Tagged: Giants

We’ll keep fighting

Well, it’s been a long month to say the least so far, but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. We have not been playing as well as we should be or as anyone expected, but we have to stay positive and turn this thing around.

There is a lot of baseball left and we expect to be in the hunt as the season goes on.  Today, we start a long road trip on the West Coast in San Francisco. Maybe this is what we need to get us going. The Giants have a great pitching staff, but so do we. All we have to do is score more runs than they do (haha). It sounds so easy when you say it. All we can do is continue to put in the work and be ready to go. We are not stopping.

I’m just loving my team right now …

What’s up, everyone!? I hope you all are doing well. I got to enjoy a rare day off in Spring Training on Tuesday and went
golfing. I actually played pretty
well and shot in the 80’s. 
Somebody do me a favor and warn Tiger. With a little more practice, I will
be ready to take him (haha). After
golf, we went for a little sushi dinner — man, I love sushi — then headed over to
Westgate to see the movie “Hall Pass.” I laughed so hard and only understood about 20 minutes of the movie
because they talk so fast. I would
laugh when everyone else was laughing to pretend like I knew what was going on
(hahaha). But wow, there were a
couple of scenes in there that actually did make me laugh. I love that kind of
humor. I think it’s great for that
one or two days you get off in the spring to get away and enjoy it a little, and
I definitely did that.

Now back to business. … I was very happy to see the turnout we
had versus the Giants yesterday. I
don’t know, maybe it was because the fans wanted to see Tim Lincecum, but we love
playing in front of a full house (yes, even if it is only in the spring). It’s
just more fun! I hope we get that
same kind of support at The Cell in April. Always a lot of fun for the players
to play in front of full stands. 

I have seen the guys play so far this spring, and I will tell
you I’m very excited to for this ballclub. I can’t and won’t guarantee anything; all I will say is that
this team is going to be very fun to watch. Jake Peavy‘s health has been outstanding, and the starting
pitchers have been great. They are really trying to set a tone for what this
year could be. I feel like the
lineup will be ready to go when we break camp because this team is built with
guys that have been in the league for many years, except for Gordon Beckham (aka, “Bacon”) and B-MO (Brent Morel). Everyone is getting their work in. I have no complaints, and when we get
to Cleveland, we will be ready to go.

There are a couple of spots on the roster still open. The front office, coaches and myself, of course, will make those choices and we will go with what we feel we need the
most. In this business, it’s all
about winning, not people’s feelings. 

Well, we only have a couple more weeks left until we get this party
started. Make sure you keep
reading this blog and checking out my website because I am working on some
exciting things, and I will hopefully get to announce soon! Thank you for all your support. And if
there is something in life you want, wake up and go get it! 

— Ozzie 

Q&A: My favorite comedians and the ‘All-Ozzie’ team

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

What’s up, everyone! I’m back in Chicago and, wow, it’s cold here. This weekend, I am in town for the Easter Seals Holiday Gala. If you don’t know too much about Easter Seals, please look them up. They are a great organization, and I love working with them. The things they do for kids with disabilities are truly great.

I have seen some great questions coming in over the past week on here, Facebook and Twitter, and I’m trying to get around to answering as many as I can. One specific question that did catch my eye — someone wanted to know if I could pick all players, what my “All-Ozzie” team would be. Here you go …

* Ivan Rodriguez, C

* Rafael Palmeiro, 1B

* Roberto Alomar, 2B

* Mike Schmidt, 3B

* Ozzie Smith, SS

* Barry Bonds, LF

* Ken Griffey Jr., CF

* Roberto Clemente, RF

* Edgar Martinez, DH

* John Smoltz, SP

* Scott Radinsky, LHR

* Dennis Eckersley, RHR

* Mariano Rivera, CL

On to the questions …

Q: What is the hardest thing to adjust to as a Latin player coming to play affiliated baseball in the States?

A: The language is the hardest thing to adjust to, no question. It’s also very hard to adjust to the life and culture here in America. Also, the rules can be difficult because some things that are legal in other countries aren’t legal here.

Q: Who provides the best pre- and post-game food outside of Chicago?

A: Hands down, the best food is when we’re at Yankee Stadium. I also like Tampa and Cleveland, too. 

Q: Do you see MLB expanding to Mexico or Puerto Rico in the next 5-10 years?

A: I don’t see that happening. There are too many things to worry about — security, travel, fan support. I mean, I hope it happens, but too many things would need to go right for that to be possible.

Q: Who is the funniest player you have ever coached or met?

A: The funniest players, for me, were Jose Contreras, Kevin Millar and Robin Ventura. Those guys are funny without a doubt.

Q: What’s your favorite hobby outside of baseball? Do you play a musical instrument?

