Ozzie Guillen Released from Contract

[Milkman delivers]

We should have 2 statues right now: Frank and Comiskey. Harold having a statue is a joke and Fisk is just silly, handing them out to very good/borderline great players that won't be getting into the hall just waters down the honor that comes with being immortalized in statue form.

 

I hate that Comiskey has one. I understand why he has one, but I still don't like that it exists.

[T R U]

There was no point in firing Ozzie if you keep KW on board.. this team is mediocre thanks to his poor moves, that's not going to change next year with someone new leading the team..

[Milkman delivers]

Then so does the guy from yahoo who wrote that column tonight. I agree with everything he wrote.

 

As far as respect. The people that hate me probably hate anybody that disagrees with them even though they won't admit that.

What was so wrong about what I said? People blast me for not having stats to back up everything and 90 percent of the time they do the same thing right back in response to me.

 

Ozzie Guillen is not and was not the devil.

You are the one who said he had nothing to do with the title in 05. How can anybody "respect" that statement?

Give me a break.

Your statements are as 'ridiculous' as mine.

 

"I'm starting to wonder if you're some 12 year old kid. You have zero substance to anything you post. You don't understand any baseball statistics, you fall in love with awful players, you seem to think the manager is more important to root for than the actual team, and every argument you rely on is 100% speculative conjecture."

 

I disagree with guys like Balta, SS2k5, and Tex all the time. I still respect them because their arguments aren't complete bulls*** that they made up and all of the stuff above.

[Cali]

I can't believe how excited I am for the off-season now

[jenksycat]

Then so does the guy from yahoo who wrote that column tonight. I agree with everything he wrote.

 

As far as respect. The people that hate me probably hate anybody that disagrees with them even though they won't admit that.

What was so wrong about what I said? People blast me for not having stats to back up everything and 90 percent of the time they do the same thing right back in response to me.

 

Ozzie Guillen is not and was not the devil.

You are the one who said he had nothing to do with the title in 05. How can anybody "respect" that statement?

Give me a break.

Your statements are as 'ridiculous' as mine.

 

good god man just stop, stoppppppp.

[qwerty]

So i was sitting here noshing on something delicious, and i was hit by an idea.

 

Only one thing could possibly top the removal of ozzie guillen.

 

... and that would be if greg permanently forgot his password.

 

I'm not the religious type... but you better believe me, i pray of it happening on a daily basis.

 

Those trolls roaming around are too much to bear, they suck. Less than greg sucks... but they suck nonetheless.

 

Greg is stronger than ever now. Think about it, he has a god damn posse of invalids at his beck and call to jam their pea-brained ideas down our throats.

 

Please suspend me like i asked last time. When i am able to come back... just give me access to SLaM until noted otherwise. After all, there will always still be the filibuster, and i enjoy a good laugh as much as the next guy.

 

 

[Quin]

So i was sitting here noshing on something delicious, and i was hit by an idea.

 

Only one thing could possibly top the removal of ozzie guillen.

 

... and that would be if greg permanently forgot his password.

 

I'm not the religious type... but you better believe me, i pray of it happening on a daily basis.

 

Those trolls roaming around are too much to bear, they suck. Less than greg sucks... but they suck nonetheless.

 

Greg is stronger than ever now. Think about it, he has a god damn posse of invalids at his beck and call to jam their pea-brained ideas down our throats.

 

Please suspend me like i asked last time. When i am able to come back... just give me access to SLaM until noted otherwise. After all, there will always still be the filibuster, and i enjoy a good laugh as much as the next guy.

 

 

Post more Qwerty, post more.

[caulfield12]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...urn=mlb-wp21111

 

At least this will make you laugh.

 

Funniest thing I've seen tonight, especially since I've seen the same "death stare" in person many times now.

[greg775]

There was no point in firing Ozzie if you keep KW on board.. this team is mediocre thanks to his poor moves, that's not going to change next year with someone new leading the team..

 

Amen.

Post more often.

Some of us blame players; some blame managers/coaches.

It's to each his/her own.

[RockRaines]

Amen.

Post more often.

Some of us blame players; some blame managers/coaches.

It's to each his/her own.

I don't understand how it's been two days and you still don't get the fact your hero left for more money. If he didn't he would be coaching next season.

[Dick Allen]

Amen.

Post more often.

Some of us blame players; some blame managers/coaches.

It's to each his/her own.

