I grew up in Chicago and have followed the White Sox since childhood. Ozzie Guillen managed the team to their first championship since 1917, and quite likely the only championship they'll win during my lifetime (I'm 26). I don't know how to feel about this.
Ozzie was a good situational hire in 2004. He replaced Jerry Manuel, whom White Sox fans derisively nicknamed "Gandhi" for his cerebral, aloof approach to the game. Jerry Manuel was a smart guy, but he showed no passion. He didn't really argue with umpires, he didn't get into any of the team's rivalries, he didn't show much emotion at all. The team underperformed.
Ozzie was initially seen as the cure for the Manuel woes. He was the exact opposite of Manuel: he cursed, showed emotion constantly, embraced all of the team's rivalries, and created some of his own (Ozzie Guillen and Buck Showalter hate each other, and when the White Sox and Rangers played in the mid 2000's this was obvious). He was amusing for a while.
At some point, though, he grew arrogant, and the drama he caused was no longer cute. He drove several very talented players - Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera chief among them - out of town because he didn't get along with them, same way Valentine drove Youkilis out of Boston this year. And the guy really can't manage a bullpen.
It seems in Miami he had a chance at a fresh start, but didn't let go of his bad habits. Maybe some unemployment will humble him.
