RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The White Sox retired Ozzie Guillen’s No. 13 on Saturday night.
There were laughs, some gentle roasts, memories, emotional moments, recollections of 2005 and mentions of family.
Guillen’s speech even went long, and the Sox’ game against the Guardians started 17 minutes after it was scheduled.
So, yes, the event perfectly captured Guillen.
The manager of the Sox’ 2005 World Series champions, Guillen has come to embody the team. He played for them for 13 seasons, managed them for eight mostly successful (but occasionally explosive) years and has become a beloved and honest TV analyst.
‘‘Isn’t that like the ultimate thing, to be able to be all three of those things for one team?’’ former Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski told the Sun-Times. ‘‘He’s really lived the dream of any baseball player with one organization.’’
Guillen has done that despite — and partially because of — his honesty.
Blunt as a manager and even more forthright as an analyst, Guillen says what he’s thinking. At times, that got him in trouble with the media and contributed to his stint as the manager of the Marlins lasting only a season.
It’s also something his former Sox players and today’s fans appreciate about him.
‘‘He literally told you what he was expecting out of you or what he thought of you,’’ former Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle said. ‘‘Whether it was good or bad, you might not have wanted to hear it, but his door was always open. You could walk in at any time. You might not want to hear what he’s going to tell you, but he’s going to tell you the truth.’’
Sometimes, however, that can lead to bad exits.
Guillen and then-vice president Ken Williams saw their professional relationship blow up in 2011. Six years after winning a World Series together, Guillen left for Miami to end one of the most productive and tempestuous partnerships in Chicago baseball.
But time can change perspectives. Guillen looked back thankfully on Williams hiring him before the 2004 season. Guillen, who replaced the laid-back Jerry Manuel, turned 40 that winter and was selected despite his youth and relative inexperience.
That decision changed the Sox’ trajectory. And Guillen’s life.
Guillen became the first manager to lead the Sox to multiple postseason appearances and in 2005 joined a small list of Chicago managers and coaches to win a championship, securing his place in the city’s history.
‘‘I know there were a lot of ups and downs, hate and love,’’ Guillen said. ‘‘Beautiful, nice but ugly, but we got it done. I did everything in my power in my life to make the White Sox team win every day.’’
As a player and a manager — and even as an analyst — another one of Guillen’s most defining traits is his emotion. He mostly kept that in check Saturday, with a couple of notable exceptions.
Venezuela has been bruised and beaten by political forces and natural disasters, and Guillen included his home country in the celebration. In conjunction with the festivities, the Sox and Guillen launched the Relief for Venezuela fundraiser to benefit earthquake recovery and relief.
Wearing pins of the Venezuelan flag on his lapel, Guillen beamed when he spoke about the country’s baseball heritage and how many of its greats wear or wore No. 13. Dave Concepcion, the shortstop for the 1970s ‘‘Big Red Machine’’ that won the 1975 and 1976 World Series, donned No. 13. The Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. wears it now.
No Sox figure will wear it again. The No. 13 is now on display above the first-base line, next to the No. 11 worn by Hall of Fame shortstop and fellow Venezuelan legend Luis Aparicio.
Aparicio’s son Nelson — yes, named for his father’s longtime double-play partner, Nellie Fox — was visibly stirred when the curtain hiding Guillen’s name and number came down.
‘‘It’s a dream,’’ Nelson Aparicio told the Sun-Times after watching the ceremony on the field next to the Sox’ third-base dugout. ‘‘Seeing his name besides my father’s name, that’s great. Two Venezuelans from the same organization with their number retired.’’
Guillen was just glad to live to see his number go up.
It’s hard to know whether he was joking, but Guillen said that when the topic came up, he would tell his wife, Ibis, that the team was just waiting until he died to retire his No. 13. More seriously, he relished the fact that chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is still around and that former broadcaster Ken ‘‘Hawk’’ Harrelson is, too.
Then here’s where the emotions really kicked in for Guillen.
‘‘I’m going to look up and see the last name every day,’’ Guillen said. ‘‘To me, the biggest thrill when I see the number [and] the name out there is what it means to my grandkids to walk to this field and see that. That’s the biggest thrill to me.’’
Tearing up, Guillen then said he would stop talking about his kids and family to keep himself from crying.
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