Guillen never at a loss for words
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen isn't afraid to say what's on his mind, no matter what's on his mind.
The great thing about White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is he isn't afraid to say what's on his mind, no matter what's on his mind.
| Caple in Motion |
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ESPN.com writer Jim Caple will be providing unique views of the World Series through his daily video blog, done in ESPN Motion:
• Oct. 21: Finding his seat |
On managing in the majors:
"If I can do it, anybody can do it."
On whether that means a reporter could do it:
"Not you. You're not smart enough."
On whether he regrets not having gone further in school than eighth grade:
"I only went to eighth grade in school, and I'm smarter than a lot of guys who go to Harvard. If your English is terrible and you come to this country at age 16 and survive, you must have some smarts in your head."
On what he thinks of Pat Robertson, the TV evangelist who called for the United States to assassinate Venezuela president Hugo Chavez (Ozzie is from Venezuela):
"He's an idiot. ... I talk about everything, but I don't talk about politics. I don't like politicians. To be a politician, you have to be a hypocrite. Because you have to make everybody happy and to make everybody happy you have to lie."
"Not me. You aren't with me everyday or you would know. I say what I think. I say #&$% that Jerry doesn't like and I say #&$% that Kenny doesn't like. But I don't care. ... You never see any leaders who are mute. You see all sorts of leaders, crazy leaders, good leaders, drunk leaders. But you never see a mute leader. ...
"I'm not scared to get fired. I've got a lot of money. A lot of money. And I know the day I'm not wearing this jersey, I'll be wearing another jersey tomorrow.''
On why, unlike most managers, he was willing last weekend to take questions about playing in the World Series before winning the playoffs:
"I don't care. I've got two stories that can happen. I've got World Series tickets if we make it, and I've a 60-foot boat to disappear from baseball for a little while if we don't."
On whether that boat is in Miami or Venezuela:
"Venezuela. The water's too rough in Miami and you can't drink on the boat there."
On tips he picked up playing for Atlanta at the end of his career:
"I asked Bobby Cox when I played for him: 'Do you mind if I second-guess you?' That takes a lot of guts and balls as a player to sit next to Bobby Cox and second-guess him. But I wanted to learn, and I did by asking questions. If you don't do that, you're not going to learn."
On scouting reports:
"The Fox people say, 'Every time we have the camera on you, you don't have no stats. No paper, no books.' All I got is a lineup card. ... We play Minnesota a hundred times. Why do I have to read a scouting report on them? Why do I have to be in my office at 10 when the game isn't until 7? What are you going to do, get fat? ...
"You want to see my scouting reports?" [He instructs an attendant to grab them from his office. A minute later, the attendant hands him two laminated cards the size of baseball cards. Ozzie waves them in the face of the reporter.] "These are my scouting reports! That's all."
On whether the reporter can look at the cards:
"I'm not going to show you #&$%!"
On computers and baseball:
| “ | You can't buy a World Series ring in the streets. You can't buy that ring no matter how much money you have. Take Alex Rodriguez. He has hundreds of millions of dollars, but he doesn't have that ring. That's why I say God bless Derek Jeter. He's got a lot of money and a lot of rings.” | |
| — Ozzie Guillen |
"Babe Ruth didn't have a computer. Roberto Clemente didn't have a computer."
On reading email from fans:
"That's easy. You just press, 'Delete, Delete, Delete.' "
On whether he will be satisfied if he doesn't win the World Series:
"I'm not saying we'll be losers, but it's not what I want to see. I have a Braves ring, National League champions. I don't even see that thing. I never wear it. It's a in a box and I never look at it.
"My ring with the Marlins, I wear it everyday of my life. It's the thing I'm most proud of. And it's a big ring. ... But you can't buy a World Series ring in the streets. You can't buy that ring no matter how much money you have. Take Alex Rodriguez. He has hundreds of millions of dollars, but he doesn't have that ring. That's why I say God bless Derek Jeter. He's got a lot of money and a lot of rings."
On whether he's serious about quitting if he wins the World Series:
"If we win and I go home that day and I say, 'Wow, I did what I was supposed to do, I don't need to do this again,' I'll quit. It's my choice. I can leave with my head up and just go. ...
"I could either be with family for the rest of my life or be with my players for the rest of my life. I'd rather be with my players."
And those quotes come from a routine pregame conversation with reporters in the dugout. If you want some really outrageous comments, here's what Ozzie told Dan Le Batard when he asked for something he believed in that very few people did:
"I've got a weird religion ... Santeria."
Santeria is a religion that includes animal sacrifice. Asked whether he kills animals, Ozzie replied:
"Back in my country, yes, I do."
Hmmm. That's probably not an answer you would get from Tony La Russa.
Jim Caple is a senior writer at ESPN.com. His first book, "The Devil Wears Pinstripes," was published by Plume. It can be ordered through his Web site, Jimcaple.com.
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