Frank To Fans: STFU

Frank doesn't like it that the fans are booing the Hitless Wonder, Cristian Guzman.

"He's doing a good job for us defensively," Manager Frank Robinson said. "He's not doing the job offensively, and no one feels worse than he does. I certainly don't feel he deserves to be booed."

I'm a reformed Yankee fan. I love to boo. But, when I do, I try not to boo outcomes, but I will boo effort.

That is, if a player doesn't come through with the bases loaded, I won't jeer. But, if he hits a grounder to third, fails to run hard, and is thrown out after the fielder bobbles the ball, he's fair game for boos. I think that's pretty reasonable.

But, Guzman has definitely tested my patience.

I was at Tuesday's game where he hit into the two double plays, and popped the bunt up. I gave him a free pass on the first DP. But, not on the second. And definitely not on the bunt.

Booing does not cross the line. It's not so much an insult as a way of the fans expressing that they don't like what they're seeing, and expressing to the management that they need to do something about the problem.

After the second DP, I immediately looked up into Jim Bowden's box. He stood up from his seat, walked to the back of the box, made a small circle, then took a swig from a bottle (I think it was water... maybe Vodka?)

I'm sure Guzman's taking his slump pretty hard, but Frank needs to know that the fans are too. It's pretty safe to say that he has cost us three games or so compared to a league average shortstop.

I hate taking the 'we paid money, we can boo if we want to' route, but I think it applies here. We're paying to see our team do everything it can to win a game. And with Guzman in the lineup, it sometimes creates doubts.