Guillen Says He Could Still Be With White Sox Had Hahn Been Promoted Earlier
(WSCR) A year after Ozzie Guillen left the White Sox for Miami, a long-anticipated change was made to the team's front office as Kenny Williams was promoted and Rick Hahn took over as general manager.
Ultimately, the decision to hire Robin Ventura and institute a rapid 180 culture change in the clubhouse was Williams' final bold move as GM.
But what if the front office shake-up had happened a year or two earlier? What if Rick Hahn, who Guillen always got along with, had become GM sooner than he did? Is there a chance Guillen would still be the manager of the White Sox?
"Oh, of course, yes," Guillen said Friday on The Mully And Hanley Show on 670 The Score. "But to be honest with you, I don't want to put Kenny on the spot like I left because of Kenny. I left because at that time, they couldn't guarantee me an extension. Not because of Kenny."
LISTEN: Ozzie Guillen On The Mully And Hanley Show
Ozzie Guillen
We'll never know if things would have been different had Hahn been the GM, but Guillen insists he never had a problem with Williams when it came to baseball business.
"I have problems with Kenny, personal, family problems," he said. "But I never had a problem with Kenny when we talked about business, talked about our job. We did our job very well. To be honest with you, I think Kenny is one of the brightest men in the business."
Guillen is now without a managerial job after being let go by the Marlins after just one season. He fell victim to a very sudden change in philosophy after the organization decided to have a massive fire sale.
"I was shocked. I was surprised," Guillen said about the moves the Marlins made. "I was really disappointed with the year we had in Miami, but I was very shocked with the way they went. In my opinion, they should have given another shot to those kids to play together and see what happened."
But that's not to say he thinks he should still be the manager there.
"When you finish in last place, you should be fired," he added.
Guillen says he is enjoying life without the stress of managing, but he thinks he will be a manager in baseball again.
"Yes. If they want me. Of course," he said. "I think I still have the passion and the love for the game."
