Ozzie Guillen: Managing Miami Marlins was ‘big mistake’

Ozzie Guillen is out of baseball this season and would like back in. The former Chicago White Sox manager said so this week. He also says that going to manage the Miami Marlins was a “big mistake.”

Guillen was a guest with Waddle and Silvy on ESPN Chicago Radio on Wednesday and says he still has a good relationship with the White Sox. He also says his decision to move to the Marlins was a “big mistake.”

“I was naive about the situation like everybody out there,” Guillen admitted, saying he went to Miami for the money. “My dream and my eye was a little deeper than last year, and all of a sudden, ‘boom’, it got shutdown.”

Guillen says he’s still not sure why he got fired, but figures it’s because he finished last. He does think Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was “fair” with him, which is different from how he felt last year.

Guillen also holds no hard feelings towards the White Sox, for whom he played 13 seasons and managed eight.

“I don’t have anything against the White Sox. One thing about it is people really (didn’t) understand what the situation was (that led to the departure). Jerry (Reinsdorf) came out and said, ‘Listen, that’s what it was.’ I want(ed) (a) one more year contract. They (didn’t) give it to me,” Guillen said, via ESPN Chicago. “I (made) a big mistake and (went) down to Miami.”

Guillen was asked about managing the Chicago Cubs and said he was open to it, however, he wanted to make it clear that he was not campaigning for the job out of respect for Dale Sveum, who is his former teammate. He did say he was available to any team interested in him.

The best part of the interview was when Ozzie was asked about his dream job and he said being married to Jennifer Lopez so he could stay at home without having to work. Typical Ozzie. After last year’s disaster in Miami — which included his comments about Fidel Castro — I don’t see any team being desperate enough to hire him any time too soon.