Skippers take hit in poll: Players show no love for Piniella, Guillen
By Paul Sullivan
and Mark Gonzales
MCT News Service
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Lou Piniella was voted the manager major-league players would least like to play for while Ozzie Guillen ranked second, according to a Sports Illustrated poll.
Piniella and Guillen, both of whom have won a World Series as managers, took the poll results with a grain of salt.
“I take that as a compliment,” Piniella said. “We demand things and we want to win. There are some pretty good names on that list.”
Guillen said he doesn’t blame the players for voting him so high.
“What you see out there is [different than what] you may see inside the clubhouse,” he said. “They got Tony La Russa [ranked] No. 3? This guy has won a couple of times, no?
‘Well, that’s peoples’ opinion. I respect that. As long as I’m No. 1 with the White Sox, that’s all I really care about.”
Sports Illustrated correspondents in every major-league city interviewed 380 players in May for the poll, though many players declined to answer that question.
SI did not break down the exact totals but listed Piniella first with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Guillen at 21 percent. St. Louis’ La Russa (10 percent), the Dodgers’ Joe Torre (4 percent), and Cleveland’s Eric Wedge (4 percent) rounded out the top five. Players could not vote for their managers.
Piniella and Guillen have much in common, including fiery personalities and honest dealings with their players. But not everyone can handle playing for them, as evidenced by the departures of players such as Michael Barrett, Scott Eyre, Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera.
Guillen said some players may not like “old-school baseball” managers like him and Piniella.
“They don’t like letting the players know what you feel,” he said. “Maybe they worry about what you’re going to say in the newspaper. But in the meantime, you can ask any of my players, and let’s say 59 percent are going to say they like me. I won’t say 100 percent will say they like me, but 59 percent is enough for me to feel good enough.”
Though they were interviewed a couple hundred miles apart at almost the exact same time, Piniella basically echoed Guillen’s comments.
“You can ask the players that have played for me,” Piniella said. “I think they have fun. We let ‘em play. I’m in this business to win.”
Piniella is reputed to be especially tough on his pitchers, though he disputed that notion.
“I get along with pitchers,” he said. “Look, what do I know how people voted or don’t vote? I’m proud of my record and I’m appreciative of the players who played for me to attain that record. That’s the truth.
“If some of them don’t want to play for me, they can stay where they’re at. I don’t need ‘em.”
Added Guillen: “In sports you have to be a bad boy. Everyone remembers Billy Martin.”
Poll results
SI asked 380 players which manager they’d least like to play for:
Manager Pct.
1. Lou Piniella 26
2. Ozzie Guillen 21
3. Tony LaRussa 10
4. Joe Torre 4
4. Eric Wedge 4
Inside: Sox batter Lee, Indians; Cubs shut out by Pirates, B2.
