Ozzie Speaks Out Over AZ Immigration Law

By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 5, 2010 8:40PM

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has never been one to hold back his opinion. And now he's speaking out over Arizona's new controversial immigration law. Saying he was "disappointed" by its passage but understood what brought it about, Guillen was worried it could lead to similar laws in other states: "Once they have this in one state, every state will come out with the same stuff and that's going to be hard." Guillen hopes some sort of reform would come about soon - "Help them get a visa or try to do something different to keep those guys here." - while also expressing confidence the new law won't keep others from coming to America.

"We're pretty smart. We came all the way from Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela and you have to cross the border and we did it," he said. "It's easy to (then) go from Arizona to Colorado or California. ... It's a tough thing they want to do (but) we're not leaving. We're not doing anything wrong here. We come here just to work."

Short of a World Series match-up against the Diamondbacks, the Sox won't travel to Arizona this year for any interleague games (their "away" schedule versus NL teams takes them to Pittsburgh, D.C., and Wrigley). But next year's MLB All-Star game will be in Phoenix and opponents of the new law are already calling on MLB to move the game, similar to a move made by the NFL who pulled Super Bowl XXVII out of Phoenix when the state voted against recognizing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1990. (The state later approved the holiday and was subsequently awarded Super Bowl XXX.) And in one other example of professional sports figures showing opposition to the new law, the Phoenix Suns will wear jerseys tonight for their playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs emblazoned with "Los Suns." Of course, the Spanish word for sun is actually "sol" but, hey, it's the thought that counts.

UPDATE: Illinois State Sen. Martin Sandoval has suggested the Sox relocate their Spring training HQ out of Arizona since the team's facilities are partially funded by an Illinois agency.