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Guillen stays focused on the here and now

You knew this was coming.

A day after Edwin Rodriguez resigned as Florida Marlins manager, 80-year-old Jack McKeon was brought back to the dugout Monday.

McKeon guided the Marlins to the 2003 World Series championship, and Ozzie Guillen was his third-base coach.

Guillen took over as White Sox manager the following season, and he wants to stay on the South Side for as long as possible.

While he often professes his love for the Sox, Guillen is only under contract through next season, and that has sparked the latest round of rumors that he’ll eventually move on to manage Florida.

“When you’re good your name is going to pop up a lot,” Guillen said with a laugh.

Taking a more serious tone, Guillen said he doesn’t want more Marlins rumors to pop up like they often did last season.

“I have a job to do here,” Guillen said. “I have another year with the White Sox. I think it’s nice when somebody wants you. I have a lot of contacts from the past out there (Florida), and they like the way I work, I guess.

“In the meanwhile, I don’t pay attention to that. Last year we went through it and it was fun because somebody wants you, but it’s not worth it because all the sudden the players get involved like: ‘You staying, you leaving?’

“Right now, we’re not in a position to be thinking about what happens with Ozzie in the future. We have to worry about what’s going to happen to us this year.”

While it’s widely believed Guillen is eventually going to leave the White Sox because he no longer gets along with general manager Kenny Williams, the working relationship remains solid.

Williams wanted no part of the latest Guillen-to-Florida rumors.

“You know, during the course of the day I can generally see what’s coming my way,” Williams said. “And I thought Cubs-Sox, we’re both under .500 right now but we’re, uh, putting some things together coming up, two out of three (wins) in Arizona. And your (bleep) wants to go down that road. I don’t have any comment on that stuff; it’s a waste of time.”

Early exit:Home plate umpire James Hoye ejected Ozzie Guillen in the sixth inning after the White Sox#146; manager stormed out of the dugout to argue.Right before, Hoye called Alexei Ramirez out after he appeared to foul a ball off with two strikes.#147;I felt the umpire was calling me out on interference, but he called me out even though the ball was way behind home plate,#148; Ramirez said through an interpreter. #147;I ended up showing the umpire where the ball ended up hitting.#148;Guillen didn#146;t want to discuss details of his encounter with Hoye.#147;He was right, I was wrong,#148; Guillen said. #147;Because if I say what I want to say, I lose another $20 grand. I#146;m tired of paying people money for no reason.#148;During the argument, Guillen kicked Cubs catcher Geovany Soto#146;s mask toward the Sox#146; dugout.#147;If I kicked it 20 years ago, I might have broke my toe,#148; Guillen said. #147;But they make the mask so light I don#146;t feel anything. You get frustrated.#148;