Ozzie didn't get fired. He refused to work the last year of a contract he signed. In a nutshell, he quit.

[cabiness42]

Then so does the guy from yahoo who wrote that column tonight. I agree with everything he wrote.

 

As far as respect. The people that hate me probably hate anybody that disagrees with them even though they won't admit that.

What was so wrong about what I said? People blast me for not having stats to back up everything and 90 percent of the time they do the same thing right back in response to me.

 

Ozzie Guillen is not and was not the devil.

You are the one who said he had nothing to do with the title in 05. How can anybody "respect" that statement?

Give me a break.

Your statements are as 'ridiculous' as mine.

 

A poster on a message board bashing KW and defending a departed Sox manager almost to the point of obsession? I think I've seen this show before.

 

[southsider2k5]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...urn=mlb-wp21111

 

At least this will make you laugh.

 

Funniest thing I've seen tonight, especially since I've seen the same "death stare" in person many times now.

 

Been there, done that.

[southsider2k5]

So Joe is down in Miami already... Nah, he is totally objective...

[southsider2k5]

NotHawk Hawk Harrelson

THE WHITE SOX HAVE NEVER LOST A GAME SINCE FIRING OZZIE GUILLEN.

 

[southsider2k5]

clarkspencer clarkspencer

by mlbtraderumors

Hearing that the 4-year, $16 million figure that's been floating out there on Guillen is grossly exaggerated. #Marlins

 

clarkspencer clarkspencer

by mlbtraderumors

Have confirmed. #Marlins to announce Ozzie Guillen as next manager at 1 p.m. press conference.

 

[caulfield12]

By Clark Spencer

[email protected]

Ozzie Guillen will be announced as the Marlins’ next manager at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Sun Life Stadium.

 

Guillen is expected to receive either a three- or four-year deal, but for less than the $4 million annual figure that has been reported.

 

Guillen, who has managed the Chicago White Sox since 2004 and won a World Series title with the team in 2005, was released from his contract on Monday.

 

In compensation for Guillen, the Marlins will send a pair of minor leaguers, infielder Ozzie Martinez and right-handed pitcher Jhan Marinez, to the White Sox.

 

 

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/28/2429...l#ixzz1ZFgYf7Zx

 

 

A bit weird to see him in that 2002 bright teal Marlins jersey.

 

 

 

Buster Olney

 

The Marlins have wanted Ozzie Guillen as their manager for years, and now it's expected to happen, as Joe Cowley writes.

 

There are rival baseball executives and scouts who have been rooting for this to happen, because everybody loves a good circus. The Marlins will now have baseball's most volatile and outspoken manager working for the most reactive owner, Jeffrey Loria. The whole world has heard the stories about how Joe Girardi yelled at Loria during a game and how Loria had to be talked out of firing Girardi that day, about how Fredi Gonzalez was nearly fired about 6,832 times.

 

"There's no way those two guys can co-exist," said one GM. "I bet they don't make it out of spring training."

 

Here's a foolhardy prediction: Guillen and Loria will get along fine.

 

 

No other rumors, just the usual ones about Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez to Miami.

Edited September 28, 2011 by caulfield12

[Steve9347]

Amen.

Post more often.

Some of us blame players; some blame managers/coaches.

It's to each his/her own.

OZZIE QUIT

[Eminor3rd]

Ozzie made boneheaded in-game strategy decisions night after night after night the entire time he was here. He wrote up completely asinine batting orders that obviously totally ignore all research on putting guys in the best position to contribute based on their skill sets. His attitude has caused a rift being the FO and management and his tirades had become an outright distraction for the players and fans alike.

 

On the plus side, he was able to instill confidence in his young pitchers.

 

We were able to get a fairly decent compensation package to get rid of a part of our team that was holding us back. We're better off because of this. All we need is to hire someone who won't do the things listed in my first paragraph.

 

Say what you want about KW, but Ozzie being gone, regardless of circumstance, is something we should be happy about.

[Harry Chappas]

I hope he has a similar write up when KW is finally shown the door.

 

guillen was not shown the door he left and quit on his team two with two games left.

 

he cut a deal with Florida and strong armed JR his "father figure"to let him go.

 

guillen at the end of the day was all about money and left the White Sox the same way he did in the late 90's like some spoiled ass child that thinks everyone owes him something

 

The fact that nobody even cares to bring this up in the media shows that it was time for him to go and nobody really cares

Edited September 28, 2011 by Harry Chappas

[BigSqwert]

guillen was not shown the door he left and quit on his team two with two games left.

