Ozzie Guillen Wants Quotations

Mr. Cooper, the gentleman from New York wants to speak with you.

What I did to Alex was wrong. He can do whatever he wants. If he wants to play for Japan, fine for him.

Everybody is chasing us, everybody wants to play good against us. No doubt about it. We have to take the same approach as we have in the past. We have to play the game the way we've always played the game. Don't believe the hype. You have to go there and play the game and not worry about what people think.

The thing about Jim Thome is that no matter where you go in baseball, nobody ever says anything negative about him. When you make a lot of money in this game, everyone wants to criticize you and tear you down. But, you don't see that with Jim Thome.

He told me that he wanted to play. I ask my player the next day, especially the catcher, and he said he's ready to go. He wants to play. I think he was a little upset by the game last night. I'm not going to play him unless he tells me that he's 80 to 100 percent ready to go.

Any player who wants to go to his funeral, I'm more than happy to let them go.

That's the first time I feel like I did something wrong. I've been in a lot of controversial things before, but I think I started this one and I'm going to finish it. What I did to Alex was wrong. He can do whatever he wants. If he wants to play for Japan, fine for him.

If he wants to get it done, I'll throw six balls right down the middle of the plate and let him hit six home runs, and let him do whatever he wants to do. He'll get it. I think it would be great for baseball, great for the game, because now we put another name on top of those names.