Family Style – Interview Series – Ozzie Guillen Jr

We’re starting a new interview series in which we interview people who have a unique connection to the White Sox, the family of the players/managers we know and love.  To kick this off, I interviewed the son of one of my all-time favorite White Sox, Ozzie Guillen.  I can’t understate how much I loved Ozzie as a kid.  I was a huge Jose Canseco fan, who was a Latino superstar, but Ozzie was here in Chicago, playing for my team.  It was important to me, and it’s probably why I like to shave down to a mustache more often than my wife would probably like.  But enough about me and my facial hair, check out this interview with Ozzie Guillen Jr.

Likes

Favorite game that you were at?  Blackout Game. Buehrle perfect game. Opening Day New Comiskey Park, World Series Game 4 2005. Been many ones lol. Worst game when Jim Thome hit a bomb in Minnesota lol still has not landed. And losing in Tampa in 2008 I wanted to cry.

Favorite all-time player that does not have a statue on the concourse and is not related to you?  Robin Ventura sweet swing and solid glove. Also shared a locker next to me lol as a kid Ozzie and Robin had a locker between them I would say it was mine lol. Now that I think about it we must have driven him nuts.

Favorite drink and dinner at the park?  The Patio hands down the best place to eat before the game. The Bertucci boys do it right. Love that place.

Favorite place to sit at Sox Park?  Growing up we made my dad get behind the plate seats at the new stadium 6 seats deep. They would be consider the scout seats today. I once sat in the scout seats a few years back with a friend and the view is even better now and not to mention the service. Every fan should do it once.

Favorite Sox uniform?  Good guys wear black. My team is the 93 boys. I love that black Jersey I call it the super power jersey. The bad streak breaker.

Favorite Sox giveaway?  I loved bat day as a kid. And now obsessed with any Hawk related. But I love the T shirts now. I been going to bed with a Dick Allen shirt at least 5 times a month lol. It’s on my pajama rotation.

Favorite Sox theme night?  It has not been created yet lol. Hawk night lol.

Dislikes

What irks you the most about White Sox fans?  How much we worry about Cubs fans and what they do.

What is the worst part of being a Sox fan?  #2 syndrome. We seem to finish 2 a lot when I was growing up. And well now people acting like the Sox never won before the Cubs. LOL I did it you see I can’t help it lol.

Worst part of the game day experience?  Don’t have any complaints I hate when I can’t listen to the pre-game video lol.

What really grinds your gears?  When Sox fans call Ozzie a quitter after 2011 that was not the case. And people getting mad at me for being happy Cubs got a ring. LOL

Least favorite White Sox player of all time?  LOL nice try.

Worst opposing fans?  Tiger fans very aggressive.

Game Day

Most memorable White Sox experience?  Well my first broadcast in Spanish ever was awesome for me but I would say game one World Series and winning the World Series in Houston.

Ballpark experience, how could it be better?  Put charging outlets on the seats lol. And making Sox Ball Park a connected Stadium. I can also make that happen lol. That’s what I do for work lol.

Best Sox Park hack?  Like the best thing in the ballpark is the food we have the best food in baseball.

What brings you back for every game?  The opportunity to compete for a win. Watching baseball and seeing the team. So many memories at the Park. I still get chills every opening day. And I still go.

Feelings on the wave?  Not my thing. I go to the game to watch baseball. I keep score and analyze. To me baseball is everything I was raised that way.

How many games do you go to each year?  20 Sox games now. Wish it was more. But listen to radio and watch anywhere I am at. I follow baseball closely.

Section 108 Questions

What is your favorite baseball word?  Double

What is your least favorite baseball word?  Double Play

What gets you excited about the White Sox?  The Optimist Future.

What makes you sad about the White Sox?  That Ozzie Guillen is not working for them in any capacity yet. I love to see Ozzie advice in the front office. Ozzie is a great in game manager but even a better baseball mind. A PhD. Him working with Rick, Getz, Kenny, helping in development and scouting especially in Latin America and Venezuela would be beneficial to the organization. God time is always perfect. All families fight but they are family. White Sox is family to us.

What sound or noise at the ballpark do you love?  Gene Honda voice over the loud speakers asking for Sox fans to get on their feet for the 2019 White Sox.

What sound or noise at the ballpark do you hate?  Silence means it is not going well, no game, or worst a moment of silence for someone passing.

What is your favorite Hawkism?  HE GONE

We once saw your dad at Beer Bistro during a Summer Olympics.  We didn’t want to bother him, so we just sent a round of drinks over to the table, where everyone was sitting except Ozzie.  He was standing, cheering on the Venezuelan volleyball team, and holding court.  This was after he just managed a game.  Is he 100% energy 100% of the time?  Ozzie is very passionate about everything in life. But a wonderful human being. Ozzie cares about a few things Family, Baseball, and working lol. He is very misunderstood if you spend ten minutes where he is from in Venezuela you understand. The guy is a survivor. But one thing everyone needs to know Ozzie loves his White Sox. His nick name now is baby Hawk.

