Ozzie's Warning: 'We're Going To Hit People'

CHICAGO — White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had a warning for the rest of the league: Hit our players and our pitchers will retaliate.

Guillen was upset Sunday after Paul Konerko, Scott Podsednik and Gordon Beckham got hit by pitches by the Cleveland staff a night earlier in Chicago's 8-5 win. Guillen acknowledged he didn't think the Indians were throwing at them, but he's had enough of watching his players get hit.

"Yesterday I get upset, they hit one guy and they throw in into another guy. I got upset. I know for a fact they're not throwing at nobody, but enough is enough," Guillen said. "I have Konerko bruised all over the place. Around the league, be careful because we're going to hit people. I don't care if I get suspended because I need to protect my players."

The White Sox have been hit by pitches 45 times this season, fifth in the majors. The Indians have been hit 65 times, most in the majors.

"When we went to Cleveland they hit two guys, not on purpose, but someone can get hurt out there. You can pitch in, but if you don't know how don't do it," he said. "It gets to the point when they hit us seven times, 20 times in one week and we hit one and they're the headhunters and that's a (problem) with major league baseball."

Guillen also warned, if he suspects a pitcher intentionally throwing at one of his players expect multiple retaliation.

"If I see someone hit my player, and I know they hit him on purpose it's two guys going down. I don't care if I get suspended," Guillen said. "I rather have me suspended for two games than have my players on the DL for 30 days."

Comments

[mjb5406]

Ozzie is a thug... the umps aren't doing enough, so let's start a group of mercenaries to do the job.

[Bude]

First, he'll have to find Bartolo Colon!

[mjb5406]

Or Enrico Palazzo!

[jalowe1957]

Do I sense some beanball brawls in our future?

Ozzie sounds more like Robert Conrad in a vintage Everready battery commercial saying, "Go ahead. I dare you."

[diogenes1967]

Damn, Ozzie was remarkably controlled in what he said. No f-bombs (and Ozzie has several of those at his disposal).

Still, I generally don't agree with headhunting but in this case, mor power to you Ozie.

[Bude]

Did you see Albert Pujols get nailed the other day? There's no way would you get me to throw at him.

[calijon]

good for ozzie. better the manager say it than the players.

[thebirdstheword]

ozzie guillen instructs his pitchers to pitch inside as much as anyone else.

he's almost as disingenuous as palin. i'm surprised that he didn't evoke the troops.

[VcKrc]

"You can pitch in, but if you don't know how don't do it"
He may be instructing his pitchers to pitch in, but he knows they can do it safely.

[KarateKid]

Hey Ozzie, Texas just let Padilla go. Sign him and use him for what he does best, head hunt.

[Bude]

Trouble is, if you told Hose Contreras to hit someone, he'd miss him by three feet.

[Cogs]

Pitchers have simply throwing inside.

[ChiGuy]

Good!
It's like Ozzie said, if you're gonna pitch "in" to move a guy off the plate, fine. Go ahead. But do it right.
If not, expect your teammates to pay.

[SamEllison]

Ozzie, do you get to choose the charity you just volunteered to donate to?

[cnobody]

perhaps you were being funny, but he almost always has a hat on supporting autism research during his postgame interviews.

[Dbos]

Ifeel like the democrats have been hit several times its time to hit them back. Ozzy for Congress

[Bude]

Just can't leave it alone.

[cnobody]

this is simply Ozzie shifting the focus on to himself. He does this every time his team struggles. he says something odd and the reporters talk about him and how "crazy" he is instead of the poor play of his team.

[stav506]

One sign of a good manager is that he does what he needs to do to protect his players, from both the press and other teams. He's hit them both w/ this.

[wadenelson1]

This is where the government needs to step in instead of worrying about steroids.

Hitting a batter intentionally, or "trying to scare him" is just wrong.

Sports should not be allowed to go in this direction.

[ChiGuy]

Where have you been, wade?
"Chin music" brushbacks and retaliatory bean balls have been a part of the game since it became a game.