Posted on 02/18/2006 9:27:19 AM PST by Chi-townChief
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The White Sox might have a different swagger to them this spring, but all indications are that manager Ozzie Guillen hasn't changed one bit.
That seems to be especially true when it comes to expressing his opinion.
In the Feb. 20 edition of Sports Illustrated now on newsstands, Guillen fired shots at everyone from Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez to Bill Gates.
Guillen on Rodriguez playing in the World Baseball Classic: "Alex was kissing Latino people's asses. He knew he wasn't going to play for the Dominicans; he's not a Dominican! I hate hypocrites. He's full of [bleep]. The Dominican team doesn't need his ass. It's the same with [Nomar] Garciaparra playing for Mexico. Garciaparra only knows Cancun because he went to visit.''
On other major-league managers: "People say, 'Joe Torre: genius.' 'Greatest manager ever: Tony La Russa ... Lou Piniella.' I say they're not good baseball managers. Nobody's a good baseball manager. They talk about Jim Leyland: 'Oh, my God, Jim Leyland...' Jim Leyland quit! Sparky Anderson? Sparky Anderson was horse[bleep] for 10 years with Detroit. "If you don't have a good ballclub, you're not going to be a good manager. People forgot Joe Torre lost with St. Louis and the Mets. The New York Yankees? I could manage that team. Lou Piniella, the best ever? Why don't you win with Tampa Bay? My point is not that he can't manage his ass. It's just that you have to have the team. I'm not a good manager. I'm good people. Nobody was a good manager. Ever.''
On his managerial philosophy: "Most managers say what people want to hear because they're afraid to lose their jobs. And they kiss people's asses. I don't. I've got my money. Fire me? I'll show you I don't need you. I might not get hired again? I don't give a [bleep].''
On his intelligence: "There's two kinds of education: book smart and street smart. You put me in Harvard at the podium to talk to people graduating, I know what I have to say, and I know how to say it. But you put Bill Gates in the middle of Caracas, Venezuela? He will [bleep] his pants. He will die.''
On freedom: "We've got the best cars in the United States, and you've got to go 55 miles an hour. You have a party at your house, there's someone at your door because the neighbors don't like it. You say something about color, religion or preference about sex, you're in trouble. What kind of life are we living here? You work seven days a week and get paid for four because of taxes, and you don't have a right to say anything?''
On becoming a U.S. citizen: "I'm rich because of the United States, not Venezuela. My sons got a great education because of the United States, not Venezuela. I'm 42 years old, and I've [lived] 26 years in this country, not Venezuela. That doesn't mean I'm not a Venezuelan. But you think this is not the greatest country in the world? Prove me wrong. Tell me why we don't have Americans going to live in Venezuela and why we have Venezuelans coming to live here.''
On Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez: "I'm more Venezuelan than Chavez is because I represent Venezuela. He's our leader, but you ask people who they'd rather have [running] the country? They're going to vote for me.''
jcowley@suntimes.com
CHICAGOLAND PING
Guillen's stock just went up with me.
"...because it's the first time I feel like I have done something wrong"
There's always a first time.
Still, we can all appreciate some of the things he says in the article. It is nice to see somebody who still appreciates the concept of "freedom" rather than the coddled and swaddled state so many would seem to prefer.
This guy needs to be a FReeper. Bad.
Am i the only one that couldn't care less about the political leanings one way or the other of Ozzie Guillen? And yes I am a baseball fan, and I hate Arod too(Mariners fan) but really, why the hell does this story not DIE ALREADY?
"On becoming a U.S. citizen: "I'm rich because of the United States, not Venezuela. My sons got a great education because of the United States, not Venezuela. I'm 42 years old, and I've [lived] 26 years in this country, not Venezuela. That doesn't mean I'm not a Venezuelan. But you think this is not the greatest country in the world? Prove me wrong. Tell me why we don't have Americans going to live in Venezuela and why we have Venezuelans coming to live here.''
"On Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez: "I'm more Venezuelan than Chavez is because I represent Venezuela. He's our leader, but you ask people who they'd rather have [running] the country? They're going to vote for me.''"
He sounds like our great house painter, a Mexican America who was born here after his family moved to LA a couple of weeks before he was born.
He owns his own painting business and has legals working for him all in many cities. His wife owns her own business. He voluntered in the Marines and served in the first Gulf War when he was called to active duty. He was turned down when he tried to re enlist for the current one. He has two nephews who have served at least two tours in Iraq.
His favorite comment to Mexicans and other from South America when they run down America try to make their cesspool country a wonderful place: "STFU and go back to the hell hole, where you came from!"
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I was royally p'ed off about him ditching the White House. But his statement against Chavez relieves me.
I didn't see what the big deal was, he had been there before in 2003 and he was signed up to do so again but the eventual date conflicted with a family vacation. Reading the article, he is very obviously pro-American.
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