CHICAGO -- Brooks Boyer, an executive vice president with the White Sox, received a call from chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in December or January during this past offseason.
The exact date isn’t really the story here. But that call centered on Ozzie Guillen, the man who has excelled as a player, manager and broadcaster for the organization.
“Jerry said, ‘It’s time to retire Ozzie’s number,’” Boyer told MLB.com during Chicago's 5-4 victory in 10 innings over the Blue Jays in Friday’s home opener at Rate Field. “He said, ‘You only have one rule. I want him to be completely surprised when we announce it.’”
Mission accomplished for the White Sox, and then some. Their announcement of Guillen’s jersey No. 13 being retired on Aug. 8 not only caught Guillen off guard, but brought him to tears.
The White Sox cut from Jon Schriffen, their television play-by-play voice, to their CHSN studios after Sean Burke retired Toronto’s offense in the top of the third. Guillen was seated with Chuck Garfien and Scott Podsednik, with Garfien and Guillen making up the colorful and entertaining pregame and postgame broadcast team. Podsednik was an integral player on the 2005 World Series champions managed by Guillen.
Podsednik, who found out shortly before Guillen did regarding this particular piece of historic news, opened an envelope and read the proclamation about Guillen. After the tears started flowing, Guillen hugged his wife, Ibis, in celebration of this moment.
“Oh, my God. [It means] a lot. It means many, many years of work,” Ibis Guillen told MLB.com, holding back emotion while flashing her proud smile. “You put all the years together, from 1985 to now, everything in one number.”
“They are more proud now to be a Guillen than they were before,” Guillen said. “It’s not easy to have a retired number, especially when you come from another country. It’s not easy in a city like Chicago -- so big with so many great athletes. Great players went through this organization.”
Guillen anchored shortstop for the White Sox from 1985-97, making three All-Star teams and earning the American League Rawlings Gold Glove in 1990. Guillen was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1985, after the Venezuelan native came from San Diego with Tim Lollar, Bill Long and Luis Salazar in a deal that sent Cy Young winner LaMarr Hoyt to the Padres.
In 2005, Guillen was selected as the AL Manager of the Year. That ‘05 squad should be considered as one of the truly underrated champs in MLB history, winning 99 games, leading the AL Central every day during the regular season and then posting an 11-1 postseason mark that included four straight complete games in the ALCS.
Running the show was Guillen, who is as entertaining as the best of stand-up comics, possessing a veritable wealth of baseball knowledge and the guts to do whatever it took to win. His impact will now have a lasting memory in White Sox lore, as the 13th person to have his number retired in franchise history -- and the first manager to do so.
As much as it means to Guillen, who had a feeling this day would arrive at some point, it means just as much to his wife, three sons and four grandchildren. In August, he looks forward to standing with Reinsdorf, who has been like a second father to him, and Harold Baines, his close friend whose No. 3 has already been retired. There’s also a hope for Dave Concepcion to attend, with the iconic Reds shortstop being the reason Guillen originally chose No. 13.
“I was very surprised -- very, very surprised,” Guillen said. “They did it the right way, I guess. They made me cry. I didn't even cry for anything, you know, much. Because I know how this moment is so important for my family, myself -- that shows you or that shows myself the White Sox organization care [about] what I did for them.”
“It means a lot for my grandchildren," Ibis said. “When they grow up, maybe they will be White Sox fans and they come one day and see, 'That’s my grandpa’s number there.’ It means a lot.”