‘Another dream come true’: Guillen shares love for Reinsdorf, Krause after getting surprise honor
Fans have had plenty of reason to grumble about White Sox and Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, considering how embarrassingly bad those teams have been in recent years.
But if Reinsdorf wants some positive publicity, he can always turn to Ozzie Guillen. The former Sox shortstop and manager, current television analyst for Chicago Sports Network, was surprised Friday with news the team will retire his No. 13 jersey on Aug. 8 at Rate Field.
“I've never denied it — I love Jerry Reinsdorf more than my own dad,” Guillen joked. “You know why? Every time my dad calls me, he asks me for money. Jerry made me money.”
Between innings of the White Sox home opener, former Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik visited the ballpark studio and delivered the news to Guillen, who quickly became emotional. The moment was broadcast live on the scoreboard, so fans in the stadium could watch.
“I was very surprised; very, very surprised,” Guillen said later in the press box. “They did it the right way, I guess. They made me cry, I don't even cry much. It shows the White Sox organization cares (about) what I did for them.”
Guillen played for the White Sox from 1985-97, then managed from 2004-11. He was a three-time all-star as a player and won the franchise's only World Series title of the past 109 years in 2005.
Guillen also paid tribute to another polarizing figure in Chicago sports history, Jerry Krause. An often repeated story is Krause, then a baseball scout, convinced the Sox to trade for Guillen.
On Dec. 6, 1984, Guillen went from San Diego to the White Sox with Luis Salazar, Tim Lollar and Bill Long for former Cy Young pitcher LaMarr Hoyt, Todd Simmons and Carmel High School grad Kevin Kristan. A few months later, Krause was named general manager of the Bulls.
“A genius,” Guillen said of Krause. “Because when you're a scout, and you see a guy on the field like me, back in the day, at 135 pounds, and you say, 'This is the guy we're going to trade for' — you've got a lot of guts to make that decision. I remember a lot of guys was second-guessing, even my teammates later, about, 'We trade this guy (Hoyt) for that? I don't blame them.”
Guillen told a story about being greeted at O'Hare Airport by famed White Sox clubhouse attendant “Chicken Willie” Thompson.
“I remember Chicken Willie was next to Luis Salazar, and he said, 'Did the Ozzie guy miss the flight?'” Guillen recalled. “(Salazar) say, 'No, that's him.' And Chicken Willie looked at me and goes, 'Oh, gosh.'”
Guillen wore No. 9 as a Padres minor-leaguer, but that number was retired by the White Sox for Minnie Minoso. So Guillen chose No. 13 as a tribute to his favorite player growing up, fellow Venezuela native Davey Concepcion, shortstop for Cincinnati's famed Big Red Machine.
Guillen said he really hopes both Concepcion, 77, and Luis Aparicio, 91, are feeling well enough to attend the Aug. 8 ceremony.
No. 13 will be the White Sox 13th retired jersey — joining Minoso, Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Harold Baines, Luke Appling, Paul Konerko, Ted Lyons, Billy Pierce, Frank Thomas, Mark Buehrle, Carlton Fisk and Jackie Robinson.
“I've been lucky in Chicago, man,” Guillen said. “I'm telling you, a lot of people know me as a player, a lot of people know me as a manager, and a lot of kids know me as the crazy guy on TV. This is another goal, another dream come true for my life.”