AURORA — There's no doubt about it, Ozzie Guillen has a passion for the game of baseball, but even more than that, he has a passion for the White Sox.
That was apparent here Monday when the White Sox' manager who, along with radio play-by-play man John Rooney, were the guests of honor at the 100th Celebrity Sports Banquet at Long Island Sound. As the manager was peppered with questions from the White Sox faithful gathered in the room, his answers were candid, engaging, and often times funny.
"I'm a White Sox fan," said Guillen, who patrolled the shortstop position on the South Side for 13 seasons. "I was so happy to come back to Chicago and work with the team I played for for so many years."
And so far the White Sox, and their fans, are happy that he is back. Even after a tough West Coast trip to Oakland and Seattle where the Sox won just one of their five games, the team enters its interleague series with the Phillies at 30-24 on the season, good for first place in the American League Central by a game over the Twins.
Not the same
But as Guillen looks back on the first two months of his managing career, he's finding out that there is a big difference between being a player and being the guy in charge. Winning feels the same, but losing is a lot tougher. Sunday's loss to Seattle, where closer Billy Koch blew yet another save opportunity, was a perfect example. "I've been in this game for the last 20-something years, and I've never been as sick to my stomach as I was (Sunday) night," he said. "When you are a player (the games) are easy because you can contribute. When you are a manager or coach, you can't do anything about it, you just hope everything turns out all right." A player also gets to leave the game behind after a win or a loss, and show up for work at the ballpark to do it again the next day. But the manager isn't so lucky, he has to answer to the front office, the media, and the fans. After a round of golf with good friends Harold Baines and Greg Walker, Guillen spent Monday's off-day in a two-hour meeting with upper management discussing ways to make the team better, mainly finding a fifth starter, following the amateur draft and deciding on who is going to handle the role of closing out games.
He gone?
Finding a fifth starter is still an unsolved question, but Guillen did come to a decision on his bullpen. Koch will no longer be the closer, with that role most likely going to lefty Damaso Marte. "I've already seen enough — I come to win, and I want to win, and I don't think Billy is going to be the first option," said Guillen. "(General manager) Kenny Williams is working to make something happen. I'm not out of options, but I don't think you are going to see Billy Koch too often there."
Despite their pitching problems and the loss of superstar outfielder Magglio Ordonez for two months, Guillen feels like the team and the organization are going in the right direction, and that things are only going to get better.
"We're not playing the way I think we could play, I think we have a better club than we have shown (so far)," he said. "The kids are ready to win. Now they are learning and feeling and tasting what it is like to be a winner, and they are ready to go."
He feels the players are ready, and the organization feels the same way. Guillen says management, most notably Williams and owner Jerry Reinsdorf, are on board to make the commitments necessary to do what is necessary to take the team to the next level.
"I was so happy, that's the first meeting (Monday) I've had where I've left with a lot of confidence and being really happy about what they told me," he said. "You will be really surprised with what they are going to do, and hopefully when they give me the team hopefully I can get the team to continue the way we are playing right now."
Guillen played on several winning teams as a player, and appeared in the postseason three times, twice with the White Sox and once with the Atlanta Braves, where he played three games in the 1999 World Series.
He was also the third-base coach last season for the World Champion Florida Marlins.
Pass it on
He hopes to pass those lessons learned onto his players, along with preaching the value of playing hard every day ("Today is the biggest game we are going to play."), while also respecting the media, the fans, and the game. This new attitude has gotten the attention of the entire organization, as well as the rest of the league.
"Going to spring training this year, I had a feeling that once we got there we might be on to something special," said Rooney, who has been the team's play-by-play man since 1988.
"Good players make good managers, but I think great managers take players to a level where they are better than just average major league players. I'm glad Ozzie is on board, because I feel that attitude all the way up in the press box."
Having had a taste of what it's like to win a World Series, Guillen is ready to do it again, and soon.
"I came from winning the World Series, that's the best feeling that you can have," he said. "I want to have that feeling here in Chicago."
