January 2011
I’m SO ready for Spring Training to start!
What’s going on, everyone?? I hope you all are enjoying this crazy weather here in Chicago. This is the first time I have been in Chicago for this long. Usually I leave and run away to Miami, but not this year! My family and I decided it would be best to stay here and enjoy all the snow, but I know you don’t feel too bad for me — I will be in Arizona in a couple of weeks.
I am definitely ready for Spring Training to start so I can see my boys again and catch up with my staff. I already have my house picked out down there. We needed something big enough to fit all the guests I have coming down. If you didn’t know, Joey Cora has been my roommate for almost six years now down in Arizona. It’s pretty interesting, to say the least, and I am sure I will fill you guys in on what I mean once we get down there.
The best part of the beginning of the spring is the energy and excitement everyone comes in with. Also, because we get out so early before the games start, I get to work on my golf game almost every day. So many great courses out there make it a lot of fun. The beginning of Spring Training also has its bad moments, like every single day when I have to talk to the media about the same things. Most of the time, I can’t wait till the games start and we can see what everyone is about.
Before I forget, I want to congratulate the Bears on having a great season, and Lovie Smith for doing a great job. In my opinion, this guy needs to be given more credit; nobody expected them to do anything this year, and look what he got out of his players. On the same note, I have watched a ton of basketball this year and the Bulls look amazing. This kid Derrick Rose is awesome; so explosive. I’m glad Chicago has its next superstar. And I can’t forget about my boy Joakim Noah. I will be watching and rooting the rest of the way.
I have also been watching some golf getting ready for Arizona. I really hope Tiger Woods can get his game back. It is also great to see Jhonattan Vegas playing so well. He is from Venezuela, and I am very proud of him and hope all of Venezuela is as well for competing with the best. Maybe one day he can teach me some things — learning how to slice would be great. (haha)
I also got a chance to watch the Facebook movie, “The Social Network,” the other day. It was very hard for me to understand what they were saying some of the time, but after getting some of it explained to me all I can is… that kid is a genius! Good for him!
Alright, guys, I will be answering some more of your questions later this week. Keep checking the website out for more updates and stay tuned, because Arizona is almost here and I’m ready for this thing to start!!
As always, wake up and go get those dreams and make them reality!
— Ozzie
Q&A: Talking Paulie, the 2011 season & Twitter
How’s everyone liking the new Web site?? So, I went on and started to check all the questions you have been asking on the “Ask Ozzie!” portion of the site, and I couldn’t believe it… there were hundreds of questions already! Thank you all for your interest in the website and sending in your questions. I will try to read them all and will respond to as many as I can.
Here is my first shot…
Q: Hello, Ozzie. I was just wondering… how is Paul Konerko signing a new contract with the team a big plus for the upcoming year? I used to live in Chicago but moved to Texas, and I still am a BIIIIG FAN! Paulie is my fave. — Matthew M.
A: I think P.K. wanted to come back to Chicago, and obviously the front office wanted him back. They worked hard and made it happen, and I am very happy they did. It would have been very hard to replace someone like P.K.
Q: I remember being a kid and watching baseball when you were playing, and it didn’t seem as if there were as many power pitchers as there is now. What do you think the difference is? — Thomas A.
A: I think part of it is that players work harder these days, but maybe the bigger difference is nowadays scouts look for more power arms.
Q: Hi, Ozzie. I admire your enthusiasm for the game. You are good for baseball. I’m a life-long Twins fan. Would you say you and Gardy [Ron Gardenhire] are friends, or just mutual combatants with mutual respect? Let’s have another great 2011 season! — Rich S.
A: I’m not friends with Gardy because we don’t hang out outside of the field, but I have a ton of respect for him as a manager and competitor. Not many people gave him the credit he deserves; he is one of the best in the game.
Q: First off, I want to thank you for being a breath of fresh air in the city of Chicago. My question is do you think Mark Buehrle is headed for Cooperstown? And is this team gearing up to be better than the 2005 White Sox? Thanks. — Scott B.
A: Thank you. I don’t know what type of ballclub we are going to have, all I know is we have talent. But comparing any team to the ’05 team is unfair because that team won the whole thing. As for Mark, he has easily been one of my favorite players I have ever managed, but I don’t think he has a chance at Cooperstown. I wish he could get in, but right now, I doubt it.
Q: Formula One has their first Venezuelan driver this year, Pastor Rafael Maldonado. Do you follow this at all? Will you follow him? Thanks, Ozzie. — Larry C.
A: No, I don’t follow Formula One, but I am proud of him like all Venezuelans should be. I do follow Venezuelan golfer Jhonattan Vegas, though, because I do love gold and I’m very proud of him as well.
Q: Why don’t you follow ANYBODY in your Twitter account? — Carlos S.
A: You know I’m not very good with computers, and I’m always getting new phones. I use Twitter to talk to fans, not follow people.
Q: What part of Spring Training do you most look forward to? — Michael E.
A: First of all, I think Spring Training is too long. I always look forward to the games starting and seeing the new and old players get after it.
Q: What do you think was the biggest reason the pitching staff got off to such a poor start last season, and how do you avoid that again this season? — Bob K.
A: I wish I had the answer to that one, but I really don’t. Most important thing to do is stay healthy and, unfortunately, I have no control over that. I pitch them and hope they stay healthy. It’s not about how you start, either; it’s about how you finish.
Q: Hey, if the American League vanished and you could take over as manager of any National League team in 2011, which team would you pick and why? — Matthew K.
A: Hahaha… Wow. You’re trying to get me in trouble, huh? You know I can’t answer a question like that. I’m the manager of the Chicago White Sox and very proud to be.
Q: What is your one memory that stands out above everything in your managerial career? — Benjamin S.
