Outspoken Guillen calls Rodriguez a 'hypocrite'

News Wire Reports

Published February 17, 2006 at midnight

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Another spring, another member of the Sox taking shots at Alex Rodriguez. This time, however, it isn't the Boston Red Sox; it's Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

Guillen, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, targeted A-Rod's much-publicized back-and-forth standing whether to play in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic or United States.

"Alex was kissing Latino people's (butts)," Guillen, who is from Venezuela, said in the most recent issue of Sport Illustrated. "He knew he wasn't going to play for the Dominicans; he's not a Dominican!"

Rodriguez, who has dual citizenship in the Dominican Republic and U.S., decided to play for the American squad after once saying he wasn't going to play because choosing a team was too difficult.

Guillen apparently found his wishy-washy attitude to be disingenuous.

"I hate hypocrites," Guillen told the magazine.

OKLAHOMA CITY EYES MARLINS: Oklahoma's lieutenant governor has talked to the Florida Marlins about the team possibly moving to Oklahoma City.

"It's all very preliminary, but I have received some good feedback from the Marlins," Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin said in a statement Thursday.

Marlins owner Jeff Loria once owned the old Oklahoma City 89ers Class AAA team.

The Marlins have not been able to strike a deal for a new ballpark in the Miami area.

HENRY SAYS SYSTEM FLAWED: Major league baseball's current revenue-sharing system, even while bettering the game, is too burdensome on the wealthiest clubs that are substantially subsidizing some of their opponents, Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry said.

Team ownership must bring in about $2 on every $1 invested in order to break even, Henry was quoted as saying in Thursday's editions of the Boston Herald.

"Baseball has to address the disincentives created by large-scale transfers of revenue from successful clubs to less successful clubs," Henry said. "At high enough tax levels, the incentive is to invest somewhere other than in baseball."

ETC.: Second baseman Brian Roberts and the Baltimore Orioles avoided arbitration by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract worth slightly more than $3 million . . . Cincinnati Reds first-base coach John Moses retired as spring training opened . . . The Tampa Bay Devil Rays won their salary arbitration case against backup catcher Josh Paul, who will get $475,000 rather than his request for $750,000. His best-known play came in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, when he rolled the ball back to the mound as the eventual winning run reached base for the Chicago White Sox. It was ruled Paul trapped the pitch and that the batter, A.J. Pierzynski, did not strike out . . . The San Francisco Giants exercised their $10.5 million option on right-hander Jason Schmidt . . . Shortstop Jhonny Peralta agreed to a one-year contract with the Indians.

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