Guillen apologizes for name calling
RICK GANO
Associated Press
<!-- begin body-content -->CHICAGO - Outspoken Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen apologized Wednesday for using a derogatory term in referring to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti, then kept up his criticism of the writer.
Guillen went into a profanity-laced tirade against Mariotti before Tuesday night's game against St. Louis and called him a number of names, including a derogatory term that is often used to describe someone's sexual orientation.
Before Wednesday night's game, Guillen acknowledged that his use of the word might have offended some.
"I shouldn't have mentioned the name that was mentioned, but I'm not going to back off of Jay," Guillen said, using another profanity to describe Mariotti.
"The word I used, I should have used something different. A lot of people's feelings were hurt and I didn't mean it that way."
Guillen said he had spoken to White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf about the incident.
"Jay, I think I made this guy a lot of money and he's famous. If not for Ozzie Guillen, no one would have heard of him," Guillen said. "If I hurt anybody with what I called him, I apologize."
Mariotti, who appears on the ESPN show "Around the Horn," said his Thursday column will call for Guillen to be suspended.
"I'm a big guy. I have to accept the criticism," Mariotti said in a phone interview Wednesday night. "I'm appalled that he can use these ugly slurs and think it's an acceptable form of retaliation in American life. It's not."
Mariotti recently was critical of Guillen's handling of rookie pitcher Sean Tracey. Tracey could be seen distraught in the dugout last week in Texas after Guillen became angry when the White Sox didn't retaliate for catcher A.J. Pierzynski twice being hit with pitches. Tracey was later demoted to the minors.
Guillen was also angry after Mariotti called for Cubs manager Dusty Baker to be fired and replaced by TV broadcaster Bob Brenly.
Guillen was asked Wednesday if he would be open to taking some sensitivity training considering his recent comments.
"I've been here for 20 years, but people have to know that I grew up in a different country. That's not an excuse. I called the guy that name, but, no, that's the way I grew up, that's the way I've learned that language," he said.
"I don't have an excuse to say that, I have been here enough to know you can use so many words in the States. That's not an excuse, but I wasn't calling people that. I was calling him that."
Guillen, who led the White Sox to their first World Series title in 88 years last season, has gotten into trouble several times with his comments.
In spring training this year, he apologized to Alex Rodriguez for comments he made in a Sports Illustrated article in which he criticized the Yankees star for waffling on his choice of countries for the World Baseball Classic.
In his first season he called umpire Hunter Wendelstedt a liar. Later in the season, he sarcastically referred to Buck Showalter of the Rangers as the best manager in the history of baseball and the guy who invented the game - all after Showalter questioned Guillen's knowledge of the rules.
Guillen also went off on a profanity-filled tirade last season against former teammate and fellow Venezuelan Magglio Ordonez, who left the White Sox and joined the Detroit Tigers.
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