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White Sox History: Past Rookie of the Year winners

By Kristen Bentley

4 Jul 1995: Shortstop Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox swings at the ball during a game against the New York Yankees at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees won the game 4-1.
4 Jul 1995: Shortstop Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox swings at the ball during a game against the New York Yankees at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees won the game 4-1. /
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Shortstop Ozzieuillen of the Chicago White Sox reaches down to scoop up the ball. /

The next Rookie of the Year winner – Ozzie Guillen – won it in 1985. Then, he spent 13 years in the White Sox pinstripes.

After a few seasons with the Orioles, Braves, and then Devil Rays, he returned to Chicago to manage the Sox from 2004 until 2011. During this time, he led them to World Series in 2005 making him the first Latino manager to win a World Series. That same year, he was selected as the Manager of the Year by the BBWAA.

Back in 1985, Guillen proved to be a solid player on defense and offense. He finished the season with 491 at-bats and a slash of .273/.291/.358 with 21 doubles, 9 triples, and 7 stolen bases. As the short stop, he had a fielding percentage of .980 and a range of 4.50.

TORONTO – APRIL 12: Manager Ozzie Guillen #13 of the Chicago White Sox smiles against the Toronto Blue Jays during their MLB game at the Rogers Centre April 12, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario.(Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
TORONTO – APRIL 12: Manager Ozzie Guillen #13 of the Chicago White Sox smiles against the Toronto Blue Jays during their MLB game at the Rogers Centre April 12, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario.(Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images) /

His competition for Rookie of the Year include Teddy Higuera and Ernie Riles of the Brewers. On the NL side, Vince Coleman of the Cardinals took top honors.

During his career with the Sox, Guillen was a three-time All-Star and he won a Gold Glove Award. His career slash was similar to his rookie season: .264/.287/.338. He never became a power hitter, but he could get on base. In his first seven years with the Sox, he played in an average of 154.7 games, making him a reliable presence in the middle infield.

He only played 12 games in 1992 after hyper-extending his knee in a collision with Tim Raines in a game against the Yankees. At the time, Guillen was one of the best short stops in the league.

Guillen hasn’t managed in the MLB since his final season with the Miami Marlins in 2012. The team did not go well. With the trend of hiring new faces as managers, Guillen might not get another chance, which is too bad. His aggressive style of playing and managing was fun to watch.

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