A: Outside of baseball, I like golf, boating and bullfighting. I wish I could play percussions for Latin Music!

Please keep all the great questions coming. I enjoy reading and responding to them!

Until next time …

— Ozzie

Sparky, the World Series and the offseason

CHICAGO — What’s up, everyone?I finally made my way back to Chicago and
thought I’d share some things with you all. Man do I love this city,
even though I’m freezing my butt off!

Unfortunately, yesterday the baseball community lost a true legend. Sparky Anderson
was a great man and will truly be missed. I was lucky enough to watch
Sparky manage my favorite teams and player of all-time. Growing up in
Venezuela, the only games I was able to watch were those of the
Cincinnati Reds teams of the ’70s (especially the ’75 and ’76 teams) and
my favorite player, Dave Concepcion. I was also fortunate enough
to play against him when he was in Detroit and would be blessed one day
to have as many rings as he does. A lot of people have been asking me
if I have any Sparky stories, so here’s something I remember — even
though it might be hard for some of you to believe it. Sparky Anderson
intentionally walked me twice in my career to pitch to Sammy Sosa.
Yes, the same Sammy Sosa who hit over 600 home runs — although back
then he still had his Jheri curl and was a little darker (hahaha). Sparky was a great baseball man and will be missed.

I want to congratulate the San Francisco Giants, especially Aaron Rowand, Juan Uribe and Bruce Bochy.
My experience at FOX was awesome, and I can’t thank everyone enough.
But seeing those guys celebrate is what makes me excited to come to
work. I hope I can do it again some time soon. I love this game so much,
I want to be around it whenever I can. Both the front offices of the
Giants and Rangers need to be applauded. I got to the World Series in
’99 with the Braves and know what it feels like to lose. It takes a lot
to get there, and those guys should be proud. I watched a little of the
parade in San Francisco and it was great. those guys won because they’re
carefree spirits. They play the baseball I like to play.

Now that I’m back in Chicago, I plan on seeing a couple of Bulls games like I did last night. (Thanks to all the fans who came up and said hi.) I live close  to the United Center and enjoy supporting the young kids they have, like Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. Plus, I have always been a fan of basketball.

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for IMG00340-20101104-2009.jpg

I
also want to go see a Bears game, but I’m not sure it will be here in
Chicago. Us Latinos will freeze out there in this weather. I am planning
on heading down to Miami to see them play the Dolphins. It will be a
lot warmer, but don’t worry, I will be rooting for the Bears. When I’m
in Miami, I enjoy golfing a lot and watching my youngest son, Ozney,
play at his Junior College. I think I’m going to crash at his place and
make him cook for me or something (hahaha). I have a lot of good friends who live in Miami in the offseason. I play golf with Joey Cora a lot and get to see Freddy Garcia
and his kids, who are a part of my family. Even though we try to relax,
we always end up talking about baseball. we Guillens live baseball
24/7, and I even named my dog “DH” after my good friend Harold Baines.   

I hope you all got a chance to check out the Jimmy Kimmel
joke about me. If not, you can look at my previous post. It’s very funny
stuff. I read all your questions and comments, and I love it, so please
ask me anything. Don’t be scared (haha). Maybe you guys can
teach me something. It never hurts to listen to advice. Now it’s time to
go relax this offseason with a little music, the beach, and of course
baseball because the chaos never stops!

Talk to you guys soon, very soon.

— Ozzie  

Q&A: The DH, Omar, Big Red Machine,  Venezuela

ARLINGTON — I promised to answer as many questions as possible. We’ve got some good ones on here already. Keep them coming!!

