CHICAGO – They came from across the country to Rate Field Saturday night. They came, of course, for Ozzie Guillen’s special day.
There was Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski from the 2005 World Series champions managed by Guillen, with both of them speaking on the field prior to the guest of honor. There was Mark Buehrle and Harold Baines, who Guillen called his best friend in baseball, on the stage. There were numerous teammates from his playing days, players he managed and coaches who worked alongside Guillen, not to mention White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
All of them were there to take in the long-awaited honor of Guillen’s jersey No. 13 officially being retired.
“I’ve never been nervous in baseball,” said Guillen, as he began his remarks to the sold-out crowd. “Today, yes I am.”
Before giving his heartfelt speech in front of fans in their seats early, Guillen addressed the media for close to 40 minutes in the Conference and Learning Center. He was his usual colorful and hilarious self, although slightly toned down from his impressive days in the dugout, which are now behind him.
Guillen has been highly successful through three different careers with the White Sox: player from 1985-97, manager from 2004-11 and currently as the pre- and post-game analyst on CHSN broadcasts. It was easy for Guillen to pick his greatest moment of this four-decade run, although he paused for a moment when asked this opening question.
“Wow, obviously lifting the [2005] World Series cup, the trophy. That’s the biggest reason I am right here, right now. It’s one of the biggest ones,” Guillen said. “But it’s one thing about when I was doing it, I didn’t even realize how important that was because I don’t know. I was getting paid to win. I feel more pleased I was the guy to have the opportunity to do that. There’s no doubt about it.”
His speech at the ceremony was much like Guillen’s press conference, thanking everyone from Reinsdorf, to his wife, Ibis, his three kids and four grandchildren, and of course the White Sox fans. There were Guillen jerseys across the stadium, and chants of “Oz-zie” going up from the first time he stepped on the field Saturday evening.
When this speech ended at 6:14 p.m. CT, Guillen was presented with a framed picture representing his time with the organization. He also was given plane tickets to Japan, for himself and his wife, leading to a humorous aside where Guillen called out to Munetaka Murakami to take care of him on that visit.
With the No. 13 emblazoned on the infield at shortstop, Guillen’s jersey number was lowered permanently on the third level next to No. 11 for Luis Aparicio and No. 14 for Konerko. He was the 13th number retired by the White Sox and first manager. He threw out a first pitch to Buehrle, which truly seemed fitting.
“We love Chicago, I think we do a lot for Chicago, and people respect him, and now to see his number, we’re really proud,” Ibis Guillen said during the press conference. “In Venezuela, everyone can be happy now.
“Our country went through a very hard time and this thing has made everyone happy. It’s hard to say, but everyone is happy that happened. For him it’s the first time a manager has had his number retired, so for us it’s a big thing, and our kids, my grandkids, will grow up with that, and that’s very special for us.”
There were two moments where Guillen grew truly emotional during the press conference: When he talked about the No. 13 really belonging to Venezuela, starting with former Reds star Dave Concepcion, and when talking about his family. Add in baseball and the White Sox, and it’s safe to say Guillen’s four passions, four loves, have been covered.
“We’ve talked about it – my wife, myself, my kids, about the number being retired,” Guillen said. “Always in that conversation I hear my wife say, ‘Be patient. It will come. It will happen.’ I was like, ‘Come on, they’re going to wait for me to die.’ And one thing about it I like it more because Jerry Reinsdorf is still alive, and that’s one of the biggest people here for my wife and my kids and my grandkids. More important for people for me to be out there.
“I’m going to look up and see the last name every day. To me the biggest thrill when I see the number, the name out there is what it means to my grandkids to walk to this field and see that last name up there. That’s the biggest thrill to me.”
