Guillen on Rodriguez playing in the World Baseball Classic: "Alex was kissing Latino people's asses. He knew he wasn't going to play for the Dominicans; he's not a Dominican! I hate hypocrites. He's full of shit. The Dominican team doesn't need his ass. It's the same with [Nomar] Garciaparra playing for Mexico. Garciaparra only knows Cancun because he went to visit.''
On other major-league managers: "People say, 'Joe Torre: genius.' 'Greatest manager ever: Tony La Russa ... Lou Piniella.' I say they're not good baseball managers. Nobody's a good baseball manager. They talk about Jim Leyland: 'Oh, my God, Jim Leyland...' Jim Leyland quit! Sparky Anderson? Sparky Anderson was horseshit for 10 years with Detroit.
"If you don't have a good ballclub, you're not going to be a good manager. People forgot Joe Torre lost with St. Louis and the Mets. The New York Yankees? I could manage that team. Lou Piniella, the best ever? Why don't you win with Tampa Bay? My point is not that he can't manage his ass. It's just that you have to have the team. I'm not a good manager. I'm good people. Nobody was a good manager. Ever.''
On his managerial philosophy: "Most managers say what people want to hear because they're afraid to lose their jobs. And they kiss people's asses. I don't. I've got my money. Fire me? I'll show you I don't need you. I might not get hired again? I don't give a shit.''
On his intelligence: "There's two kinds of education: book smart and street smart. You put me in Harvard at the podium to talk to people graduating, I know what I have to say, and I know how to say it. But you put Bill Gates in the middle of Caracas, Venezuela? He will shit his pants. He will die.''
On freedom: "We've got the best cars in the United States, and you've got to go 55 miles an hour. You have a party at your house, there's someone at your door because the neighbors don't like it. You say something about color, religion or preference about sex, you're in trouble. What kind of life are we living here? You work seven days a week and get paid for four because of taxes, and you don't have a right to say anything?''
On becoming a U.S. citizen: "I'm rich because of the United States, not Venezuela. My sons got a great education because of the United States, not Venezuela. I'm 42 years old, and I've [lived] 26 years in this country, not Venezuela. That doesn't mean I'm not a Venezuelan. But you think this is not the greatest country in the world? Prove me wrong. Tell me why we don't have Americans going to live in Venezuela and why we have Venezuelans coming to live here.''
On Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez: "I'm more Venezuelan than Chavez is because I represent Venezuela. He's our leader, but you ask people who they'd rather have [running] the country? They're going to vote for me.''
On other major-league managers: "People say, 'Joe Torre: genius.' 'Greatest manager ever: Tony La Russa ... Lou Piniella.' I say they're not good baseball managers. Nobody's a good baseball manager. They talk about Jim Leyland: 'Oh, my God, Jim Leyland...' Jim Leyland quit! Sparky Anderson? Sparky Anderson was horseshit for 10 years with Detroit.
"If you don't have a good ballclub, you're not going to be a good manager. People forgot Joe Torre lost with St. Louis and the Mets. The New York Yankees? I could manage that team. Lou Piniella, the best ever? Why don't you win with Tampa Bay? My point is not that he can't manage his ass. It's just that you have to have the team. I'm not a good manager. I'm good people. Nobody was a good manager. Ever.''
On his managerial philosophy: "Most managers say what people want to hear because they're afraid to lose their jobs. And they kiss people's asses. I don't. I've got my money. Fire me? I'll show you I don't need you. I might not get hired again? I don't give a shit.''
On his intelligence: "There's two kinds of education: book smart and street smart. You put me in Harvard at the podium to talk to people graduating, I know what I have to say, and I know how to say it. But you put Bill Gates in the middle of Caracas, Venezuela? He will shit his pants. He will die.''
On freedom: "We've got the best cars in the United States, and you've got to go 55 miles an hour. You have a party at your house, there's someone at your door because the neighbors don't like it. You say something about color, religion or preference about sex, you're in trouble. What kind of life are we living here? You work seven days a week and get paid for four because of taxes, and you don't have a right to say anything?''
On becoming a U.S. citizen: "I'm rich because of the United States, not Venezuela. My sons got a great education because of the United States, not Venezuela. I'm 42 years old, and I've [lived] 26 years in this country, not Venezuela. That doesn't mean I'm not a Venezuelan. But you think this is not the greatest country in the world? Prove me wrong. Tell me why we don't have Americans going to live in Venezuela and why we have Venezuelans coming to live here.''
On Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez: "I'm more Venezuelan than Chavez is because I represent Venezuela. He's our leader, but you ask people who they'd rather have [running] the country? They're going to vote for me.''
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