bjm676 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...t=.jsp&c_id=cws Guillen defends himself Manager responds to criticism of comments TUCSON -- There was no secret handshake or official oath read in front of Ozzie Guillen Tuesday morning to signify his new "elite" status. But before workouts even began at Tucson Electric Park, an amused White Sox general manager Ken Williams knew his manager had joined a select group in which Williams is a charter member. "I view him as part of the club now," said Williams of Guillen, who was chastised by articles in two Chicago daily newspapers Tuesday in regard to his handling of Magglio Ordonez's comments about leaving the White Sox, made in a weekend article. "He hasn't been part of the club before, but now he is part of the club because he got ripped into today and ripped into in a way that I'm very familiar with," Williams added. The headline on a column in the Sun-Times labeled Guillen "a real hypocrite." In the Tribune, it read, "Guillen two-faced in ripping Ordonez." The articles pointed out that Guillen tore into the White Sox back in 1998, after then general manager Ron Schueler did not exercise a $4 million option to bring back the popular shortstop. How could Guillen be critical of Ordonez, who put forth his perception that the White Sox weren't committed to winning by letting go of top talent such as himself, when Guillen was even angrier some seven years ago? Guillen pointed out a few differences, including the fact that he is now managing a team instead of playing for one. "First of all, when you say we aren't willing to win or don't care about winning and I'm the manager of the team, I have to protect my players," Guillen told MLB.com. "I have to say what I feel. "I won't say that to make people feel good. I will say that because it's the truth. (Ordonez) was here for six or seven years and (he) didn't win either. If you win the World Series and then you get fired, that's a different thing. Who is Magglio to say we aren't willing to win? He doesn't have the right. "That will get me in a lot of trouble because I will tell people things right to their face, whether they like it or not," Guillen added. "If people know me real well, they know I won't lie, or talk just to talk." When Guillen was with Baltimore in Spring Training of 1998, he claimed that the comments made, which were the basis for the Guillen-related portions of Tuesday's articles, weren't shots at the White Sox. He pointed out that he was willing to take a pay cut to stay with the White Sox, and at that particular time, there were better infielders on the Baltimore bench than the White Sox had on the field, in his opinion. He was supposed to be chairman "Jerry Reinsdorf's sort of player," a fan favorite and a fan friendly guy. With all of that support, Guillen didn't understand why he wasn't coming back. To some, it sounds similar to Ordonez's gripes, minus the comments regarding the state of Ordonez's left knee, but Guillen contends there is one basic flaw in the two comparisons. "When I left Chicago, I wanted to stay," Guillen said. "When Magglio left Chicago, he wanted to leave. That's the difference. "But I was talking to a couple of guys, and I said, 'Do you think if I took a shot at Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox I would be the manager of this team now?' [No]. Much as he did on Sunday afternoon, Guillen wished Ordonez well for the 2005 season -- aside from the 19 games Detroit plays against the White Sox. He also mentioned a normal manager-player relationship with Ordonez. Current White Sox players don't seem to be fazed by the latest chapter of this seemingly endless saga. "I don't think there's anyone in here who's worried about it or even had second thoughts about it," said center fielder Aaron Rowand of the media skirmish between Guillen and Ordonez. "There's stuff in the paper all the time. "If (Ordonez) wants to say stuff like that, then he can say stuff like that. That's his prerogative. We didn't have to go through what Magglio went through. But until it was brought up to me, I didn't hear anyone talk about it." At this point, Guillen would like to let the soap opera fade into the background until Ordonez comes to town with Detroit in late April. I agree with the last sentence. Let's focus on this team and prepare for Opening Day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Mar 2, 2005 -> 11:58 AM) http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb...t=.jsp&c_id=cws I agree with the last sentence. Let's focus on this team and prepare for Opening Day. Absolutely! But it is kinda fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthraxFan93 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 (edited) Funny, after Ozzie gets his hand caught in the cookie car, then he goes.. well my situation was different for ripping the sox.. RRRRRRRRRight Ozzie, meet Pot. Edited March 2, 2005 by AnthraxFan93 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Sure they might have had problems, but Ozzie wanted to come back and be manager, and the Sox gave him the job, I would assume they made up in some sort of fashion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthraxFan93 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Sure they might have had problems, but Ozzie wanted to come back and be manager, and the Sox gave him the job, I would assume they made up in some sort of fashion. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hell Pay me 500k a year to be KW AGM.. and you won't see me bad mouth KW anymore. Money has a funny way of changing people minds on issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molto Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Mar 2, 2005 -> 11:43 AM) Funny, after Ozzie gets his hand caught in the cookie car, then he goes.. well my situation was different for ripping the sox.. RRRRRRRRRight Ozzie, meet Pot. the difference is the Sox organization was pretty bad back then. Schueler didn't have the balls it seemed to try to win and Bevington was an idiot. They also wanted Guillen gone. in this case, Ordonez was offered a contract even after he was injured, and the White Sox are actually trying to win. while I think Guillen has backed himself into the corner and didn't really make any sense in his latest response, I think the situations are fairly different. Just because two guys complain doesn't mean they were both right in complaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 QUOTE(AnthraxFan93 @ Mar 2, 2005 -> 05:43 PM) Funny, after Ozzie gets his hand caught in the cookie car, then he goes.. well my situation was different for ripping the sox.. RRRRRRRRRight Ozzie, meet Pot. Do you EVER have anything positive to say? I didn't think so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 QUOTE(kapkomet @ Mar 2, 2005 -> 02:02 PM) Do you EVER have anything positive to say? I didn't think so. He's positive Kenny Williams sucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Allen Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I wonder what Ozzie meant when he said everyone in the White Sox organization was fake during that 1998 interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toasty Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Mar 2, 2005 -> 02:06 PM) I wonder what Ozzie meant when he said everyone in the White Sox organization was fake during that 1998 interview. he meant only the fake people were fake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaSoxFan Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 while I think Guillen has backed himself into the corner and didn't really make any sense in his latest response, I think the situations are fairly different. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> When was the last time Ozzie made sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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