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MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 6, 2005

Ozzie Guillen

DALLAS, TEXAS

Q. How will it be to see Frank over competing against you guys?
OZZIE GUILLEN: (Inaudible) That's part of the game, something you have to deal with and, you know, see him -- it's going to be weird seeing him wear another uniform.
Hopefully he goes to National League. Don't have to see him. I hope he's healthy and I hope he can help somebody out but right now he's not in our plans and I just wish him the best.

Q. Have you talked to him, do you feel that you --
OZZIE GUILLEN: Not yet. Not yet.

Q. Do you plan to?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Oh, yes. I mean he -- I see him, I talk to him, see how he's doing. How -- the more important thing is his health. When he's healthy, I think he'll help people to win games and I think that's the concern. I believe -- I know he going to show up at Spring Training ready to go and he's healthy.

Q. How should he be remembered in Chicago?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Best player ever played -- I'm not going say in the city because we got Sandberg, Sammy Sosa. Definitely one of the best players that played for the White Sox.
I think Frank did a lot of great things for that City. Frank did a lot of great thing for that organization. There's no doubt about it, he's one of the best athlete ever to play in Chicago.

Q. What's this last month been like for you?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Terrible.

Q. Why?
OZZIE GUILLEN: It's fun. It's fun. Don't get me wrong. It's fun but obviously I'm from another country. I want to spend a lot of time in Venezuela doing different things and it's great when you're in this spot.
I never thought winning this with the White Sox, you know, going to bring people together, you know. My country, we're not together and we are now and just because the White Sox win and it was fun because now I finally -- I spend 20 something years in the Big Leagues and they finally know who I am.
They look at me. They know who I am but it's been great. A great feeling. Hopefully I come to the same spot next year. It was crazy. I have a friend that got problems.
I went to see him and I went so to Venezuela Puerto Rico, Dominican. He'd be in lot of trouble. It's something I was looking forward and hopefully, you know, I do this thing again. He was tired but. It was tired but kinds of great feeling.

Q. Do they treat you like Michael Jordan when he was with the Bulls? Now when you go there, are you treated like a king?
OZZIE GUILLEN: In Venezuela? No, I get treated better in here. Everything is -- everything I buy at half price. This is a different thing.
The problem we have back home in the country political and family and we got so many different problems, when I went to Venezuela, we just talk about the White Sox and Ozzie. They make people forget about all the kind of problem we have and now we need that. We need that.
I think we went through situation right now like everything is broken apart, everybody, they disagree with each other. Myself put this team together and bring these people back together. You know, just pulling for one people and pulling for one team, it's something you don't see very often in Venezuela and we did.
It's a great feel to be part of that. It's a great feeling to know you do something good for your country and that's why I think it's -- I feel good and proud what I did just because -- because I know how they feel.

Q. Ozzie, can you see somebody other than Anderson as your starter in centerfield next year?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Not the way we build this team. Not the way we are right now. I think right now to this point, we count on one of those kids.
I think my concern is I think Anderson should be ready to play at this level. I think with the kind of team we're going to have I think he fit real well but he's not there yet. They're going to show in Spring Training, show me -- know what they can do on the field, what they can do overall the on the field, off the field with their teammates.
They got to fit right in the team but he will get the best shot.

Q. Will he get a chance to make the team?
OZZIE GUILLEN: He got a great chance because he play winter ball right now. I saw him play a couple for like four, five days. I enjoyed watching him everyday and we have one of the Minor League coach with him. I think this kid got a great chance.
I won't be surprised if he makes the team but he's not there yet. He got to earn it. Whoever play better will be on the team.

Q. Are you ready to get going? Are you tired of the off-season or do you need more time to wind down?
OZZIE GUILLEN: I haven't had a vacation yet. It's true, one place to another but I think we're ready to go. We we're set for Spring Training.
It's nice when you see in these meetings and we just talk about backup guys and who is going to be, you have to see about building the team. It's easy for us to do it but I enjoy it.
Baseball people, I love baseball, I love to be around baseball people and so far it's been great but I will get a vacation before it's over because I need it.

Q. Did you talk to Bill Miller if they thought it was getting close personally to see, let them know there would be enough playing time for him on the team if it got to that point?
OZZIE GUILLEN: It's hard because I will find a place for him to play but right now I think this kid can still play everyday. I think it will help people play everyday. He's put in the spot like we don't know what to do because sometime when you talk to the guy and they think they can play there, you know they can play over there and you say, "Well, this is going to be your role." Just like a slap in the face. That's why I try to stay away from that and handle the questions.

Q. Ozzie, do you have the same concerns as other managers do about players participating in the Classic as far as injuries and wear and tear?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Everybody does. I'm not the only one. The different thing about it, I got a player from my own country he's going to represent. I told people how hard this thing is to be in Freddie's spot because he plan on going -- he plan on going to represent our country.
He's going to take a lot of heat from Venezuelan fans. There's no doubt he has to go. I told the players be prepared for that.
Hopefully everything go well. Hopefully going real smooth. I know the first year in anything is real tough but I think it's a good idea and I wish the players the best, hopefully they no get hurt. Hopefully this experience of be great for baseball. Hopefully the players helping and everything go under control.
I got one Japanese player that's going to be for 12 days in Spring Training because he got to stay over his country to be playing but I'm not the one got to deal with this. It's everybody out. Lot of managers concerned. It's going to be great for baseball.
The only bad thing, they got to do it here. They should do in it Spain or Italy, I can go. They going to do it here. It's a good idea, I think, making people involved to this Series. I don't know who all is going to play now. Cuba is on the team now?