A: Wow, that’s a hard question. (haha) Winning the ring, of course — that’s what this game is all about!
— Ozzie
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Well, that was a fun weekend…
WOW! What a crazy and awesome weekend! First of all, I want to thank everyone that wished me a Happy Birthday on my Facebook and Twitter pages. I spent some great time with my family, players and coaches, and it’s always awesome to see all the fans come out and support us during SoxFest.
January is always a crazy time in my family, not only because of SoxFest, but this year, Chicago Sports Radio 670 The Score held my Celebrity Roast. The Roast was awesome and everyone was very funny, except for a few drunk people. (haha) Thank you to everyone for coming, you all looked very sharp and it was just an amazing day. Some of my pictures from the weekend will be up in the photos section of my new website, so check them out.
As some of you know, my option for the 2012 season was picked up this weekend as well. I am very excited about this, and anyone who knows me knows I have said I want to be with the White Sox all the time, as long as it makes sense for both sides. I am glad I won’t have to answer questions about that anymore and now everyone can focus on baseball. It was great to see my players this weekend and get to hanging out with them. So glad we got the boys back, P.K. (Paul Konerko) and A.J. (A.J. Pierzynski). It was also nice to meet some of the new guys; that’s always fun. As you can tell, I am ready for the season to begin right now, just like Alexei Ramirez is. (haha)
Other than that, I got to finish up the weekend by relaxing and watching the Bears game. Chicago wants a winner, that’s it, so I was disappointed just like everyone else that they couldn’t pull it off.
I hope you all are enjoying the new website. I think it looks great, and I’m very grateful for the work that MLBAM and Triple Crown did for putting in the effort to make this possible. I will be uploading fresh stuff all the time — pictures, videos, behind-the-scenes looks at what’s going on in my life — so make sure you are ready!
Thanks again for all your support and always remember: If you want your dreams to come true, wake up and go get them!
— Ozzie
Welcome to my new site, OzzieGuillen.com!
We did it! What’s up, everyone, and welcome to my brand new website. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday today!
It was a long time coming, and I just want to thank everyone who has made this possible — Major League Baseball Advanced Media and my guys over at Triple Crown have put a lot of work into making this the best website possible.
I have wanted to do this for a couple years now so I can be as interactive with you guys as I can. Now, you will be able to reach me at any time! Hopefully this site gives new meaning to fan interaction and will give you a better look into my life. I am going to be posting blogs, answering questions and uploading behind-the-scenes pics and videos of my life all the time, so I hope you’re ready.
As you can see, I am extremely excited and hope you guys are going to enjoy this as much as I am.
Your questions — and your chance to win!
I can’t wait for the 2011 season to start!
What’s up, 2011?? The holidays are over; it was a lot of fun for me with a lot of sun! I always enjoy being here in Venezuela, but now that the vacations are over, it’s time focus. Time to focus and start looking ahead to SoxFest and, of course, Spring Training. The month of January is always fun for me because we have a lot of birthdays in my family that we get to celebrate. Other than that, I have so much planned, which is great because I would always rather be out doing things than sitting at home. My guys over at Triple Crown have been working hard and, boy, do we have some awesome things planned for this year! I’m sure some of you guys have noticed I am pretty hyper, but I enjoy seeing all the fans and look forward to being in Chicago very soon. Baseball-wise, I can’t wait for this season to start because a lot of changes have been made and a lot of teams are going to make it exciting.
Here are a couple of pics from my time in Venezuela:
On that note, I was SHOCKED that my boy Robbie Alomar is a Hall of Famer (hahaha). In my opinion, he was the best player in my era. This guy could beat you in every way possible and was probably the smartest player ever to wear a uniform around me. Congrats to him and his family. And then there’s Bert Blyleven. … It’s about time!!! Mr. Curveball was a great pitcher and one of the best guys on and off the field. I love him because he has so much fun being around the game. Congrats to him and his family, too!
On to more of your questions:
Q: What are some of your favorite memories of Old Comiskey Park?
A: My favorite memories of Old Comiskey would have to be my first game, of course, and the last couple of days of that park. Those are the memories that stick out to me as being special. Playing on the same field as Luke Appling, Chico Carrasquel, Luis Apparicio and Nellie Fox, for me, was a thrill. That field had the BEST plying surface in the game. Thanks, “Sodfather,” Mr. Roger Bossard, for making me a lot of money (haha).
Q: How do you like sharing a Spring Training facility with the Dodgers?
A: To me, it was a great experience and still is to be with such a great organization. I’m looking forward to seeing and competing against Donny (Don Mattingly), one of my favorite players coming up. And, of course, now I get to see my boy Uribiiiiiittttoooo (Juan Uribe) all spring long.
Q: Do you feel any more pressure going into this year to win than previous years?
A: I never feel any pressure. I approach the game the same way whether we are in first or last place. I know what my coaching staff and I can do, so I trust them. Thanks to the front office for putting a good ballclub on the field once again. Pressure is when you have seven kids and only make $2 a day like a lot of people do around the world. That’s real pressure.
Q: Now that the holidays are over, what will you do to keep yourself busy from now until Spring Training?
A: I will play some golf in Miami and of course get on my boat. I will go to SoxFest like I do every year since it started. I have never missed a single one. Maybe another record; who else can say that?? … Maybe Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and Ed Farmer (hahaha).
I would ask all of you to stay tuned because now on, in every blog I will include something about me that you don’t know. Also, make sure you pay attention to me on Facebook and Twitter because I will be having some contest to give away some free stuff coming up soon. So be on the lookout for that!
‘Til next time … and remember, if you want your dreams to come true, just wake up!!!
— Ozzie
Ozzie Guillen
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