Sox manager and profanity machine Ozzie Guillen announced Monday night that he would be leaving the team to accept a similar position with the minor-league Miami Marlins. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and GM Kenny Williams agreed to release Guillen from his contract, allowing him to pursue the manager job in Florida.
“You know, I’m just tired of all the [expletive deleted] pressure at this level,” Guillen said in a press conference following a win over the Toronto Blue Jays. “Living down there and managing at that level, I’ll be able to take it easy, spend more time with Ozzie Jr., Oney, Ozney, Blozney, Fonzie — I think there are a couple more in there — and start to settle into my twilight years.”
Ozzie acknowledged that managing a minor-league team would be an adjustment for him. For one thing, the Marlins’ payroll is much smaller than a typical MLB club. And the team mascot is more whimsical and the uniforms are much uglier than in the majors, he added.
Still, he felt it was the right move at the right time. “You know, I figured if I was going to be managing [expletive deleted] guys who play like they’re in the minors, I might as well be in the [expletive deleted] minor leagues myself,” Ozzie explained.
By Brian Summerfield
