The Book of Ozzie: An Inside Look at the Outsider
By Adrian Burgos
Ozzie Guillén was never short on confidence. This much is clear when viewing the 13 chapters of “The Book of Ozzie,” where Guillén reflects on his journey from teenage prospect to American League Rookie of the Year, All-Star and eventually a World Series champion manager.
Determined to make it as a big leaguer, he did not let the perceptions others had of his prospects dissuade him. He belonged. He was determined to prove it. That is one of the many powerful images that come across the screen as Guillen speaks about baseball, life and family.
Yet, Guillén was an outsider, a newcomer, wanting to get inside. He was driven, armed with a confidence that he will succeed. That confidence made him brash, vociferous, and, as he admits now, hard to manage.
Outside Looking In
The skinny rookie wanted in on the picture. He was chided away. That is an enduring memory that sticks with Venezuelan sportswriter Efrain Ruiz Pantín, who recounted the photo-op that didn’t happen for Guillén.
The setting was the Venezuelan celebration in 1984 of Luis Aparicio’s election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Someone had the idea to gather the country’s legendary shortstops – Aparicio, Alfredo “Chico” Carrasquel and Dave Concepción – for a photo.
Guillén was on the outside, wanting in. They told him he didn’t belong.
But he would prove them wrong. The 1985 AL Rookie of the Year and three-time American League All-Star would not let them forget.
Coming to America
An immigrant ballplayer is what he was after having signed with the San Diego Padres organization. Assigned to the Padres’ affiliate in Bradenton, Fla., it was clear that the streets were not paved with gold. The road to success, as most immigrants have learned, was going to be paved through the sweat of their own brow, their own determination to make it in the new society.
Arriving in Bradenton to play in the Gulf Coast League was not what the then 16-year old envisioned America was like.
“Wow, I never thought that the United States was that bad, that ugly,” he says.
Making Do
He had to be thrifty just to eat and make sure he could pay the rent. That meant finding something to eat wherever he could. In Florida that meant picking fruit from the ground in route to and from the ballpark.
“I remember the guys, we’re going through the ballpark in Bradenton, and we see mangos on the ground,” he recalls. “We would jump in and take them home.”
That particular memory resonated with me. It brought back childhood memories of weekend trips to the elementary school I attended growing up in south Florida. We returned not for class but for mangos, which were in abundance underneath the trees surrounding the school.
“Why let them go to waste,” my thrifty Puerto Rican mom reasoned, “if they are just going to let them rot on the ground.”
Road to Success
Guillén’s recollection of rookie ball serves as a reminder of the precarious social and economic situation most Latino prospects encounter upon arrival as minor leaguers. For most, there is no guaranteed contract at that point. There is little money being earned.
But there is an important life lesson in his story. It is about how to succeed as a Latino immigrant in U.S. society.
“Struggle or not, you have to survive,” he said. “That happens when you go to another country, no matter who you are, no matter what you do.”
Still Looking to Come Back In
The grizzled, experienced manager wants back in the game he loves. He wants to do more than just comment from the studio or provide color from the broadcast booth. His heart is set on sharing what he knows with young players, to guide a team, to manage again.
He is on the outside looking in again. How many other Latinos have led a team to a World Series championship?
None.
Guillén’s situation reminds one of what Cito Gaston went through as a manager. The long-time Toronto Blue Jays manager remains the sole African American to lead a team to a World Series title, claiming consecutive titles in 1992 and 1993. Yet after his initial stint with the Blue Jays (1989 to 1997), Gaston was also left on the outside looking in.
Gaston waited 11 seasons before getting another chance to manage, and it was back in Toronto.
Guillén hasn’t had another offer to manage in MLB since being fired after one season with the Florida Marlins. Sure, his comments about respecting Fidel Castro had much to do with his demise with the Marlins.
That departure still irks Guillén. It wasn’t on his own terms, and it wasn’t entirely for baseball reasons.
He is on the outside looking in, again.
But as “The Book of Ozzie” has shown, he remains unafraid of letting others in to hear what he has to say, about baseball, politics, or anything.
Featured Image: Tim Boyle / Getty Images Sport