(670 The Score) White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is having the worst season of his career, but that hasn't stopped first-year manager Pedro Grifol from continuing to bat him at or near the top of the lineup.
Anderson is hitting .232 with a .542 OPS, which are both pacing to be career-worst marks for him. Despite those struggles, Anderson has led off 48 times among the 53 games he has started this season. He has also batted in the No. 2 spot five times, including in four of the past five games. Anderson's poor performance is part of why the White Sox are 25th in MLB in averaging 4.0 runs per game and why they're dead last with a .291 on-base percentage.
Grifol's choice to bat Anderson at or near the top of the lineup is one that baffles NBC Sports Chicago analyst Ozzie Guillen, who managed the 2005 White Sox to a World series title.
"I have a question – why don't they move TA to seventh or eighth in the batting (order)?" Guillen said on the Mully & Haugh Show on Wednesday morning. "Why? They don't have the guts. They're scared. Nothing against TA, OK? Don't take that the wrong way.
"Whatever it is, why do you keep batting him second? What is the reason? Why? … I don't see why this man is still batting second when he struggles. I think they have to help him to relax a little bit more at the plate and move him down a little bit so he can get his stuff together and start producing the way he's always been producing.
"If you put TA down, you're going to help him mentally and help the ball club with the offense they have."
Guillen also believes Grifol needs to have a firmer hand with his players when it comes to his willingness to make changes.
"Those guys are taking advantage of Pedro," Guillen said. "Being nice is one thing. Being too nice is another thing. I think Pedro is being too nice with those guys. I know that's the way managers are right now – like make this guy happy. But it doesn't work."
You can listen to Guillen's full interview in the audio player above.
Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
