Friday’s White Sox home-opener was a time for fans to put memories of former manager Ozzie Guillen in the rear-view mirror, even though he guided Chicago to a World Series title in 2005.
Now the Marlins skipper, Guillen has been suspended five games for his remarks about Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
“Some days, he just doesn’t know when to say when,” Sox fan Mark Tabisz from Naperville said before Friday’s game. “I’m glad he’s not here with this fiasco, because we have enough problems of our own. … I love him; he has always been good to me. It’s unfortunate he put his foot in his mouth big time.”
John Gorzell from Woodridge added: “I think it was time for him to go, and I think the team is responding under Robin (Ventura). It is their problem now in Miami.”
Some fans feel the entertainment quality that Guillen brought to the South Side will be difficult to replace.
“Ozzie will be missed because he always made me laugh, he was very entertaining,” said Christine Daley from Chicago. “But Robin Ventura is a fan favorite, my brother’s favorite player of all time. So I will root for Robin, too.”
For a team with modest expectations, the Sox entered Friday’s game with a 3-2 record.
“So far, so good,” Tabisz said. “I am very optimistic that (Gordon) Beckham will start hitting. He always brings his glove to every game. And (Alex) Rios and (Adam) Dunn … what a disaster last year. Anything they do has got to be better than last year. And the (starting) pitching looks OK. The bullpen is still a big question mark. But, hey, we got three out of five … it’s all good so far.”
Daley said she has been a Sox fan for all 34 years of her life.
“I have hope, I have strong hope (for the Sox),” she said.
“They are doing a little better than I thought they would. I think once they get some of the fundamentals down, I think there’s some real potential there. I think Robin is doing a great job,” Gorzell said.
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