Reinsdorf releases statement on Guillen's departure

by Jim Margalus on Jan 23, 2012 5:29 PM CST in White Sox News

Jake Peavy and Ozzie Guillen have conflicting accounts regarding the last days of the former White Sox manager, so Jerry Reinsdorf decided to step in with a statement that likely aims to cut off a pointless argument before it bleeds into SoxFest.

"Regarding Ozzie Guillen’s departure as White Sox manager last September, I want to make it clear that he left with our organization’s blessing and at my urging. Ozzie told me he wanted to finish out the year, the Marlins really wanted him in Miami for the conclusion of the season, and I told him that he had no choice but to go given the excitement surrounding the opening of their new stadium and the unveiling of their new uniforms. Ozzie needed to be in Miami at the end of the season for the Marlins.

"We will always be grateful for the 21 seasons Ozzie spent in a White Sox uniform as a player and coach, especially his role in helping us win the 2005 World Series championship. We wish him nothing but the best."

That seems to address the key point of contention. Peavy didn't explicitly say Guillen quit on the team, but he left his early departure open to interpretation. Reinsdorf is saying it wasn't Guillen's idea to leave the Sox with two games left, but he also splashes in some enthusiastic language to imply the Sox had reasons to accommodate him so willingly.

Both sides appear to get something out of the statement, and hopefully this answers everything (except the questions about tampering!).

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Comments

Here's the grown up statement I was looking for!

Thanks Jerry. Consider the bud nipped.

Well, boys, it's a round ball and a round bat and you got to hit the ball square. ~Joe Schultz, 1969

by zevsenesca on Jan 23, 2012 5:36 PM CST reply actions

yep good move by reinsdorf here

It’s a fresh start w/ a new manager. Will be interesting to see what moves Robin makes in his 1st year.

"i'd like to see us draft an owner." Jim McMahon, 1986
"We had the 80's, and Michael had the 90's." Otis Wilson

"What did I do wrong? They won two championships in this town in 50 years. I played on one and coached the other one. I'll go somewhere and apologize, but you'll have to tell me where and who to." Mike Ditka, 2005

by walterfan34 on Jan 23, 2012 5:46 PM CST reply actions

could you please explain the potential tampering issue?

by craigws on Jan 23, 2012 5:46 PM CST reply actions

ozzie was under contract.

as you may recall, the news of his signing with the marlins was released during a white sox game. unless the marlins had permission from the white sox to contact ozzie, it’s tampering.

by larry on Jan 23, 2012 5:49 PM CST up reply actions

to be clear

it’s obvious the white sox granted permission at some point prior to his departure. when is the question. sort of a moot point, anyway, given that the white sox received compensation.

by larry on Jan 23, 2012 5:52 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah. It's just something I'm really curious about

Given that KW said it was the one question he wanted to avoid the most.

Follow @SouthSideSox

by Jim Margalus on Jan 23, 2012 6:14 PM CST up reply actions

i took that as a dig at the reporters.

it was the most obvious question and KW probably prepared to give a non-answer answer, then sigh loudly when someone asked a follow-up and then give a non-answer answer about looking forward.

by larry on Jan 23, 2012 6:17 PM CST up reply actions

the way you-know-who managed on auto-pilot for most of august makes me wonder how early the tampering started

White Sox 2012: Helplessly rebuilding?

by greenlight on Jan 23, 2012 6:18 PM CST up reply actions

Who Needs Tampering for Auto-Pilot?

Anybody watch the last glazed season of Lou Piniella as “manager” of that other team? Although it may have reached coma-pilot. Sometimes, folks just need to move on – and Oz needed to move on. But let’s remember this much: We don’t win (or reach) the World Series without Ozzie’s fearlessness. I don’t know another manager ever who would have given a guy Bobby Jenks the 9th inning with no big league experience before July 2005, an pin in his elbow and his crazy personal history. That September was scary enough without having to watch Hermanson or even Shingo try to get us over the hump.

comet9

by comet9 on Jan 23, 2012 7:28 PM CST up reply actions

That Hawk interview from this mornings reading room

Hawk said Kenny gave him Ventura’s name as the next manager a month before the season was over. That kind of piqued my interest a bit.

