Guillen: Don Cooper is Kenny Williams' "Bitch"

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

You'd think, now that Ozzie Guillen has his money and a new manager job in Miami, he'd be content to move on. Anyone who watched Guillen during his eight seasons at 35th and Shields knows otherwise.

Guillen spoke about the White Sox again with his media mouthpiece, Sun-Times sports columnist Joe Cowley, yesterday. (Cowley is the first to say he's "owned" the Guillen/Kenny Williams story from the beginning. Now he's beating it like a dead horse.) Guillen appears to be moving on in the column, but he also showed another character trait with which White Sox fans became familiar - loyalty to his staff.

Regarding the re-signing of pitching coach Don Cooper and how he negotiated the contract away from Guillen, Ozzie said, "We all knew Coop was Kenny’s bitch." Ozzie also rejected reports that he told Williams to "let them sweat" when it came to re-signing his coaching staff.

“I told [the Sox] I want to keep my coaching staff, and I never lied to the media. I talked to Jerry Reinsdorf maybe five times [about extending the coaches’ contracts over the years]. The reason I was so comfortable with the Sox was the coaches. Let them sweat it out? Coop was Kenny’s guy, and my staff knew that. We all know what he really is.’’

Some who've watched the team the past couple of years could also make the case that Cooper, while being "Kenny's guy" in Guillen's eyes, was also the one coach who was indispensable for his work with the pitching staff. It's also worth noting, since Cowley hasn't, the Sox also retained Harold Baines from Guillen's staff.

Guillen did say he thought the hiring of Robin Ventura was a good decision. "He’s different than me, but in my opinion, the Sox picked the right guy," he said. Reports are swirling that Jim Thome may soon be joining the Sox' staff, as well.

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By Chuck Sudo in News on October 18, 2011 9:30 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

BlueFairlane

1. I still like Ozzie. If you want a manager/coach who doesn't say anything even when he talks, waste more time listening to Lovie Smith.

2. I think the "face of the franchise" thing will actually play much better in Miami, where the fans fans aren't nearly as finicky or sensitive.

HOUSE KEVIN

They have fans in Miami?

slickpoetry

So glad this guy is gone. Seriously. Thanks for 2005, but that was long ago and since then you've done nothing but turn this town (at least the white sox part of it) into your personal soap opera.

ChicagoD

Oh, Ozzie. Anyone who remembers 2005 remembers that Coop's staff did an extraordinary job in October and made a very ordinary team World Champions. Not the part of the game you ran, Ozzie, the part Coop ran.

I can't wait to see if Ozzie can control his ADD long enough to manage in the National League. You know, keeping track of batting order, pitching changes, pinch hits and all the rest.

twocee

Based on his record against the NL in interleague, I'd say Guillen will be just fine. I've often said that Ozzie would make a better NL manager than AL manager.

ChicagoD

Something like 154 games (not counting interleague road games) versus 8 or 10 games is a HUGE difference. He might be able to do it very well, but I think he needs to shut up and pay attention a little to do it.

chicagoist_tips

Yeah, D. It looks as though the sentiment is swinging against Ozzie here. WIlliams still looks like he's going through a nervous breakdown on the job, but Ozzie's "I'm the face of the franchise" act may wear out sooner in Miami.