Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has Twitter beef with New York Post baseball columnist Jon Heyman.
Guillen works for NBC Sports Chicago now. He took a shot at current White Sox manager Tony La Russa on Wednesday’s postgame show. Guillen called him “Rick Renteria with credentials,” managing to pull off the impressive feat of dragging both a sitting manager and his predecessor with the same jab.
Heyman then tweeted this in response.
Will be interesting to see if it’s possible to get someone’s job by insulting them on a postgame show https://t.co/VvXe9YFRsh
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 12, 2022
Credit to Heyman. It’s a good tweet. And probably pretty spot-on.
The White Sox (42-45 this season) have wildly underachieved and La Russa has been hammered incessantly both nationally and in the city. It’s going to take a lot for White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to fire La Russa, a Hall of Famer he is close with and lured out of retirement. But the proximity of Guillen — a popular guy with a big personality who won the World Series on the South Side — could grease the skids.
And if he does get the job? The White Sox have plenty of talent and are still only 3.5 games out of the last wild card spot and five games back in the AL Central. Bob Brenly screwed Buck Showalter from the Diamondbacks’ broadcast booth two decades ago and then got to ride Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling to a World Series title. Why couldn’t Guillen think about trying something similar?
Anyway, Guillen took great offense to Heyman’s analysis (and various past comments).
Hate me why? Because of bad English? Because I won? Am loud? Good looking? Rich? I don't need to insult anyone to get a job. Maybe you think I do. Tired you putting me down. Maybe you think you can because your privilege and I am not?
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) July 13, 2022
I have always defended Tony because I love the guy in many ways. So don't talk shit without knowing who I talk to and what I say. My wife will be piss and I have changed but you asked for it. You clown. You will never be better then anything you do in life including tv. Payaso
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) July 13, 2022
I apologize to @NBCSChicago and my family but tired of Jon Heyman using me as his punching bag. He is not here in Chicago he don't know anything stop lying stealing people money with bad stories. Am a man before it all and I won't let him insult me like that.
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) July 13, 2022
Jon you hate me and always bad mouth me. Let's settle it. Let's raise money Jon me and you the ring. Whatever money we raise goes to charity. I am not perfect, but tired you hiding behind you a writer.
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) July 13, 2022
Your opinion has always sucked from me. I am not insulting anyone to get no job. If they call me to be commisoner I might take it don't mean I wanted it. Your a loser and always will be one.
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) July 13, 2022
Not even about baseball anymore with you is personal so Lets make it personal
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) July 13, 2022
Heyman has declined to box Guillen, instead offering a truce where each man sends $500 to a charity of the other’s choosing. Guillen does not appear to have responded yet. La Russa is still the White Sox manager as of when this post was published. And Renteria is likely sitting on a beach somewhere wondering what he did to deserve being dragged into this.
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
