A familiar face has been added to the guest list for SoxFest next weekend at the Chicago Hilton.
Former manager Ozzie Guillen, who guided the Sox to their 2005 World Series championship, has appeared at numerous other Sox events since he parted ways with the team, but this will be his first appearance at the fan convention since 2011, when his final season as manager ended with a messy breakup.
“Super Excited to see all the @whitesox at Soxfest this year. Thank you to the @whitesox organization and team for inviting. Super excited,” Guillen posted on his Twitter account Tuesday.
Guillen’s relationship with the Sox, including executive vice president Ken Williams, has gradually mended after his stormy departure in 2011, when he was hired to manage the Marlins with a year left on his Sox contract. Guillen still makes his home in Chicago and has become more visible around the ballpark as an occasional spectator, a participant at team functions and a television analyst.
Guillen, who was fired by the Marlins after one season, is managing in the winter leagues in Venezuela and has expressed a desire to return to managing in the majors, but the 2005 American League Manager of the Year’s fiery, brash style seems to no longer fit the profile today’s front offices seek. The Sox replaced him with Robin Ventura in 2011.
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Guillen says he’s a different man now after becoming a grandfather.
“My life changed. It changes everything,’’ Guillen told the Sun-Times recently. “I’m more calm, more nice, more patient.”
In any event, Guillen’s presence will be felt — and welcomed — at SoxFest.
Other new additions to the event include first baseman Yonder Alonso, acquired in a trade this offseason, minor-league catcher Seby Zavala and Hall of Famer Frank Thomas and two-sport legend Bo Jackson, the latter two former teammates of Guillen. They join a list that includes third-year manager Rick Renteria and Sox players Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Nicky Delmonico, Adam Engel, Jace Fry, Leury Garcia, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Reynaldo Lopez, Yoan Moncada, Daniel Palka and Yolmer Sanchez.
Top Sox prospects Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Micker Adolfo, Luis Basabe, Zack Collins, Nick Madrigal and Luis Robert are also expected to attend, as well as newly elected Hall of Famer Harold Baines, Hall of Famers Jim Thome, Carlton Fisk and Tim Raines and ambassadors Ken Harrelson, Carlos May and Bill Melton.
NOTE: The Sox promoted manager Omar Vizquel to their Class AA affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama, and then promoted 28-year-old Justin Jirschele to fill Vizquel’s chair at advanced Class A Winston-Salem.
New additions to the player-development staff include Frank Menechino as Class AAA Charlotte hitting coach and Wes Helms as a coach at Birmingham. Matt Lisle was named to the newly added position of hitting analytics instructor.
