José Guillén
Encyclopedia
José Manuel Guillén is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
who is currently a free agent
. A prototypical league journeyman, the Giants were the tenth team for which Guillén has played since his major league debut in 1997.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies
Oakland Athletics
On July 30, , Guillén was traded by the Reds to the Oakland Athletics
for Aaron Harang
, Joe Valentine
, and Jeff Bruksch. While he was hitting home runs in 2003, he was not taking many walks. He is one of only six players who have concluded a 30-homer season with more homers than walks (31 HR, 29 BB), the others being Alfonso Soriano
(39-23 in 2002), Garret Anderson
(35-24 in 2000), Ivan Rodriguez
(35-24 in 1999), Joe Crede
(30-28 in 2006), and Ryan Braun
(34-24 in 2007). After the 2003 season he became a free agent
.
Anaheim Angels
On December 20, 2003, Guillén was signed by the Anaheim Angels
. In 2004, he hit .294 with 27 home run
s and 104 RBI
s for the Angels, but he was suspended the last two weeks of the regular season and during the postseason for "inappropriate conduct" in publicly expressing his displeasure with Angels manager Mike Scioscia
following Scioscia's removal of Guillén in favor of a pinch runner
during a crucial game against the Oakland Athletics
.
Washington Nationals
On November 19, 2004 he was traded to the Washington Nationals
for shortstop
Maicer Izturis
and outfielder
Juan Rivera. The move sent Guillén to his sixth team in just five seasons.
In 2005, Guillén began his season strongly. In April, he batted .303 with 6 home run
s and 14 RBIs. The Nationals were impressed and on April 29, they exercised his option for 2006.
On June 14, 2005, the Nationals began a three-game series against the Angels, who were still helmed by Mike Scioscia. This marked Guillén's first return to Anaheim since being traded. Going into the series, both Guillén and Scioscia kept a civil tone publicly, each indicating that the past was behind them and claiming that they held no hard feelings toward one another. However, the tensions below the surface were exposed when, during the second game of the series, Angels pitcher Brendan Donnelly
was found with illegal substances on his glove.
Donnelly was ejected from the game, and Scioscia came out of the dugout and exchanged hostile words with Nationals manager Frank Robinson
, who had instigated the search of Donnelly's glove. The confrontation led to both teams' benches being cleared as all of the players streamed out on to the field. As he was being restrained by fellow Nationals players, Guillén shouted angry words at the Angels, a number of whom made it clear that they felt their former teammate had been the one who told Robinson to have Donnelly's glove examined. (Several weeks later, Guillén would acknowledge that he had indeed done so.)
In the eighth inning of the same game, Guillén hit a two-run home run to tie the game, and the Nationals went on to win. After the series' final game, Guillén blasted Scioscia and acknowledged that despite his earlier statements to the contrary, he was in fact still hurt over what had happened at the end of the 2004 season.
Nevertheless, Guillén remained as a crucial ball player for the Washington Nationals. In 2005, he hit .283 with 24 home runs and 76 RBI for Washington.
In 2006, he was involved in an incident with Pedro Martínez
. Martinez hit him with a pitch twice, and after the second time Guillén charged the mound, only to be held back by Paul Lo Duca
and umpire Ted Barrett
. Guillén appeared in only 69 games and hit only .216 with 9 homers and 40 RBI. On July 25, 2006, he was diagnosed with a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament
in his right elbow, which would require ligament replacement surgery.
Seattle Mariners
Before the 2007 season Guillén signed with the Seattle Mariners
. His swing, which is very balanced and natural, moved him up in the Mariners' lineup to hit in the coveted third spot during May 2007. Guillén helped the Mariners return to the playoff hunt in 2007 after being absent in the previous several.
In 2007 it was reported that in 2003 Guillén had performance-enhancing drugs sent directly to him in the Oakland Coliseum.
