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Guillen upset after radio host questions lineup change
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White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen unleashed a profanity-laced outburst on a radio show Friday morning after the host questioned why starting catcher A.J. Pierzynski wasn't in the lineup for the interleague opener against the Cubs.
Pierzynski had been on the show earlier, saying he was disappointed to be left out of the lineup as the White Sox started backup catcher Toby Hall.
Hall's first appearance of the season wasn't a good one. After coming off the disabled list Thursday, he made two errors and had a crucial passed ball in the White Sox's 6-3 loss.
"Ozzie called up and after he swore the first time, I asked him nicely to take it easy. He swore again and that's when it blew up," WSCR-AM host Mike North said.
Pierzynski met with both Guillen and general manager Ken Williams before the game.
After Pierzynski went on the air and said he was disappointed to be sitting, North said there was no excuse for Pierzynski -- a weekly guest on the show -- to be sitting.
Guillen, on the way to Wrigley Field, phoned from his car and launched into North. North began responding angrily and Guillen subsequently hung up. North later went to Guillen's office and brought him some fudge.
Before the game, Guillen acknowledged he was very angry but did not apologize for his choice of words on the air.
"No. I already did it. It's too late," Guillen said. "No, I don't regret it."
"I should have been talking to my kids in the car. Every time we play the series, I like to listen what the fans say about the series and what's going on," Guillen said. "It's a funny thing because at 9 in the morning I always sleep. I was mad at the way they were saying stuff."
Guillen said he doesn't have to explain his lineup to anyone, except Williams. And he said Pierzynski is not going to be in a platoon situation with Hall.
"If he thinks he going to be a backup player, he should come to me and not go to the radio. Do I have anything against him? No, he's going to be my catcher tomorrow and my catcher the next day and every day until I make the lineup when Toby Hall is in the lineup," Guillen said.
Moments later, he and Pierzynski met near the first-base line and then gave each other a hug.
"Ozzie and I are fine. That's the biggest thing. That Ozzie and I know where we stand with each other, and I have nothing but respect for Ozzie and what happened this morning was just a misunderstanding," Pierzynski said.
Williams didn't seemed overly concerned about his talkative manager's latest controversy.
"Am I OK with it? No, I don't like the use of the language. But in talking with Ozzie, he was surprised when I informed him he used a few choice words that are really not acceptable for the radio," Williams said.
"He was shocked that he actually used a couple of them to the extent that he did. So that was pure and raw anger that was coming out."
Source: espn.com