MLB WORLD SERIES: ASTROS v WHITE SOX

October 26, 2005

Ozzie Guillen

OZZIE GUILLEN: It's a great feeling. I think it was a great competition. The four games here it could go either way. They played real tremendous baseball against us. A good thing happened to us, that's the reason we win it. I think being here for so many years and the fans in Chicago wait so long and so much patience, and are still there for us, and rooting for us for I don't know how many years, 80 or whatever it is, good thing we did it. It's not been a person in Chicago, Jerry Reinsdorf, one of the biggest reasons I wanted to win this thing was for him. I just needed people in Chicago to be so excited about the thing, I just wanted to do an accomplish in my life, is win this thing for Jerry. He deserved that. He worked so hard in baseball, it's unbelievable. I think Kenny Williams did a tremendous job. Not only put the best players on the field but put the best team players on the field. Every time we take the field we know that's the best talent, but I got the best players on the field because they show up here every day. And we compete against great ball clubs all year long and they did it, they make it happen.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Nothing. I think the players, have a great communication with them. I do a lot of bad things with my players, they have to deal with all the questions and answers of Ozzie Guillen. It was a tough season for them, too. They trust me and I trust them. We're here together. We do this for one reason, that's to win or lose together. We want to win together or lose together. And Kenny give me the best. I'm not saying this because we win; I'm saying it because I mean it. You can talk to others and they'll say the same thing. Kenny gave me the best guys to fight for me and this team. And they got -- they stick together and the unity of this team, it was great. That's why we always feel we can win this game because we all pulling at the same time.

OZZIE GUILLEN: There is no doubt about it. I was in the World Series as a player, as a coach and now as a manager. I think it is because I bring something to Chicago and my country -- my country never have it and Chicago, the waiting there was so long. And God have me in that position and give me the opportunity with this team. With the birth of my kids, I think this is the most wonderful day of my life.

OZZIE GUILLEN: This year is Roberto Clemente's 50 years of start playing. I'm the biggest Roberto Clemente (fan) besides his wife Vera. I've got a room just dedicated to him. My second kid is named Roberto because of Roberto Clemente. I know we have the playoff Roberto Clemente is going to be following me from making anything happen. It's a thrill for me to have those guys together. It's a great feeling when people from another country making tribute to the Latin players. And the Latin players for so many years, I think it's just nice to be recognized and appreciate all the hard work and how much the Latin players work in this country to making have success. And I think it's a great thing, hopefully they don't forget about the rest.

OZZIE GUILLEN: A lot of people thought because the way I am, people thought I was going to be jumping around my players. I have to respect the opposite team. I have to respect the opposite manager. It went through my mind to say, "I'm so glad to see my boys, my players jumping back and forth and celebrating this." Because it was an amazing feeling seeing them like little kids jump back and forth. And I was thinking about my country. I did. I say, wow, I wish I'd be in Venezuela right now so see how they're celebrating right now. With all due respect to Chicago fans, I know my country they're going crazy. I think finally I do something real nice to make Venezuela real happy. And I was thinking about, well, now that Jerry Reinsdorf can hold something he wanted to hold for a long time, the trophy, World Series trophy. That's all I was thinking about. I was thinking about my country and Jerry Reinsdorf, but more about my country because I think we need this happiness back there and thank God we did.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Well, I told my players -- we clinch in Detroit when -- I said we're going to sweep the Cleveland Indians. We started to play better. I said you play Cleveland Indians, no matter what team in the American League you're going to face, because to me they are one of the best teams in the American League. Then we went to Boston, and then we went to Anaheim. I told my players, the last 11 games we have to win are the toughest ones to beat. Today the first time in my life, maybe last year -- that's the first time in my life my heart was pounding like crazy. But because I was nervous just because I was so excited, I said, "when is this moment going to happen, a lot of people are waiting for this moment," and wow, it come true.

OZZIE GUILLEN: I like to talk to the media, and let the media know what's going on with my ballclub. It's a little different, I'm winning, win the World Series, I sit here relaxed. Before the game I do all this stuff, having fun with your guys, but that's my style. I'm not trying to take the heat away from my players because you read my quotes over the years, I tell my players I'm the boss a lot of time. I pick the right time to do it. I want to make them to be better, to play better, to perform better.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Well, we build this team around defense and pitching. When you've got good defense your pitching staff is going to be better, because they're not going to make that many mistakes. When I saw Uribe make the last play, I knew he was going to make it. The one before, I was down in the dugout and everybody jump out and I don't know what's going on. But that's the reason we bring this kid here. I think our defense, it was one of the biggest reasons we win the World Series. No doubt about it, I knew we were going to play good defense all year long.

OZZIE GUILLEN: I can't. I'm not retiring until the All-Star Game. The All-Star Game is an honor. I don't want to deal with picking players. I don't like to deal with picking players. I said that to Francona, well, I wish I be in the position part. Picking players and it's not easy. But then over there we had to win it to get what they did to me last year, get the advantage. That's a big game right now. That's the game we've got to win and hopefully I'll be the first Latino to win the All-Star Game. The trophy is going to Venezuela, I told Jerry, I told the Commissioner.