2003: White Sox Hire Ozzie Guillen As Manager
Posted on: Monday, 3 November 2003, 06:00 CST
Ozzie Guillen is back with the Chicago White Sox, this time as the team's manager.
The three-time All-Star shortstop was hired Monday to replace Jerry Manuel, who was fired Sept. 29 after the White Sox failed to reach the playoffs for the second straight year.
Guillen has no managerial experience and has spent the past two seasons as the third-base coach for the Florida Marlins. But he made it clear how badly he wanted this job, and his passion won over general manager Kenny Williams and owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
Former Toronto manager Cito Gaston was thought to be the initial favorite for the job. Williams played for him, and he led the Blue Jays to World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
But in the end, the White Sox went with one of their own.
Guillen spent all but three years of his 16-year career on the South Side. Originally signed by San Diego, the three-time All-Star shortstop was traded to the White Sox in December 1984. He made his major league debut the next season and was voted AL Rookie of the Year. He hit .273 with one homer and 33 RBIs and set a White Sox record for shortstops with just 12 errors.
Guillen also played in Baltimore, Atlanta and Tampa Bay before retiring in 2000. He appeared in 1,993 games and was a career .264 hitter with 619 RBIs.
After he retired, he joined Montreal's coaching staff. He's spent the past two seasons as a coach for the Marlins.
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