LittleHurt05 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) edit: here is the link Ozzie Guillen fires on White Sox by joe cowley jcowley@suntimes.com October 17, 2011 7:28PM It’s amazing what 16 days of vacation in Spain did for former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. The Miami Marlins’ skipper admittedly was rejuvenated, refreshed and “ready to get back to the game I love,” agreeing to join ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” crew for its World Series coverage, beginning Wednesday night. But Guillen wasn’t in the mood to put up with a guy he once considered a good friend rewriting history. Sox pitching coach Don Cooper went on the Score two weeks ago and said the reason he went behind Guillen’s back to work out an extension with general manager Ken Williams was because, “I was told that Ozzie was asked, ‘What about your coaches? Let’s sign your coaches,’ and he said, ‘No, let them sweat.’ ’’ Guillen said Monday that he was thrilled with the hiring of former teammate Robin Ventura as the Sox’ new manager and was happy that chairman Jerry Reinsdorf found the right guy, but what Cooper said was inexcusable in his eyes. Higher road be damned. “Cooper needs to look in the mirror,’’ Guillen told the Sun-Times. “He didn’t backstab me. I know who he is. He backstabbed his fellow coaches, the guys he worked with for years. You got family? That’s fine. Everyone does. We all knew Coop was Kenny’s b----. “Look, Coop is not a good coach; he’s a great coach. But Coop is Coop. He doesn’t worry about anyone; he worries about himself. I stuck up for my coaches like a m-----------. “I told [the Sox] I want to keep my coaching staff, and I never lied to the media. I talked to Jerry Reinsdorf maybe five times [about extending the coaches’ contracts over the years]. The reason I was so comfortable with the Sox was the coaches. Let them sweat it out? Coop was Kenny’s guy, and my staff knew that. We all know what he really is.’’ Williams gave Guillen control of the coaching staff in 2006, and he said he wanted the staff extended once his option was picked up last offseason through 2012. Guillen wanted the staff there as long as he was there, but he also found out about Cooper breaking protocol and going behind his back to get his own deal done with Williams. Guillen also felt as if Cooper diminished the managerial seat he held for almost eight seasons when he was named the interim manager for the last two games of the season. “That makes me sad and also made me aware as a person that someone you really like, really back up . . . you didn’t go through the process the right way,’’ Guillen said. “I saw Coop saying after I left [last month], ‘I can manage in the big leagues.’ That sounded like a statement like, ‘I’m better than Ozzie.’ I know I can never be a pitching coach, but when the games mean s--- for two days, it’s easy. “What I know is I never told Kenny, ‘Let them sweat.’ That’s not true.’’ But Guillen couldn’t have been more excited about Ventura getting the managerial gig. “To be honest, everyone was shocked and so was I,’’ Guillen said. “But I think they have a great man. He’s different than me, but in my opinion, the Sox picked the right guy. There might be some questions in the air the same way there were questions about me when the Sox hired me, but the fans will love him.’’ If Guillen was shocked about Ventura, Williams’ admission that he actually thought about making Paul Konerko a player/manager was a fall-on-the-floor moment. “Wow, I guess people think managing is easy,’’ Guillen said. “I read about that a couple of days ago, and Konerko in the future? Yes, he can be a manager. But I don’t think Konerko can handle both. That’s another shock. I don’t even know what to say. “Kenny has a different opinion than me, and if Kenny thinks managing is easy, well, everyone has a different opinion about baseball. But when I heard that, wow.’’ Once his tour with ESPN ends, it’s all about the Marlins and moving forward with that organization. Still living in Chicago, however, hasn’t made that transition as simple as it should be. “I have people on the street, saying to me, ‘I can’t believe you left us,’ ’’ Guillen said. “Look, those guys didn’t want me. I didn’t leave them. They didn’t want me back, and I understand their point. But don’t tell me I left here. “Since last year, this was about integrity, it was about loyalty, it was about do they want me here. Let me say it my way: The Sox were saying, ‘Yes, we want to f--- you, but we don’t want to marry you.’ ’’ Edited October 18, 2011 by LittleHurt05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 waiting for the rush limbaugh i mean greg775 spin on this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSqwert Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 What a piece of s***. Zero class. Good riddance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamshack Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I'm actually pretty impressed Ozzie kept it that clean and respectful...but honestly, this is just another example of his misunderstanding of the industry that is baseball right now. Does he not see what happened to Francona? What is happening with Theo? Professional sports, much like a lot of things in life, is a results-oriented business and a what have you done for me lately business. This is life Ozzie. Grow up. Accept it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Took what, 2 weeks before he decided the laundry needed aired? Makes one so proud... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 pretty mild. you'd have to guess cowley was hoping he'd get something more incendiary since he's running out of these stories. and lol at the s-t pitching this as an exclusive. no information in there that hasn't been discussed extensively over the past few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fathom Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Yep, if this is the worst that he has to share, then no big deal. Kudos to Cooper for doing what he had to do to help keep his job and getting Ozzie canned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamshack Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 17, 2011 -> 08:51 PM) Took what, 2 weeks before he decided the laundry needed aired? Makes one so proud... That's only because he was in Spain on vacation for two weeks. Otherwise, it would have been about 2 minutes after Cooper's interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Zelig Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 It would be impossible for Ozzie to get a fair trial here on Soxtalk right now. What exactly did he say that was wrong here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elrockinMT Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Ozzie is gone from the Sox and