In just his second season as manager, Ozzie Guillen steered the Chicago White Sox to their first World Series since 1959. He did it with a style all his own in becoming the first Latino manager to make the World Series: candid, aggressive and at times politically incorrect.
“Ozzie is going to be Ozzie,” catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “But he knows baseball, and he has the respect of this team.”
When Chicago clinched the American League Central title, Guillen received a congratulatory phone call from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. It was a big deal for the Venezuelan-born Guillen, and he said so, even though he knows being chummy with Chavez is not exactly politically correct. Chavez is good friends with Cuba’s Fidel Castro and has been one of Latin America’s most outspoken critics of the United States.
“To me it’s an honor,” Guillen said. “I don’t care how many people like him or not. I like the man, I don’t like his ideas, and some misunderstand what I want to say, like they always do. I say I like the man because I think he works hard for the country, and I feel proud to represent my country. I feel proud and pleased and happy my country has somewhere to look up to.”
Guillen said Chavez called him a “true leader.” “I don’t know if I’m a leader,” Guillen said, “but I have the biggest mouth.”
There’s no denying that, either, but there’s also no denying Guillen molded the White Sox in his image, much like colorful managers in the past such as Earl Weaver and Billy Martin. The White Sox are a fast, tough, multifaceted team that can beat you in many ways.
A year ago, however, the White Sox still were playing old-fashioned slugger ball, hoping power hitters such as Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordoñez would bludgeon foes. That formula didn’t work, so Guillen and general manager Ken Williams reshaped the team. That included trading Lee to Milwaukee for speedster Scott Podsednik, who became the White Sox’s leadoff hitter.
“Ozzie wanted to try to put his stamp on the team with some speed and more defense,” said American League Championship Series MVP Paul Konerko, the White Sox’s one true power hitter this season. “There was no question we needed to make changes, and I think I said it at the end of last year: We need to make changes around here, and that could be me going out the door. But that’s best for the team.”
Guillen wasn’t about to get rid of Konerko, one of his leaders and most consistent players. But that doesn’t mean Konerko, or anybody else on the roster, gets special treatment. Guillen, unlike most modern managers, isn’t shy about criticizing his players to the media.
“Every time they see me in the clubhouse, they go, ‘Vroom! Under the bus!”‘ Guillen said with a laugh. “But there’s one thing about me: I will tell my players the truth, and they know it.
“Now players make so much money and they think they can do whatever they want to do. They say, ‘If I’m late, he can’t do anything to me because you’re not going to bench me, not going to release me, not going to trade me.’ Well, with the White Sox it’s a little bit different because I don’t care how much money you make, I don’t care how good (you are), if you don’t go by my book, you’re not going to play for the White Sox.
“I worry about 25 guys, not one. I will treat Paul Konerko the same way I treat Pablo Ozuna: with respect, loyalty and trust. Once in a while we’re going to need Pablo Ozuna to play for us, not Paul Konerko. The only thing that’s different is every 15 days they’ve got a different paycheck. But by my rules they’re all the same.”
Staff writer Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
