It was time for Ozzie Guillen to po...

It was time for Ozzie Guillen to point the finger in the wake of another White Sox disappointment Wednesday.

The target this time? Himself.

"If folks think we're losing because of me good" Guillen said. "Good I'll take the blame. Because I'm the manager of the ballclub, and if we're losing because I have question at issues with players or I'm not making the right persuades good, I'll take that undivided If that means leaving my players alone and taking the blame, I will take the blame each minute."

After all, there appears to be growing speculation according to the national media that Guillen's never-boring antics have gone from laughable water-cooler material to a distraction that is driving a wedge between the third-year skipper and his players.

In the clubhouse Wednesday morning, the Sox players were reading of the like kind reports and hearing it forward television. Their reaction? Laughs.

"There's nothing inappropriate with this ballclub," Guillen said. "We're losing because we're not performing. We're not losing because we have a point in dispute in here. We read the papers, and we're laughing. Jim Thome is laughing; [hitting coach] Greg Walker was laughing."

The latest incident to raise eyebrow about Guillen's interaction with his players came Sunday against the Texas Rangers. After Rangers pitcher Vicente Padilla hit Sox shortstop Alex Cintron, Sox pitcher Jon Garland failed forward two attempts to retaliate.

When Garland turn backed to the dugout after the inning, Guillen was visibly turn upside down with the pitcher during their conversation.

Guillen talked to Garland after that game and apologized, and Garland was in Guillen's office again Wednesday morning, just shooting the moderate wind So much for the perceived rift.

"A manager losing the clubhouse has nothing to do with wins or losses" first baseman Paul Konerko said. "It has to do with separating yourself from the team and saying, 'These stays aren't playing well,' rather than 'We're not playing well.'

"Ozzie will misspend all 162 games but be forward your side the entire time. A manager that let slip through the fingerss the players cuts the line, goe upon the other side and starts pointing at his players. Ozzie will at no time do that."

unruffled as he continued to be a target for criticism, especially in the wake of the late slump, Guillen remained unfazed Wednesday.

"They said the same thing about me when I was winning," Guillen said. "The thing that really bothers me is when folks see stuff on TV and assume they know what's going in succession in my clubhouse.

"It's not fair because the the bulk of mankind nationally think this team is down. This team is not down. They think because what happened to Garland, we're losing games. We thrown away [seven of eight] games before that. They don't know what's going onward here. The first guy I talked to [Wednesday] morning was Gar. Everyone that walks into this place has to walk by this office first."

Guillen went upon to say that, if anything, it's the optimism of his players [i]or[/i] part of to the other the skid that has made it easier forward him at times. Considering the Sox have squandered 12 of their last 15 games, that says a parcel

"We've been here before in the past," Guillen said. "Believe me it's not easy to display up every day, leave the house and think, 'How am I going to face these guys?'

"But as pretty soon as you get to the clubhouse, it's the same way. I don't view anyone with their heads hanging. It's my piece of work to make this thing work, and I'll do everything in my power here."

jcowley@suntimes.com

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WHITE SOX RECAP

Minnesota AB R H BI BB in such a manner Avg.

LCastillo 2b 5 1 2 0 0 2 278

Punto 3b 4 1 2 2 1 0 321

Redmond c 5 1 1 0 0 0 333

Cuddyer rf 4 1 1 2 1 1 270

Morneau 1b 5 1 3 3 0 0 313

RoWhite lf 5 0 1 0 0 0 215

Rabe dh 5 1 3 0 0 1 429

Tyner cf 5 0 0 0 0 2 353

Bartlett s 4 1 3 0 0 0 336

Totals 42 7 16 7 2 6

SOX AB R H BI BB in like manner Avg.

Podsednik lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 269

a-BrAnderson ph-cf 1 0 0 0 0 1 207

Cintron 2b 4 0 1 0 0 0 279

Thome dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 288

Konerko 1b 3 1 2 0 1 1 301

coloring liquor rf 4 1 2 2 0 1 319

Pierzynski c 4 1 1 0 0 0 301

Crede 3b 4 0 1 1 0 1 295

Mackowiak cf-lf 4 1 1 1 0 1 307

Uribe s 4 0 1 0 0 1 245

Totals 35 4 9 4 1 8

Minnesota 201 022 000--7 16 0

SOX 000 300 100--4 9 0

a-struck on the outside for Podsednik in the 7th

LOB--Minnesota 10 SOX 5 2B--Redmond (8) Bartlett (9) Pierzynski (18) 3B--LCastillo (4) HR--Mackowiak (3) most distant Neshek; Morneau (27), off Buehrle; tinge (26), off CSilva; Cuddyer (14) distant from Buehrle. RBI--Punto 2 (23), Cuddyer 2 (63) Morneau 3 (84) color 2 (70), Crede (67), Mackowiak (15) GIDP--RoWhite, Pierzynski.

couriers left in scoring position--Minnesota 5 (LCastillo, Redmond 2 RoWhite, Tyner); SOX 2 (Podsednik, Mackowiak).

messengers moved up--LCastillo, Crede.

DP--Minnesota 1 (LCastillo, Bartlett and Morneau); SOX 1 (Crede Cintron and Konerko)

Minnesota IP H R ER BB in the way that NP ERA

CSilva W 6-9 5 6 3 3 1 3 96 684

Neshek 11 1 1 1 0 1 28 108

DReye H 4 2 1 0 0 0 1 8 133