 

he cut a deal with Florida and strong armed JR his "father figure"to let him go.

 

guilles at the end of the day was all about money and left the White Sox the same way he did in the late 90's like some spoiled ass child that thinks everyone owes him something

 

The fact that nobody even cares to bring this up in teh medai shows that it was time for him to go and nobody really cares

 

I love this post. Too bad greg will completely ignore it. He hates facts.

[southsider2k5]

guillen was not shown the door he left and quit on his team two with two games left.

 

he cut a deal with Florida and strong armed JR his "father figure"to let him go.

 

guilles at the end of the day was all about money and left the White Sox the same way he did in the late 90's like some spoiled ass child that thinks everyone owes him something

 

The fact that nobody even cares to bring this up in teh medai shows that it was time for him to go and nobody really cares

 

Honestly I think it shows that the media just loves Ozzie. He is a dream come true for them. He generates stories for them, he generates quotes for them, and he treated them well. Losing Ozzie makes their jobs a lot tougher because they all know the next person to come in will not nearly be as valuable to them as Oz was.

 

[fathom]

I love this post. Too bad greg will completely ignore it. He hates facts.

 

I still can't get over he did it the night before Buehrle's potential last game.

[BigSqwert]

I still can't get over he did it the night before Buehrle's potential last game.

Money is #1 in Ozzie's book.

[southsider2k5]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/...-kenny-williams

 

White Sox's next step better be up

If Kenny Williams doesn't find a quick fix, he could follow Ozzie Guillen out the door

 

Email

Print

Comments6

 

Greenberg By Jon Greenberg

ESPNChicago.com

Archive

 

CHICAGO -- On the first day of the rest of his baseball life, Kenny Williams was feeling introspective. After surviving the Not-So Civil War of Bridgeport, the Chicago White Sox general manager told reporters he's really into self-analysis. So I wondered what he was thinking as he drove to U.S. Cellular Field for his first Ozzie Guillen-free day since 2003.

 

"My throat hurts," he said Tuesday afternoon in the Ozzie-free home dugout.

 

After that ...

 

"Still hurts," he said as he sipped a hot tea. "What's going through my head? Again [dramatic pause], I can't help, even though, you know, it was pretty evident what the desire was here, but still can't help feel a sense of sadness that however it turned out, the way it turned out. Somehow I felt like, 'What could we have done about this to make it right?' "

 

The Ozzie-Kenny flame war that encapsulated the past two seasons is over. Well, there's sure to be a few remaining embers here and there, but with Guillen apparently off to Miami and Williams remaining, the organization can move on. Move on to what is unclear. Guillen made his demands for a contract extension loud and clear, even as he admitted he didn't deserve one based on the team's record. Williams, on the other hand, told reporters he offered to fall on his BlackBerry to the chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, "one year ago, six months ago, four months, three weeks ago, two weeks ago" if the chairman thought that was the answer to the team's funk. Of course it wasn't.

 

[+] EnlargeKenny Williams

AP Photo/Charles Rex ArbogastWhite Sox general manager Kenny Williams talks to reporters before Tuesday's game, the team's first without Ozzie Guillen.

 

That's the difference between Guillen and Williams. Guillen is brusque. Williams deals in dramatic pauses. At one time, we thought they complemented each other, but that was only when things were good.

 

Things aren't so good right now as a $127 million team struggles with mediocrity and relevancy. Williams' big free-agent acquisition, Adam Dunn, is only having the worst season by a hitter in, oh, major league history.

 

"The bottom line is it's a bottom-line business," Williams said. "It hasn't worked out. So you have to be accountable for that."

 

So how did Reinsdorf, who has been burdened by the Williams-Guillen drama for years now, deal with his general manager's humble flagellation?

 

"He didn't like it very much," Williams said.

 

Funny how that works out.

 

"But I felt compelled to reiterate again that I was completely prepared to vacate the seat," he said. "And I even expounded on that by telling him if, in fact, it was his feeling that Ozzie and I needed to work together, I had no problems along those lines. Do I wish certain things had been done differently? And handled differently? Absolutely. But I would have gone into it committed to making it work for the betterment of the Chicago White Sox."

 

Why did William offer to leave the organization? He's a proud, confident man, as he should be. There's a World Series trophy in Chicago. Those don't come easy. Maybe he's stressed. Maybe he's burned out. Maybe he's just looking inward. Williams certainly knows success and failure. He's got an ego, but he also has some sense of self-awareness.

