Prior to Wednesdays game with the Twins, Ozzie Guillen was asked about umpire Phil Cuzzi and the fact that hes been responsible for Guillens last two ejections. As usual, the White Sox manager pulled no punches.
I don’t like that guy behind the plate, Guillen said. And I’m going to let him know. I don’t like him. He don’t like me, I don’t like him. It’s one reason is, if you don’t like me as a man and what I do, I respect that. But if you don’t like me, and all of a sudden you’re going to take it out on my players, you’re wrong. That’s unprofessional.
And I just let him know I don’t like him the first day I see him, and I think he feels the same way about me. And we have to move on. Every time he’s behind the plate, we might have a problem. We might. We have. I think the last couple times behind the plate, we have a problem. And he tried to be smart with me, and I do what I have to do, and he does what he has to do. But I don’t like him, and he don’t like me. And I got a good sleep last night. I will spend all my money for him. I don’t care. But obviously, we don’t like each other.
Guillen and Cuzzi butted heads last July 31 in New York over a check-swing, which Guillen admittedly said he deserved to be thrown out for that because [Cuzzi] had reason.
Not on Monday, however.
I asked where the pitch was, Guillen recalled. He said, I don’t want to hear anymore. That’s the first thing I said to him. It’s not professional.
Guillen said that he has informed Major League Baseball of Cuzzi making it personal, but didnt expect much in return.
I’m not going to win that one, Guillen said. But I want to make it clear, I don’t like him.
Not that Cuzzi seemed to mind one way or the other.
It may be personal to him, but I’m just doing my job, Cuzzi said. It’s as simple as that. The pitches he complained about, they were good pitches. The ones I called balls weren’t. It’s a simple as that. He may have it in his mind, but I don’t.