Q. Probably.
OZZIE GUILLEN: Probably or not?

Q. They say probably, yes?
OZZIE GUILLEN: I hope they are.

Q. The government has --
OZZIE GUILLEN: Now they're going to see the real players. They no longer play against kids. They going to a physical, pretty good pitching staff and pretty good teams. How they're going to say we're not the best in the world? They got better than them. I think Cuba will be part of that.

Q. Do you still plan to get away for Spring Training to watch the Venezuelan team?
OZZIE GUILLEN: I'm going to try to get to the first meeting. I don't know yet but they got to practice in Florida. That's a long flight to see, to go there but I get per permission from my team I want to be around and doing it.

Q. Ozzie, do you think right now you have a better team than you had last year?
OZZIE GUILLEN: In the winter meetings, yes. I don't know at the end of the season but right now in the winter meetings because last year when I left Anaheim I hate to come to winter meetings because I think we didn't get anything done. I was disappointed.
Kenny and Rick pulled the trigger when I was in Venezuela. I think right now the way we set, I'm happy with. I think not because we signed Foley and Tommy. We've got to rebuild. I think in the paper, we look good and hopefully they performed the way they look. I think -- I've always believed it's good. We're still with the same people. We lose some players in Aaron, he's one of the better players but that's part of the game. Hopefully those guys, they stick together, stay together and try to win.

Q. Will McCarthy get an opportunity to be your fifth starter?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Right now he should. I think right now, we looking at El Duque. El Duque is going to be making the starter. We might use McCarthy in the bullpen. That's up to right now. We still have a way to go from here towards Spring Training and see what happens.

Q. Do you think El Duque will be difficult to deal with if he's not starting?
OZZIE GUILLEN: It's hard. I don't think El Duque can be a reliever because his routine. He went through a lot of things, routine to start a game, to start to pitch. Even he did a good job for me out of the bullpen but how many days you can use it?
I think he's better off to be down in the starting rotation. We'll see how we do with McCarthy. El Duque I think will be a better pitcher using in the starting rotation.

Q. Do you expect to see Damaso on your team?
OZZIE GUILLEN: Right now, yes. We look around baseball and the Diamonds problem was nobody grabbed him and talked to him the way he should be talked. Everybody just like babysitting him and tried to talked to him in a nice way.
When I talked to him the wrong way, he got better. I don't see many better than Damaso (Marte). Damaso got one of the best arms in the bullpen and I'm tell you right now he's good.

Q. You can handle him.
OZZIE GUILLEN: I handle everyone. I handle A.J. and Carl Everett and Freddy Garcia. I handle everyone because I know what I want, they know what I need and when you're a manager and you can handle your players, you should go on go home and take out your kids.

Q. Ozzie, is the whole idea of being World Champions sunk in with you with you yet besides the distractions? Has it sunk in? You able to enjoy that?
OZZIE GUILLEN: It's great. It's a lot of smiling people face. That's the good thing about this. I know my players enjoy it. My coaches enjoy. I'm the one got to put up with a lot of stuff. It's not better to be called the best.
Right now I'm the best to next year and it's a great feeling. It's a great thing about -- it's not too many people have this feeling and thank God I was part of that especially with the team I grew up with.
I mean you can win -- I did it a couple times with different team. When you win with the team you grew up with from the fans you like, it's special feeling.

Q. What's your personal goal? You said -- you alluded to the fact after you won a championship you would reevaluate and you weren't sure what you want to do. How long do you think you want to do this and what's your immediate goal other than another championship?
OZZIE GUILLEN: You know, my goal is to enjoy the game, that's the ultimate thing, enjoy the game and right now, just take it one year at a time and see what happens, but I think, you know, it's nice when you win and all of a sudden you want to feel the same way the next year.
There's no doubt about it. The same way with people in Chicago. Right now we show people in baseball we want to do this again. I think that's why Kenny and all those guys did a tremendous job to try to keep this team in the same way and couple moves here and there and I'm real excited with this team this year.

Q. Do you think a second title will be harder than the first?
OZZIE GUILLEN: I know we aren't going to win all those games a year. I hope it's quicker. I think right now we can win the most. We have a group of kids and we got to take the best out of those kids and as quick as you can because you never know what's going to happen in a couple years.
I think we have a kids that know how to win. I know they taste that before. Now how we going to play? We got to play the same way we did last year. We got to win, I hope but I think right now we have a chance to be a pretty good team to watch for the next couple years.

Q. How important was it to have McCarthy and Anderson there to see the whole thing? Did that maybe make -- get them hungry?
OZZIE GUILLEN: It's not that bad. I think those kids help us to get what we going to get. They know what they're going to expect from me. They know what they're going to expect from their teammate.
When you got those guys see the scenario about what's going on, just not at Spring Training, again, in particular, especially in playoff, I think they going with the mindset up to see that they got to get.
I got to show those kids I not going to bring you up to the Big Leagues because you're a prospect or because we have to do it. I think we got to bring you to the ballclub because I think you have a great chance to win this thing for us. I think those guys ready to do.

Q. Ozzie, considering how high the cost of pitching has been this off-season, how comforting is it for you that you guys are pretty well set in that area?
OZZIE GUILLEN: That's a tougher thing. Everybody talk about trade. They all ask me about my pitching staff. There's one thing I told Kenny Williams and Rick. I said, "I don't mind what trade or what move you make, but make sure we try to keep our pitching staff the same as it is." I always say, "You will win with pitching."
I mean you have good pitching everyday, you have a chance everyday. Somebody asked me about we win a lot of games by one run. That's because we play one of the toughest, to me one of the best pitching in the Central, Cleveland, Minnesota, even Detroit. Pretty good pitching staff. We got to go through it but I think my team have a chance everyday because all five guys come out there and pitch.

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