Maybe he was joking. Or maybe he has legitimate interest in someday managing again in Major League Baseball.
Either way, Ozzie Guillen inserted himself into the conversation Thursday night after others overlooked the former Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins skipper.
MLB Network ran a segment speculating on potential candidates for the managerial openings the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets have in wake of parting ways with AJ Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran, respectively, this week. Guillen wasn’t listed as an option for any of the three teams, which he couldn’t help but point out on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/OzzieGuillen/status/1217975424040435712
Guillen hasn’t managed in the majors since steering the Marlins to a 69-93 record in his lone season with Miami in 2012. He spent eight seasons with the White Sox prior to that, guiding Chicago to two playoff berths and a World Series title in 2005.
Guillen’s final days as a big league skipper weren’t without controversy, as he clashed with White Sox general manager Kenny Williams toward the tail end of the 2011 season and then landed a five-game suspension early in his Marlins tenure for expressing admiration for Fidel Castro.
While it’s perhaps hard to imagine any of the aforementioned teams hiring Guillen ahead of the 2020 season given his time away from a big league diamond, there’s no denying he’d add some entertainment value to the dugout. The former MLB shortstop is known for his intensity and knack for wearing his emotion on his sleeve, for better or worse.