Darwin came cup from Triple-A Nashville, where he had a 4-3 record and was tied for the American Association lead with 22 saves.
Darwin pitched to one man Sunday. Martinez reached him for an RBI double in the eighth inning of the second game.
Streak goes on: Dave Martinez had a pinch triple in the first game and a first-inning double in the second game to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Mike Cameron is hitting .346 (9 for 26) with three homers and nine RBIs in a seven-game streak. Matt Karchner, who earned the save, has converted six straight save opportunities.
Rain update: Saturday’s second-game rainout was the fourth postponement of the season at Comiskey Park. There were only six cancellations in the first six years of the park.
Slump-buster: Lyle Mouton’s fourth-inning single in the opener ended an 0-for-17 slump. Next time up, he homered.
Cardinals honored: Members of the 1947 Chicago Cardinals were saluted in a pregame ceremony honoring the 50th anniversary of their NFL championship. The ’47 Cardinals played their home games in old Comiskey Park.
