Ozzie Guillen managed the Chicago White Sox to a World Series in 2005, but hasn’t worked as a manager since 2012 and doesn’t come up as a candidate for job openings anymore. He would like to know why that is.
Guillen attended the White Sox fanfest Friday and admitted that, while he isn’t losing sleep over his lack of opportunities, he’d still like to manage again. He added that he felt like he was “banned from the game” but didn’t know the reason for it.
Ozzie Guillen on managing again: "I want to come back and manage? Yes. But I lose sleep because of that? No."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) January 24, 2020
Guillen on not being on list of managerial candidates: "Why not me? What did I do in the game? I feel like I was betting on the game or something. They haven’t asked me or talked to me about it. I feel like I was banned from the game and I want to know the reason why."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) January 24, 2020
Still only 56, Guillen’s name pops up as a candidate from time to time, but never seriously. Part of that may be down to his long history of controversial comments, including some that alienated Florida’s Cuban population while managing the Miami Marlins. He also clashed with players, which is a huge issue for any manager. Guillen is a colorful character and certainly wouldn’t be boring, but in a sport where teams increasingly desire front office-driven strategy and managers who aren’t attracting excessive attention, he doesn’t really fit the mold anymore.
