Guillen calls columnist Mariotti homosexual slur

espn.com ^ | 6/21/06 | espn.com news services

[Roberts]

Ozzie's response could have been written by The Onion:

"Guillen said that in his native Venezuela, that word is not a reference to a person's sexuality, but to his courage. He said he was saying that Mariotti is "not man enough to meet me and talk about [things before writing].''

Guillen also told Couch that he has gay friends, attends WNBA games, went to a Madonna concert and plans to go to the Gay Games in Chicago."

[The G Man]

I agree. Saw that and had to scroll up to see what the source was.

On another note, how insensitive of Couch not to be more understanding of Guillen's culture!

[synbad600]

What? He was calling him a cigarette?

[theFIRMbss]

"Personally, I like to play in the heat," Dusty said. "Most Latin people and minority people do. You don't find too many brothers from New Hampshire or Maine, right? We were brought over here because we could work in the heat. Isn't that history? Your skin color is more conducive to heat than it is to the lighter-skinned people. I don't see brothers running around burnt. That's a fact. I'm not making this up. I'm not seeing some brothers walking around with some white stuff on their ears and noses."

Dusty Baker of the Cubs

[GianniV]

I love how if you admit to attending WNBA games, that makes you an okay person.

I would say that makes somebody unfit to lead. Those games are plain awful.

[SaveTheChief]

What a classy, classy guy.

[misterrob]

He wins, his guys put out for him and in the end, PC-ness takes a back seat. He expects his team to play hard and stick up for one another. Hit one of his guys intentionally and you should expect that someone is going to hit one of your guys.

Old school.

[Cyclopean Squid]

Guillen is bizarre. At first he seemed to be goofy and fun-loving, but the more he talks the more he exposes a petty soul and a callous heart.

[Cyclopean Squid]

Yes, old school. But an old school manager would not ask a rookie to do it, nor would he publicly vituperate a player who tried his best. Guillen is not old school. Old school is a guy like Frank Robinson.

[Osage Orange]

Guillen also told Couch that he has gay friends, attends WNBA games, went to a Madonna concert and plans to go to the Gay Games in Chicago.

ROFLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RCNOVA]

went to a Madonna concert and plans to go to the Gay Games in Chicago.

That would seem to be punishment enough for what he said.

[misterrob]

He gave the kid a chance to make his bones and he blew it. The kid would have gotten a lot of respect in the clubhouse for taking care of business.

A veteran would know what to do without being told.

[RWR8189]

Sounds like that South Side charm...

[Cyclopean Squid]

No, he used the kid as a cat's paw because he was afraid that a veteran pitcher would get suspended. The kid was getting sent to the minors the next day anyway because of a recent trade. This was not a chance for the kid to become part of the team at all. He was a patsy. And Guillen's antics were embarrassing, or should have been. "Discussions" like that should take place behind closed doors, not on national TV.

[Dengar01]

I don't think anyone here has read Jay Mariotti. He is a piece of garbage. While Ozzie isn't the best with words, he is right on the mark. The only joke is the Sun Times, if you read Mariotti's columns it is 100% negativity. I don't know one person in this city who likes him.

[misterrob]

I'm not so sure of the timing of the trade as the Red Sox were pushed to do something after having no LHPs available to face the Twins. Riske was the guy he traded for and within days of being there plunked a St. Louis batter in retaliation for Fat Boy Ponson hitting a teammate.

Ozzie's antics in the dugout left a bit to be desired though....

[Chi-townChief]

I have to side with Ozzie on this one - hell, in a movie Sean Penn got to refer to his surfing opponents "They're all fags, man!!!!" so why can't Ozzie use the F-word?