NewsPassion is Guillen's strongest attribute
Fiery Sox manager sometimes portrayed in wrong light
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
10/01/09 1:23 PM EST
CLEVELAND -- The national depiction, and overall perception, if you will, of the White Sox manager certainly is not lost on Ozzie Guillen -- the man, himself.Let's try wild, crazy, profane and how about politically incorrect.
To some extent, those characterizations all hold a little bit of truth. Guillen probably would nod and laugh as each one was thrown out for his approval or rejection.
But here's where the problem arises when talk of Guillen takes center stage, usually after a postgame diatribe like his college football-themed barrage unleashed after last Saturday night's 12-5 home loss to Detroit.
Guillen is so much more than a good sound bite. Guillen is so much more then the angry man causing the network editors to work overtime by inserting bleeps to cover his off-color language. Guillen stands as one of the best managers in the history of the White Sox, the only one in the past nine decades to lead the team to a World Series title.
If you want to truly paint the accurate picture of Guillen, the man in charge of the baseball team on the South Side of Chicago, then the word "passion" must also be included.
"We all have our own way to go about things," said White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy, who has only dealt with Guillen for parts of two months, after coming over from San Diego as part of a five-player deal on July 31. "It takes all kinds to make the world go round.
"Ozzie is 180 degrees from where I came from [in San Diego] with [manager] Bud Black, who was quiet and sort of black and white. But I enjoy passion, and I enjoy the passion Ozzie brings every day."
When Cleveland claimed a 5-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday evening at Progressive Field, it ensured the White Sox would finish below .500 this season. That number simply was a formality for Guillen, who has said numerous times previously that if you don't finish atop the division, even if you play hard from start to finish, you're still just the "first loser."
This 2009 campaign marks the second year in Guillen's six at the helm where the White Sox were unable to finish above the break-even point. In those four other seasons, the White Sox won a World Series, won an AL Central crown and competed for a division title in the remaining two.
As it became increasingly apparent that the 2009 White Sox were not a playoff team, Guillen has become more and more the target of fan derision. Some have even clamored for a managerial change, a move less likely to happen than a pitchout on a 3-0 count, as the highly respected leader has a contract through 2012.
Fan e-mails come Guillen's way on an almost daily basis. If they focus on baseball, then Guillen certainly doesn't mind the criticism.
| "Ozzie is 180 degrees from where I came from [in San Diego] with [manager] Bud Black, who was quiet and sort of black and white. But I enjoy passion, and I enjoy the passion Ozzie brings every day." |
| -- Jake Peavy |
"There might be some guys out there who have better ideas, and we try to make it work. Some people don't understand my job. They might listen to the wrong people. You know, I see stuff like, 'Why do you pitch [Scott] Linebrink? Why do you bring in [Octavio] Dotel?' Well, who do you think I should bring?"
Many casual observers don't understand Guillen and the method behind what is considered this madness.
After giving up 12 unanswered runs against the Tigers last Saturday, Guillen entered the Conference and Learning Center for his postgame press conference at U.S. Cellular and answered one question without issue. Then, the fiery manager erupted.
He took umbrage with players checking out college football action following this game in which the White Sox fell apart down the stretch. Gordon Beckham readily admits he was one of the people at the center of the storm, although he certainly wasn't committing some cardinal sin.
| "When you are with me every day, you appreciate what I do or what I say, the way I treat people. I don't know why there's the image of me outside Chicago or this clubhouse, but I couldn't care less." |
| -- Ozzie Guillen |
"I can't find fault in what he did on Saturday at all," said Beckham, who carries the confidence and composure of a seasoned veteran. "He came up to me and said, 'Listen, I can't let you young guys think that's OK to turn on the game,' and I said that I understand what he's saying.
"At the same time, there's a difference in when and how you lose. When you lose a game like we did the other day, we were up 5-0 and blow it, and look awful and all that stuff, then I can understand why he got mad. The TV shouldn't be on."
For Guillen, the angry reaction came from a place of respect. It's the way he was raised in the game, and while he isn't that much older than some of the charges playing for him, it's how he wants to lead his team.
Not just respect for him but for fellow teammates and the game itself. Aside from the verbal volleys occasionally thrown out by Guillen, he does a great job of standing up for his players and giving them the best possible chance to succeed.
Playing for Guillen really doesn't require a long list of rules to follow.
"Discipline, play hard and [have a] winning attitude," Guillen said. "Make sure you respect the rules and your teammates. That's why a lot don't understand. When you are with me every day, you appreciate what I do or what I say, the way I treat people. I don't know why there's the image of me outside Chicago or this clubhouse, but I couldn't care less."
"Everyone asked me about him since I've come up, and Ozzie is fine with me," Beckham said. "He's a good manager that wants to win."
Guillen is a good manager, who will be running this team for years to come, especially since he "loves this job," even after the 2009 struggles. So, call him crazy or out of control -- the words don't bother Guillen.
People who are around Guillen know it's not what he's solely about.
"No, no. I make more money. I'm more famous," said Guillen with a laugh when asked if he was bothered by his rants being played up. "They know the Ozzie Guillen on TV who curses people out. Anybody who plays for me, they know they have a friend. They know I will do everything for them to be better."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