Q: Do you think Omar Vizquel has a chance to be a good manager for a baseball club?
A: Omar, I think, will be good at anything he does because he is a professional and very respectful. He knows the game, and if he wanted to be a manager, I would support him. 
Q: What is it like going from player to manager? 
A: Being a player was easier for me because I would only worry about myself all the time and do the best I could. When you’re a manager, you have to deal, every day, with 30 players and a whole staff. That’s what makes my hair gray (haha). 
Q: Who was your favorite teammate? 
A: I had a lot of great teammates, but my two favorite were Harold Baines and Joey Cora. 
Q: As an American visiting Venezuela, what are the coolest things to do/see? 
A: You have to visit Los Roques, Canaima, the Tepuis, Pico Bolivar and Merida. Catch a winter-ball game — Caracas vs. Magallanes is very good. 
Q: If you were commissioner of baseball, what are some of the things you’d change? 
A: I would make both leagues use the DH one year and no DH the next year so there is no more complaining about it. 
Q: As a manager, what is your favorite “road trip” city and why? 
A: My favorite cities are Seattle because of the food and San Francisco because it reminds me a little of Caracas, where I grew up. 
Q: If you could start your career in baseball all over again, what would you do differently? 
I wouldn’t change anything because I think things have gone very well, and if I’ve made some mistakes, those things happen for a reason. 
Q: In comparison to when you first started playing in the big leagues, do you believe racism is still a factor with new Latin ballplayers? 
A: First and foremost, there’s always going to be racism, not just in baseball but in the entire world. But now it is much easier, and the conditions are better in the Minor and Major Leagues. When I started, there were very few of us Latin ballplayers. But now, there are many Latins in the game. But I also speak English now — not very well, but I speak it. 
Q: What’s up with the fact that the only [critical member] of The Big Red Machine (I understand why Pete Rose isn’t in) who hasn’t been enshrined in the Hall of Fame is David Concepcion? 
David has been my favorite ballplayer since I was growing up, which is why I wear No. 13 in his honor. I believe the reason he hasn’t gotten in is because the writers who vote for the Hall of Fame think David wasn’t any better than many other ballplayers. But that’s solely their opinion. 
Q: Did you want “El Toro” [Carlos] Zambrano on your team?
A: “El Toro” is my friend and a very good pitcher. Like everybody, though, he just made a mistake. But they gave him another chance, and I think it’s going to go well for him in Chicago — just not with the White Sox. I wish him the best. 
Q: Would you consider being a civil rights spokesman after your career in baseball? 
I love politics, and I read a lot about it. Like you all know, I have opinions about everything, but at the same time, I stay on baseball and on television. Me, politics? I doubt it. But you never know (haha). 
— Ozzie 

I’d rather manage in it, but I love being at the WS

ARLINGTON — I want to first start off by saying thank you to all my fans for their support during the hectic 2010 season, easily the longest of my professional career. I wanted to get this blog up and running to serve as an easier way to connect with you fans, in English and Spanish. That’s the same reason why I started my Facebook and Twitter pages, and don’t think that I don’t read everything you guys say. (I do so especially when I’m bored, haha.) I look forward to seeing your comments and questions on here and will do my best to answer as many as I can. 

Right now, I am in Texas working the World Series for FOX and glad it’s a little warmer than it was in San Francisco. I love working with these people. Chris Rose and Eric Karros have made this a lot of fun for me, and I can see myself doing more of this in the future. I want to congratulate both Texas and SF. These two cities are great for baseball and have awesome ballparks (not as cool as Cowboys Stadium, though). 

Nolan Ryan has done a great job of building this team after so many years. It was a process, and as a baseball fan, I appreciate what their front office has done by getting great players in there. They moved Michael Young to third base to put Elvis Andrus at shortstop, got Josh Hamilton and traded for the best pitcher available in his prime, Cliff Lee. It was risky, but it paid off. They also picked up Vladimir Guerrero, who has been a big factor in their success this year. You can’t say enough about their front office, and Ron Washington deserves a lot of credit, too. He has been amazing with the way he handled adversity, and the Rangers have stuck behind their leader — as all great teams should. 
I have so many friends in this World Series. Of course, Aaron Rowand and Juan Uribe are like my kids (except for the fact Uribe is uglier than me, hahaha). Bruce Bochy was my teammate in the Minor Leagues and in winter ball in Venezuela, so I am very happy for him to get this opportunity. I also work for Team Pepsi with Venezuelan Pablo Sandoval. So, as you can see, I have a lot of connections to both these teams. The Giants’ young players, like Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, have been awesome with the contributions they have made. But, as we all can see, teams make the World Series not because they have good pitching, but GREAT pitching. Pitching and defense wins championships, but your team also needs to stay healthy (something my team wasn’t this year and is really the biggest factor in most winning seasons). 
I really hope this series goes seven games so I can keep working because it has truly been an honor and pleasure to work with FOX. I am going to try to get some pictures with some people to post on here. I don’t want anyone to think I’m weird, but I will try. Once the series ends, I will be back in Chicago. I heard it is very cold back there, so that’s not good for me. I hope you guys like these new ideas, so enjoy and don’t be shy about asking questions. I look forward to being the manager of the White Sox in 2011. I hope it’s a good year, and I believe in my boys. My coaches and I will do the best we can to try and get us a winner!!
Don’t forget to check out my Twitter account and Facebook page. 
— Ozzie 

I’m here if you need me — FIRE AWAY!

ARLINGTON — Hey, gang. Welcome to my blog! I’ll be trying to post here regularly, about baseball or anything else that comes to mind. 

But before I do that, why don’t we get going by answering some of your questions. If you have a question you want me to answer, write it in the comments section and I will do my best to answer it. 
And be sure to catch my World Series analysis on FOX Sports! 
— Ozzie