It came from afar and traveled sedately on, a shrug of eternity

by Rhubarb on Jan 23, 2012 10:35 PM CST up reply actions

huh

NAOPOS

by blackoutsox on Jan 23, 2012 11:43 PM CST up reply actions

If the Marlins are guilty of tampering

then good for the White Sox, good for the Marlins.

by Shoeless In SC on Jan 23, 2012 7:18 PM CST up reply actions

thanks.

i wasn’t clear on the rules.

by craigws on Jan 23, 2012 11:05 PM CST up reply actions

first comes the statement from JR

Next comes the inconsequential signing of a bench player right before sox fest and then Kenwo throws a rotten egg at Dunn on Friday night and gets beat up by Peavy, Hawk and Southpaw.

"Good teams win games. Bad teams have meetings."

by BobbySouthSide on Jan 23, 2012 6:08 PM CST via iPhone app reply actions

the road has been paved for corey patterson.

by larry on Jan 23, 2012 6:15 PM CST up reply actions

And Ventura

by JPSoprano80 on Jan 23, 2012 6:22 PM CST up reply actions

come on. did you see his lackluster effort against nolan? i could take him.

Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.

by KenWo4LiFe on Jan 23, 2012 6:28 PM CST up reply actions

you could just get him in a head lock

and repeated punches to the face LOL

by JPSoprano80 on Jan 23, 2012 6:42 PM CST up reply actions

I'd like a list of the wrestling moves you'd perform on Ventura,

and since I’ll have no clue what you’re talking about, a brief description of each move would be nice.

The enhanced interrogation of metaphors.

by mechanical turk on Jan 23, 2012 6:55 PM CST up reply actions

the "stink face" and the "hip hop drop" probably to begin with

"Good teams win games. Bad teams have meetings."

by BobbySouthSide on Jan 23, 2012 7:14 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions

"i want to make it clear that he left at my urging"

haha. nice. he wasn’t fired, his boss just urged him to leave.

Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.

by MarketMaker on Jan 23, 2012 6:29 PM CST reply actions

I read that part a few times, myself.

by Shoeless In SC on Jan 23, 2012 7:19 PM CST up reply actions

'get the fuck out already. please.'

by Trooper on Jan 23, 2012 7:48 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs

No.

“I suggest you get your ass the fuck out of here.”

We're all here because we're not all there.

by winningugly on Jan 23, 2012 8:42 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

This is good. About time somebody stepped up and said something like this.

finally.

Kenwo4life=ratings. Just call me Mr. USA Today.

by KenWo4LiFe on Jan 23, 2012 6:29 PM CST reply actions

what a weird press release

So fast he could hit a ball up the middle and it would hit him in the ass sliding into second.

by colintj on Jan 23, 2012 7:19 PM CST reply actions

That's how I feel

thank you for making me not feel like I’m crazy. Doesn’t really matter anyway. Ozzie quit long before the last 2 games.

"Rooting for the Twins is just a roundabout way of rooting for a first-round playoff bye for the Yankees." by big_fun

by Tdogg on Jan 23, 2012 8:49 PM CST up reply actions

You so crazy, dogg.

We're all here because we're not all there.

by winningugly on Jan 23, 2012 8:51 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

Tdogg

*fixed

"Rhubarb, if you wouldn’t mind, ram your taint into your monitor as hard as you can." - joewho112

by BoeJouma on Jan 23, 2012 9:23 PM CST up reply actions

Its all over Twitter and ESPN Chicago too

by JPSoprano80 on Jan 23, 2012 7:38 PM CST reply actions

This was JR telling his guys to shut up and hoping Ozzie respects him enough to do the same.

by Rick B on Jan 23, 2012 7:38 PM CST reply actions

His guys? anyone else but Peavy talking/tweeting?

…nonetheless, I agree with you.

For 2012 season: ALEX RIOS is my new TONY PENA.

by JofpGallagher on Jan 23, 2012 7:48 PM CST up reply actions

It can be used to deter anyone else from speaking.

"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"

by U-God on Jan 23, 2012 10:05 PM CST up reply actions