ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ozzie Guillen said Thursday he’s not worried about getting fired, and if he does, “I can at least enjoy my 2-point something million I’m going to get next year.”
The White Sox manager received an extension through 2012 at Sox Fest, and there’s little reason to think his job is on the line despite the seven-game losing streak the Sox took into their game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.
The Sox ended the skid with a 9-2 victory, but the unsettling slide raised the subject of the hot seat, and Guillen — as usual — spoke freely about the subject of job security. Or lack of it.
“I’ll do like Manny Ramirez. I’ll go to Spain for the bullfight and come back for the World Series. I don’t worry about it,’ ‘ he said.
The Sox, who hadn’t led in their previous 51 innings, jumped to a 5-0 lead against the Rays Jeff Niemann, scoring one in the first on Omar Vizquel’s RBI groundout and four in the third on an RBI double by Vizquel, RBI singles by Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn and a sacrifice fly by A.J. Pierzynski.
Sam Fuld’s two-run single against Sox starter Gavin Floyd (2-1) made it 5-2. Pierzynski singled in Konerko (double) to give the Sox a 6-2 lead in the fifth. Quentin added a two-run double in the sixth and Konerko singled in another run in the seventh.
Vizquel, Konerko, Quentin and Pierzynski each drove in two runs. Adam Dunn also had an RBI.
“Hallelujah,” Floyd said when asked if the Sox remembered how to shake hands after a win.
“That’s the way we expect the way to play every day, to be honest with you,” Guillen said. “I don’t want to be cocky or arrogant, but this team is allowed to play this way because of the way we built this club and the talent we have. Every time we take the field we expect to play that way.”
“When we play good, Ozzie is the best. When we play bad, it’s when are you going to get fired. Every year, I leave for two or three months and Ozzie is going to get fired. Oh, wow. Look at the turn around the White Sox did, Ozzie is a genius and they play Ozzie Ball. That’s the fun thing about it. I don’t worry about it.”
“Last year when we had the problems, I didn’t worry about it last year. And we had a lot of problems last year, a lot, more than people thought. I come to work, put a smile on my face, talk to you guys and do my manager’s job and go home and cry.
“I have three kids who are healthy. My family is well,” Guillen said. “This is a good job, but … everyone who wants to be manager, be careful what they think.”
