The Chicago White Sox will have a new manager at the helm ending three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at U.S. Cellular Field.
Ozzie Guillen was released from his contract with the White Sox on Monday night after eight years managing the team. There are reports that he is already in advanced discussions to become the next manager of the Florida Marlins and should that happen the White Sox would likely receive some form of compensation.
"I'm not going to point fingers and blame anybody," said Guillen. "I've been talking to Jerry (Chicago owner Jerry Reinsdorf) for a little while and I talked to him this morning. It was a contract issue and it was a very nice talk. I respect Jerry for the decision cause it was a decision that had to be made. If anyone wants to blame Jerry, they're wrong. The best thing about this is that I walk out of here with my head up. He gave me an opportunity to play in the big league and manage in the big league."
Guillen managed the White Sox to a record of 678-617 and won a World Series with them in 2005.
"I'm not going to point fingers and blame anybody," said Guillen, who also played shortstop for the White Sox for 13 seasons.
Bench coach Joey Cora will finish the season as interim manager.
The White Sox sent Guillen out as a winner on Monday, as Tyler Flowers hit a three-run home run to help Chicago to a 4-3 win.
Dayan Viciedo drove in the other run while Dylan Axelrod (1-0) pitched six scoreless innings and gave up just three hits for his first career win for the White Sox, who came into the set having lost three of four.
David Cooper had a pinch-hit, two-run double in the ninth while Adam Lind brought in the other run for the Blue Jays, who have lost three straight.
Dustin McGowan (0-2) gave up three runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts over four innings.
Guillen may not be the only longtime White Sox fixture leaving, as Mark Buehrle takes the hill in what could be his final start with the team. Buehrle, a free agent at season's end, needs just 1 2/3 innings on Tuesday to extend his streak to 11 straight seasons of at least 200 innings, 10 wins and 30 starts, the longest active streak in baseball.
"To be honest with you, I'm not trying to blow it off, but I'm not trying to make a big deal of it," said Buehrle, who is 12-9 with a 3.72 ERA. "I know family and friends are. I'm getting a lot of text messages from friends saying, 'enjoy it, soak everything in.' but there's not a 100 percent chance that I'm not coming back. So I'm not going to do this big farewell tour. I might get emotional a little bit, but I'm not trying to because I could be back here next year and everything going on this year could be laughed off and say, 'Why did you go through all that?'"
Toronto, meanwhile, will pin its hopes on rookie Henderson Alvarez, who is 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA. Alvarez hasn't received a decision in his last four starts and has never faced the White Sox.
Toronto took three of four meetings from Chicago back in May.
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