Before I woke up this morning, I had a definite plan for what I’d be posting about today. There’s lots going on that I need to talk about. Yet, when I heard the news that the White Sox are retiring Ozzie Guillen’s #13, my plans changed.

While I’m neither a Sox fan or Ozzie guy, I couldn’t be happier for him or the organization and the fanbase. He is the only guy to win a WS in the last 2,000 years and the first guy to win one for the city and before the Maestro pulled off the feat eleven years later (for the Cubs). It’s also fitting that he should be so honored a year after Shawon Dunston made the Cubs HOF. The two former shortstops were fixtures with their teams during the 1980’s and early 90’s. Both were favorites of my Mom and with good reason. They both played the position the right way-never cheating their team or fans. They gave 100% effort 24/7-even if they made mistakes. Neither guy was afraid to swing at a pitch out of the strike zone and both were allergic to taking a walk.

Ozzie’s status as local icon transcends his playing days as he led the team to the 2005 World Series championship. They don’t win the series without him. Not only did he understand how to manage people and deflect attention from the team, he understands the game which leads to the next reason for the honor. As an analyst he’s provided honest appraisals of the team for Sox pre and postgame. That he is able to criticize the team fairly and maintain a relationship with the owner.

Of the honor he said that some fans know him from his playing days, others for his managing the career, and today’s youngsters know him as the crazy guy on television. I even enjoy his dislike for the Cubs and playing/managing at Wrigley Field as it establishes cred with Sox Nation. I also know that he respects several former Cub players and managers (and the game in general).

Even while offering honest criticism of the team he loves, he makes people laugh. Of all that he said yesterday, I enjoyed this the most. “I’ve never denied it — I love Jerry Reinsdorf more than my own dad,” Guillen joked. “You know why? Every time my dad calls me, he asks me for money. Jerry made me money.”