NEW YORK — Ozzie Guillen hadn’t heard from Major League Baseball about his tweet during Wednesday’s game, but he expects to.
“I expect them to call me. I expect them to send me a letter. I expect them to send me the fine,” Guillen said before the Sox closed an 11-game road trip against the New York Yankees and CC Sabathia on Thursday. “Like I said, I’ve been through this for eight years … how much is the money and I will pay the money.”
MLB is looking into Guillen’s Twitter use that transpired during the first inning Wednesday night, moments after he was ejected by plate umpire Todd Tichenor during the first inning of the Sox’ 3-1 loss.
Guillen tweeted, “This one is going to cost me a lot of money this is pathetic” and “Today a tough guy show up at yankee stadium,” the latter an apparent reference to Tichenor.
According to MLB rules, all social media use by players, managers and coaches must stop 30 minutes before game time and isn’t allowed until the game is over. Nobody had violated the rule before Guillen, and there is no policy on punishment. The case is being looked at by the staff of executive vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre. Joe Garagiola Jr., in charge of on-field discipline, will determine the punishment.
Asked if he will tweet again, Guillen said avoided the topic, saying, “I hope I stay in the game. If people don’t think I want to be in the game, they’re crazy. When I get kicked out of the game, I let my team down. Big time.”
Guillen has been ejected 26 times in his career, including three times at Yankee Stadium since 2007.
“I get kicked out of the game a lot here in New York. I got to check that record.”
“I wonder why.”
On the plus side, Guillen joked that he has a nice office here and that the food is good.