 

"I offered it because, listen, I'm a big believer in self-analysis and self-assessment," he said. "I have a perspective that is one of needing, not wanting, needing this organization to be amongst the best in baseball. … But if I'm the cog in the machine that is tripping us up, and my decisions are such now that they don't warrant, or my style doesn't warrant more opportunities to get that done, that's fine. I've been sitting in this chair for a long time anyway.

 

"I think I've told you guys before that there comes a time where everyone has an expiration date. I can accept that. But I'd still like to be a part of building something and hope that it can transition into that. If it doesn't, it doesn't, and you move on. But for now, I'm a White Sox and I want another banner up there."

 

So what is Williams' expiration date? When does Reinsdorf accept his employee's humble protestations?

 

The hourglass has been turned over now with Guillen's departure, and the sands are going against Williams. It's his time to show the organization can reclaim its past success or move on, too.

 

Williams will have his new manager in the coming weeks. He said his list is narrowed down. What we do know is his hire won't have Ozzie's charisma or likely his immediate impact. The odds are Guillen's Marlins team will win a trophy before the Sox. That's just history talking.

 

But without a tricky roster overhaul by Williams, it's pretty clear this team isn't built for banners. Have you watched this team the past few years? "Whenever you start losing, the first guy that has to go is the manager," Omar Vizquel said.

 

Williams' career, just like Guillen's, is defined by 2005. The former outfielder hit some homers in the years following the World Series, Gavin Floyd and John Danks, as well as Manny Ramirez and Dunn. & Sorry, on those last two I got his home runs mixed up with his fastballs to the temple.

 

Williams did some good things, back in the day. Some great things. He was recognizing talent and making deals that put his peers to shame. But it looks like he's lost his eye and his edge. This roster is bloated by Dunn's sorrowful season, Alex Rios' unworthy contract and Jake Peavy's expensive unreliability. Don't get me started on his parade of failed ex-Royals.

 

With all those weighty contracts, Williams is skeptical the Sox will add payroll in 2012. Of course, he says that every year. Maybe this time it's true. Attendance is down. The Sox barely outdrew the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mark Buehrle, the kind of reliable starter who deserves another contract, is the latest potential casualty. He made possibly his last start in a Sox uniform in front of a few thousand soggy fans Tuesday, basking in a standing ovation after his seven shutout innings.

 

Who would replace Buehrle? Several highly touted starters in the organization were traded away in recent years, one twice, though hard-throwing reliever Chris Sale, who fell to the Sox in the 2010 draft, is under consideration to start next season. Danks needs a new deal too.

 

Williams' big-money deals have failed of late, but he expressed confidence in the farm system by pointing out Brent Morel, who is raking in garbage time; Gordon Beckham, who can't recapture his rookie success at the plate; Dayan Viciedo, the Cuban export who is finally up with his countryman Alexei Ramirez; and Tyler Flowers, who languished in the minors after getting traded by the Braves in the Javier Vazquez deal after 2008 season. He said the Sox have a backlog of young relievers.

 

More From ESPNChicago.com

 

Can't get enough White Sox information? ESPNChicago.com has all the latest from the South Side. Blog

 

Williams also stressed the good things that are going on in the Venezuela operations (except for you know, Guillen leaving) even if he doesn't name the two top prospects that he referred to as "The Franchise -- Sanchez -- and a left-handed pitcher in the Instructional League."

 

He can't brag about the team's status in the talent-rich Dominican Republic. Williams seemed to suggest it's getting tougher to scout there, which is odd.

 

"If you look at our reports, across the industry, there's not as many Type I, Type II Dominican players coming out," Williams said. "It's getting harder [and] harder, for whatever reason."

 

The Rangers signed Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara to a record $5 million deal this season. Bonuses are high across baseball for Dominican players. Under the Ricketts family, the Cubs are banking on upgrades to their Dominican operations, which has produced Carlos Marmol and Starlin Castro.

 

No one really brings up the Sox's continued failures in the Dominican, but when the White Sox develop a homegrown Latin American star again, let me know.

 

Williams described his GM tenure quite accurately as "11 years of throwing haymakers." But in recent years, those shots have missed wildly, like a punch-drunk boxer trying to remember a knockout he had 10 years ago.

 

Can Williams recapture his magic? He's got a puncher's chance, but the bell tolls for everyone at some point.