that's that, but he always spoke his mind and that isn't going to stop. He tells the truth as he sees it is all and I guess that's hard for some to accept or take Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamshack Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Oct 17, 2011 -> 08:00 PM) It would be impossible for Ozzie to get a fair trial here on Soxtalk right now. What exactly did he say that was wrong here? Other than his lewdness, which is expected at this point, I didn't take offense....the problem is he thinks that the fact that he won a WS here in '05 gives him a lifetime appointment to manage the White Sox. Sorry, but that's just not how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Oct 17, 2011 -> 10:00 PM) It would be impossible for Ozzie to get a fair trial here on Soxtalk right now. What exactly did he say that was wrong here? Calling copper Kenny's b**** doesn't strike you as unnecessary at least? Really was praying he'd keep his mouth shut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxfest Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Refreshed Guillen WTF. Miami will tire of OG by the all Start break good riddance Mr. Highroad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chw42 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Coop and Kenny should both not say a word about this afterwards. Let Ozzie mouth off and make a fool of himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quin Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Shocking, Cowley wrote another Ozzie article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaus kinski Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Guillen is overlooking his own agenda. I dont believe anything he says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthSideSox72 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Didn't Cowley make a pronouncement a couple days after Ozzie left, that he wouldn't write about Ozzie again until spring? It really does amaze me he still has a job. The only place I ever read his garbage is here, he can't be getting THAT many links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Zelig Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 17, 2011 -> 09:10 PM) Calling copper Kenny's b**** doesn't strike you as unnecessary at least? Really was praying he'd keep his mouth shut. Probably, but its all relative. Since its coming from Ozzie I guess I consider it pretty tame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swingandalongonetoleft Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 If thats the worst of it, then ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winninguglyin83 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 If Ozzie is going to be on Baseball Tonight, there will be more to come. After that, perhaps there will be a break until spring training -- and then again when the Marlins visit chicago. That should be the end of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Couple things. 1.) I wish I could go on a 16-day vacation right now. Ah to be rich like Ozzie. 2.) Coop may be a rat. Should get interesting to see if anybody else supports Ozzie on this. Nobody likes a suck up rat and in Ozzie's opinion Coop is a rat. Hmmmm. That last quote from Ozzie may be the best quote in sports history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macsandz Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Yawn...whatever Cowley. Old news. Try harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max power Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 18, 2011 -> 02:04 AM) Couple things. 1.) I wish I could go on a 16-day vacation right now. Ah to be rich like Ozzie. 2.) Coop may be a rat. Should get interesting to see if anybody else supports Ozzie on this. Nobody likes a suck up rat and in Ozzie's opinion Coop is a rat. Hmmmm. That last quote from Ozzie may be the best quote in sports history. Its not even as good as "sometimes you need a rally beer." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 18, 2011 -> 01:04 AM) Couple things. 1.) I wish I could go on a 16-day vacation right now. Ah to be rich like Ozzie. 2.) Coop may be a rat. Should get interesting to see if anybody else supports Ozzie on this. Nobody likes a suck up rat and in Ozzie's opinion Coop is a rat. Hmmmm. That last quote from Ozzie may be the best quote in sports history. Are you really saying that if worked for the same company for 26 or 28 years (something like that) as Don Cooper has with the White Sox (under at least two "bosses" or managers at the big league level in Manuel and Guillen) that you would give all your allegiance to a single boss who was appointed over you instead of to the CEO or organization itself? What if you felt that the patently-obvious conflict between your two immediate bosses was causing conflict in the organization that you have grown to love and certainly feel loyalty to, enough to forgo the Yankees' opportunity? Why does Cooper owe more to Guillen than he does Williams and specifically JR? It's not like Ozzie brought him from the unemployment line into the job. Heck, even Ozzie admitted he was a great coach. Greg, you're honestly going to say you would have quit the White Sox (falling on his own sword, so to speak) because it was becoming clear that Ozzie, Cora and Walker certainly wouldn't be returning to Chicago? Why should Cooper do that, when his salary isn't nearly what Ozzie's making? I'm sure he has made a very decent amount of money the last decade, and some would argue that they would be "set for life" even with it, but it would have been silly for Cooper to leave, just to make a point? Wouldn't you consider him a traitor if he took a pitching coach job with the Royals or Indians and they ended up beating up the White Sox in 2012 and beyond? The White Sox front office isn't the mafia or Playboy Club or Good Fellas...Cooper obviously felt his first loyalty was to the Sox organization, not Ozzie Guillen. Why isn't that clear? Why does Cooper have to suck up to the GM or owner when the White Sox lead the majors in quality starts since the beginning of the 2003 season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNukeEm Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 “I have people on the street, saying to me, ‘I can’t believe you left us,’ ’’ Guillen said. “Look, those guys didn’t want me. I didn’t leave them. They didn’t want me back, and I understand their point. But don’t tell me I left here. “Since last year, this was about integrity, it was about loyalty, it was about do they want me here. Let me say it my way: The Sox were saying, ‘Yes, we want to f--- you, but we don’t want to marry you.’ ’’ What is so untrue about this statement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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