When former Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen took aim at Phillies star Bryce Harper's pine tar bat claiming foul play
Former MLB shortstop Ozzie Guillen famously aimed a dig at Bryce Harper after a loss in 2012, claiming that he felt Harper disrespected him when he stepped to the plate during the game.
Ozzie mimics Harper's routine. http://t.co/3CRInRXj
"Ozzie mimics Harper's routine" - James, Twitter.
Ozzie did not elaborate any further, but Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison did, and it had to do with Harper having ridiculous amounts of pine tar on his bat handle.
“It was really high the first time and Ozzie did it the right way,” Morrison said. “He went to (home plate umpire Marty Foster and said), ‘I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. Tell him to watch out for the pine tar.’"
Ozzie's contempt against Bryce Harper is in stark contrast to all the praise he heaped on the 19-year-old rookie in his first all-star game since the Nationals.
"I could have said a lot of [stuff] about this kid. I've been praising this kid like everyday," Guillen said (via Mark Zuckerman on Twitter). "The last three times they asked me about him, the only thing I said was he's a great player. What he did [Sunday] was unprofessional."
Davey Johnson, the Washington Nationals manager at the time, rebuked Ozzie Guillen's claims, saying that he had been chirping about it a lot. Johnson didn't care if it was an intimidation tactic, reaffirming that his players were ready for anything. Johnson said the following (via Natsinsider.com):
"Ozzie had complained that the pine tar was too high up on Harper's bat, so we changed it. Then he was still chirping about it. It got on the umpire's nerves. It got on my nerves. He was trying to intimidate my player, I guess. That's not going to bother our player. He does what he has to do."
Ozzie Guillen was a two-time MLB All-Star
Ozzie Guillen played as a shortstop for 16 seasons in the MLB, primarily with the Chicago White Sox. Guillén was signed as a 16-year-old by the San Diego Padres and made his pro debut in 1981 with the GCL Padres.
Considered one of the best defensive shortstops of his era, Ozzie was most famous for his passion, speed, hustle, intensity, and defensive abilities. He was voted an All-Star three times, won the AL Rookie Award of the Year, and the Gold Glove Award as a player. His biggest coups, however, were the two World Series title-winning teams he was a part of.
Ozzie Guillen will not only be remembered for his incredible skill, but also for his fierce passion for the game.