AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ANGELS v WHITE SOX

October 11, 2005

Ozzie Guillen

OZZIE GUILLEN: I don't know about the pitching staff. Obviously but when you've got (Bartolo) Colon out of your roster, you have the best pitcher that's not going to perform, that's something you feel good about. But the traveling, when you play California on the West Coast and every time you go to the east or come to Chicago, it's always a long trip. I mean, I think they get used to the travel because they do it all year long. I think the travel is just something that you deal with. About the pitching, yes. I'll bet you they arrived at 5:30 in the morning and go out and play a game and they can win because they get used to that. They did it before. We cannot just sit there and say, "They're tired, we can take advantage." As soon as you put that uniform on, you're not tired, you're not hurting, you don't have any pain, you just go and play the game.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Well, they got off at the wrong time. We did not play good on the West Coast in the past, and when they got here their pitching staff was throwing the ball the way they always throw the ball, and they have a great team. To be the best, you've got to win against the best. To me, there's no doubt about it, this is a team that has got better balance than any other team in the American League; they have the power, they have good pitching, they have a great bullpen, a great manager who knows how to handle his players, a lot of speed. They've got one of the best players I've ever seen in my life in Vlad (Guerrero). They have a lot of different tools and they can win games.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Well, I'm not the Commissioner, but a lot of people have to say, well, they don't have the rest, but we have so many days' rest, also. I can't make the call. It's out of my control. When you're the manager and I put myself in that situation, I would say the same thing he did. I would try to get another day off. It's stuff you can't control. I think it's right to say that. I think he had a good reason to say that, but it's not in my hands.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Good thing they did. I think this kid -- you know, he wasn't the Bobby Jenks we have right now. I talked to a couple of guys that asked me about it, and I think when you put somebody on waivers, you're not protecting somebody. You don't sign somebody back, you have a reason. I don't know the reason why they did it.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Everything. I think mike Scioscia has his hands full. I think Colon pitched great against us, (Kelvim) Escobar pitched real good against us. We got a couple walk-off home runs and we went all the way to the last inning, I think, and win it in a couple games here. Contreras threw a tremendous game and the third baseman hit a home run to win it. We played pretty good against them. It was a pretty good matchup.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Yeah, because I worry about it, worry about my pitching staff. I worry about (Jon) Garland not pitching for 10, 12 days and giving Contreras seven or eight days' rest. I was worried about it. I think we had a pretty good workout. I think the guys are ready to play, but I hope the many days off we had is not -- we need those days off. Hopefully we play the same way we were playing before we got those days off.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Watch out, Mayor Daley, I might be the next mayor (laughter). Believe me, I've never seen so much enthusiasm and so many people around Chicago so excited about it, I don't care if you're a Cubs fan, a Bulls fan, a Bears fan. I think of lot of people now are Chicago fans. The name we wear on the chest says "Chicago," not South Side. Hopefully we're not going to let those guys down. To win the World Series here is going to be my ultimate goal. I want people to say "outstanding game" or "keep managing".

OZZIE GUILLEN: Great. I don't think nobody want to deal with it. I think Bartolo last time he pitched here is supposed to scratched and not pitch that Sunday because he got a bad back. Then they say he was fine, and we only got two hits. That's how bad we're going to miss him.

OZZIE GUILLEN: Not yet. A lot of people tried to -- we're playing better baseball. A lot of people put their eyes on the White Sox because of the way we played against Boston. We beat Boston, now we're good. Before we're not. It's funny like that, but it's true. Now Boston, New York, hopefully the rating is still there, hopefully we'll put on a show for the baseball fans and a couple people told me this game is going to be televised to the troops and in Venezuela. Nice for those people to see there's other teams in the United States, not New York and Boston, and hopefully we put a good show on and hopefully people enjoy the series.

OZZIE GUILLEN: I'm the only one that controls the team, I think. Jack McKeon just sent me a letter to have fun and enjoy. When people think you have experience in these playoffs, but I think I've been there before, I told my players just to enjoy this thing, it's not going to be easy. Every game is going to be tougher and tougher being in this playoff. I think being part of that taught me a lot, being part of the Atlanta Braves organization when I went to a couple of World Series and playoffs helped me mentally and physically. I think mentally you have to prepare yourself for the best.

OZZIE GUILLEN: You're going to make me cry here. Chico was one of my best friends in Chicago. I think I know where he is right now, he would feel proud.