Is White Sox nation ready for Guillen's Twitter foray?
GLENDALE, Ariz. - When Ozzie Guillen arrived at training camp on Sunday, he was bombarded with questions about his role in "The Club," a reality series featuring the White Sox' high-profile manager, GM Kenny Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf that will air on the MLB Network this summer.
On Wednesday, Guillen was at the epicenter of another buzz that has nothing to do with baseball - having a Twitter account.
He got on the popular networking service Tuesday night.
But after annoying Williams ("Can't we just concentrate on baseball?") and being bombarded with questions by the media after the Sox wrapped up their fourth spring workout, Guillen might not be long for Twitter.
"Let me start with this - that's why this world is all screwed up," Guillen said during a lengthy address on the subject. "I want to say (bleep) off, but I can't. All of a sudden we're worrying about something that is personal. I wanted to do something that is fun off the field; all of a sudden they're making a big deal of this thing.
"It's a thing out there about Ozzie Guillen; it's not the White Sox organization or anything. If people think I'm going to go out there and say what I say to Andruw Jones or Carlos (Quentin) or what my signs are going to be or what the lineup is going to be, that's a little different.
"This has nothing to do with the organization or baseball. It's my life. I don't know why people are making a big deal of it. All of a sudden, it's Ozzie Guillen. I didn't know how famous I was. That's pretty interesting. I thought people hate me."
Williams, Guillen's boss, doesn't exactly like the latest distraction to invade the Sox' camp.
The GM and manager talked about the Twitter account Wednesday morning, and Guillen assured Williams he was just doing it for fun.
"I don't think (Williams) was bothered," said Guillen, who also joined Facebook in late January. "I think he was kind of worried, and I don't blame him. If I'm the general manager of the ballclub and then all of a sudden my manager has Twitter, I would say, 'What's this about?' People think I'm going to have my computer in my lap in the third inning.
"People think I'm crazy, I'm stupid, I'm an idiot, or people think I don't think when I say stuff. Well I'm 46 years old, have a nice life, pay my taxes, have a great family. I think I take my profession real well. Many years in the big leagues, they don't give it to you, you earn it. If Kenny was upset, I don't blame him. He wants to know what's going on, why? I said I want to have fun like anyone else. I'm a human being."
Williams is likely worried Guillen will be burned by what he says on Twitter, much like contemporaries Larry Johnson, Mark Cuban, Adam "Pacman" Jones and even Guillen's middle son Oney have been in the past.
"There's so much stuff out there now," said White Sox reliever Matt Thornton, who doesn't use Twitter. "I'm sure Ozzie just wants to have some fun and people want to know what he's thinking. You just have to be careful what you do."
An early report said Guillen's three sons were doing his tweeting, but the manager issued a vehement denial.
He also said the content is going to be tame.
"I told Kenny I'm not going to be crazy," Guillen said. "What do you think, I'm going to be watching the guys practice and be on my phone tweeting people? First, I don't have time for that. Second, I respect this game so much and respect the players and baseball so much I'm not going to do it. Even if I wanted to, I'm not going to because it's not healthy for everyone. Even if I wanted to do it, it's not going to happen."
The tweet-life of Ozzie
Here are a few of the first tweets by Ozzie Guillen from his twitter account:
• "I feel nice and relax today I don't know why yeeessssssss carlos quentin and rios in camp b ready people"
• "Yessss nice day let's go to work"
• "going to sleep big day tomorrow bbque at my house after practice yessssss"
•"going to eat in half hour why dye no have a job ?"
•"Iam tired from bad very bad golf"
<div class="infoBox">
<h1>More Coverage</h1>
<div class="infoBoxContent">
<div class="infoArea">
<h2>Stories</h2>
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="/story/?id=361805">After whirlwind year, Sox see a future for Hudson<span class="date"> [2/24/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=361829">Quentin feels right at home in right<span class="date"> [2/24/10]</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>