Guillen doesn't regret Thome decision

MINNEAPOLIS - With one mighty swing, Jim Thome left White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen twisting in the wind.

Thome beat the Sox Tuesday night with a mammoth 2-run homer off Matt Thornton, and that led to the obvious question ... why did you let him go, Ozzie?

"You want to have Jim Thome here?" Guillen said "(Bleep) it. We don't want him because we don't need him. Right now we don't. Is he playing good for them? Good for him. Anybody else have anything about Jim Thome?"

There was plenty the day after Thome hit his 17th home run of the year for the rival Twins.

Guillen took a beating back home in Chicago, and on ESPN, for his off-season decision to take a pass on signing Thome and go with rotating designated hitters.

"I don't run from anybody because I slept very well (Tuesday) night," Guillen said. "Because I know my mind, my heart and my soul, they're very clean. I have my head on my shoulders, and I think we did the right thing with what we did (with Thome). If people don't like it, good. They don't like it, they don't have to watch the (bleeping) White Sox.

"They going to blame me about one home run, I'll take the blame."

During the off-season, Sox general manager Kenny Williams presented Guillen with a list of 12 available left-handed power hitters to use as DH.

Guillen said Thome was his top pick, but he preferred going with a more versatile roster.

So far this season, the White Sox have used 11 different designated hitters, with Mark Kotsay (42 games) getting the most time.

"I talked to (Thome) before I made that decision, I told him why I don't see him fitting here," Guillen said. "And believe me, I love Jim having a season like that because I look up there and he's very close to 600 home runs. I'm not going to say I'm happy (Justin) Morneau got hurt; now (Thome's) got playing time. For all those people there saying it was my fault about Jim Thome, yes it's my fault. If those people don't like that, (bleep) them."