It’s been six years since Ozzie Guillen publicly admired Fidel Castro and his stern governance in, of all places, Miami. Time heals all wounds and Guillen has repaired his image to a degree, but now he wants a major league managing job. And let’s be clear about this…he won’t get one.
Yesterday, Guillen sent out his latest pleas for a dugout post through TMZ, saying:
“Try me. … Get to know me. Ozzie Guillen’s not the same way 14 or 15 years ago.”
Guillen said a lot of things in his two-minute interview with TMZ and he was his typical charismatic self. And yet there was a tinge of repose and self-restraint in the middle-aged former manager.
“But I think being in T.V. for so long now and watching every game seeing how they work, and being in the winter league, that give me the edge. To be better mentally, physically and to be more calm.”
This is where Ozzie adds a new wrinkle to his personality.
“Now people have to worry about whatever they say. Before we used to say whatever we want.”
This is true. We always knew Ozzie was a straight shooter and never pulled any punches. He added that self-control was one of the first things he learned working in T.V., but sprinkled a little misdirection in there about being a lightning rod for media attention. Although he may have been controversial at times, Ozzie still believes his spicyness in interviews helped his teams by drawing attention away from the players.
Perhaps this is true. Still, he seems to genuinely understand that he can’t spout off about anything and find an audience that will swallow it whole. And besides his attitude, Ozzie says the game is easier now than ever because of the analytics. In not so many words he explained that managers read the information and use it in the game.
I mean, yeah but it’s a little more than that. Ozzie will have to fight the analytic tides if he wants to land a big league job, but even more troubling for Ozzie is the trend to hire young, cheap and malleable managers that organizational brass can control. Alex Cora just won a World Series in his rookie campaign with the Red Sox. Gabe Kapler spun an oddly emotional season with the Phillies, and Craig Counsel took the Brewers deep into the postseason.
Young managers are en vogue right now and this will not help Ozzie’s chances even with the most sympathetic ear. And given the climate of demanding control from the front office — allegedly, one team’s executive box delivered in-game moves from the suite — could anyone imagine Ozzie taking orders from a suit in the middle of a game? No way, no how.
I hope Ozzie gets another shot. I enjoyed his presence around the field when I in the Sox minor-league system and he knows the game exceptionally well. But he’s fighting a vicious tide of young, approachable managers.