Make the case for Ozzie Guillen Sr returning to the White Sox as Manager.  Good Question but not fair to the sitting manager. I hate seeing on twitter when they say so and so will replace him. He’s our guy today right now. If that were ever to change then ask me then.

What players on the current team would be perfect for an Ozzie Guillen lead team?  Don’t know any personally Ozzie does best with guys that are not sensitive lol. Yolmer and him would have a lot of fun.

How would Adam LaRoche and Chris Sale been handled differently on an Ozzie Guillen lead team?  Those situations were bizarre. But don’t know. Looking back they will be situations that will be funny stories of the team. I was asked once to leave the club house lol Terry Bevington.

What is your greatest fear about the “rebuild”?  I hate the word. Every team that misses the playoffs are in a “rebuild” lol Building a team takes time this is not the NBA and teams have budgets lol. Not MLB the Show guys. They have done it successful in the past before they were called rebuilds.

What is there about this team that excites you the most?  The Depth of the roster is stronger now. No one believes in them other than them.

Give us a #HotTake about the rebuild.  Eloy Jimenez will be exciting to watch next year.

Tell us about your continued involvement in baseball in Chicago and elsewhere.  I do radio spots here and there talking white sox, cubs and mlb.  Ozzie senior is managing in winter ball. So help him put his team together unofficially. I assist write stuff down lol  My brother Ozney Guillen will be a great front office guy one day when he decided to stop playing. Kid is a baseball mind. I play way to much fantasy baseball am just a fan now. Whenever am needed to do a game in Spanish just call me I will be there.

You vs Siera Santos in a hot dog eating contest. What is the line?  Who wins?  Sierra I enjoy my hot dogs am a fat kid.

Favorite cut of steak?  Prepared?  Rib eye Medium

Favorite restaurant in Chicago?  Joes Stone Crab

Favorite place to eat near Comiskey Park as a kid?  I went to grade school in Bridgeport Love Punky Pizza & Pasta

Happy Ending

What other Chicago teams do you enjoy?  All Chicago Teams, including the Cubs yes I do watch them. Like I said I love Baseball.

Favorite Chicago sports history moment?  Ozzie Guillen raising a World Series Trophy

Favorite all-time Sox broadcaster?  Hawk

Which player had the biggest impact on you?  As a player I would say Joey Cora. Off the field Jose Contreras and Freddy Garcia.

Favorite band?  Los Amigos Invisible

What is your favorite song?  Eminem – Am not Afraid

Favorite TV Show (or Netflix or HBO or whatever)?  I watch way to much tv but obsessed with Billions and Shameless. All time Arliss

What was the happiest day watching the Sox?  First home game 2004 season. Aparicio, Chico and David Concepcion all there to watch Ozzie manage. All his hero watching him make it. Big deal to the family. White Sox did that for him it was special.

What was the saddest day watching the Sox?  Watching Ozzie give the press conference 2011 after his last game. He was dying inside.

If you could live in any other time, when might that be?  1980 and being 21 and a baseball player. But I might be dead already.

If you could change one thing in your past, what might that be?  I think be more mature. Appreciate what was around me more and the people. At 34 I see the world very different then I did at 24. And I never should have told anyone about twitter lol.

What are you most proud of?  Being a dad for sure. Being the first person in my family with a college degree and a MBA. My parents did not get that chance in life. So I honor them by that.

How would you like to be remembered?  Someone who always try hard and cared. Stood for what I believed in. Everywhere I go doors are open because the way my father has treated people I like for my kids to be the same.

What is the one thing about you few people know?  I don’t drink anymore. I was a big party guy in my twenties. LOL

What do you dislike most about yourself?  I hate confrontation. And I care too much what others think

What do you dislike most in others? Double standards and not respecting other people views and culture.

What were your best/worst subjects in school?  History best, Math worst

What do you like doing in your spare time?  Spending time with my family. I don’t think people realize how close we are. I think sometimes even to a fault. But that’s how we were raised family first. So being with them. Playing MLB the Show and PS4,Watching Tv, Reading, I read a lot. Any subject am intrigued by. Learning sabermetrics has been fun talking to my dad and combining the two and bonding with him over that and a cigar is priceless. Love playing fantasy baseball.

Who is your celebrity crush?  Mila Kunis

What is your favorite movie?  Man I have a lot but Tropic Thunder Lol

What is your favorite baseball movie?  For the Love of the Game / Eight Men Out

What is your biggest/weirdest fear?  No being good enough.

What would be your one super power?  Read minds

What would you change your name to?  Ozzie it’s not my legal name lol

What pet would you love to have?  English Bull Dog had two in my life named DH. We wanted to name him Harold Baines as a kid but my mom would not allow us. So DH it was. We also had a second base who was going to be Joey Cora. Lol

What is your one biggest pet peeve?  Not respecting others culture

What is your one annoying habit?  Dip when I play video games and watch baseball lol

What would be a good theme song for your life?  Eminem – Am not Afraid.