Kansas City Royals
On December 4, 2007 Guillén signed a 3-year, $36 million dollar contract with the Kansas City Royals
. His signing moved Mark Teahen
to left field, and Billy Butler
to first base. He was suspended for the first 15 days of the 2008 season on December 6, 2007 just hours after passing his physical exam. His 15-game suspension was rescinded on April 11, 2008; after the MLB Players' Association and MLB owners agreed on modifications to the current drug testing program. As a result of the agreement, all players implicated in the Mitchell Report were given amnesty.
In a game on August 26, 2008 in Kansas City against the Texas Rangers, Guillén was involved in a confrontation with a fan in the stands just past the Royals dugout down the first base line. He made vulgar gestures and yelled profanity at the fan who had reportedly been heckling him for his lack of hustle. His coaches and teammates had to restrain him as he made his way towards the fan. The fan was removed from his seat.
On May 21, 2010 Guillén got his 1,500th career hit in Kauffman Stadium
against the Colorado Rockies
.
On August 5, Guillén was designated for assignment.
San Francisco Giants
On August 13, 2010, Guillén was traded to the San Francisco Giants for cash and a player to be named later
, later chosen to be Kevin Pucetas
. Guillén was left off the Giants' postseason roster as a result of an ongoing investigation on the use of performance-enhancing drugs
.
Alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs
Guillén was linked to performance-enhancing drugs in the Mitchell Report
. He was suspended for fifteen games in 2007, but like all players mentioned in the Mitchell Report, he received amnesty
. In 2009, he acknowledged that he had worked "for many years" with Angel Presinal, a personal trainer closely linked to performance-enhancing drugs and who is currently banned from Major League clubhouses. However, Guillén states that he has not worked with Presinal since 2004, though they remain friends, and he continues to claim that he has never used or been offered performance-enhancing drugs.
In 2010, MLB began an inquiry on shipments of human growth hormone received by Guillén, and directed the Giants to keep Guillén off of their postseason roster. On November 14, it was revealed that the DEA
intercepted a package of fifty HGH syringes being sent to Guillen's house.
Ingrown toenail removal
On Feb. 19, 2009, The Kansas City Star
reported that Guillén removed an ingrown nail
himself, unbeknownst to club officials.
The "injury" had been mentioned in an article on Yahoo! News
about the weirdest Spring Training Injuries.
See also
External links
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. A prototypical league journeyman, the Giants were the tenth team for which Guillén has played since his major league debut in 1997.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Guillén was signed by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
as an amateur free agentFree agentIn professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
on August 19, . He made his Major League debut on April 1, .
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
On July 23, , Guillén was traded, along with Jeff SparksJeff SparksJames Jeffrey Sparks was a pitcher for the Major League Baseball Tampa Bay Devil Rays.As of May 2007, Sparks was selling home-and-garden products at Lowe's and attending firefighter school while training with former major league pitcher Mike Marshall.- External links :...
, to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for Joe Oliver and Humberto CotaHumberto CotaHumberto Cota is a Mexican professional baseball catcher who is currently a free agent...
. On November 27, , after two injury-plagued seasons with the Devil Rays, the team released him.
Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 18, , Guillén signed with the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. He played in only 54 games for the Diamondbacks before being released on July 22, .
Colorado Rockies
Guillén was signed by the Colorado RockiesColorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
on July 29, , but was released just three days later on August 1, before playing in any games.
Oakland AthleticsOn July 30, , Guillén was traded by the Reds to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Aaron Harang
Aaron Harang
Aaron Michael Harang is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Amateur career:Harang graduated from Patrick Henry High School then went on to San Diego State University...
, Joe Valentine
Joe Valentine
Joseph John Valentine is a Major League Baseball pitcher, currently pitching for the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz of the Mexican League. He is a 1997 graduate of Deer Park High School in Deer Park, New York, where he led the Falcons to the State championship title game. He married his high school...
, and Jeff Bruksch. While he was hitting home runs in 2003, he was not taking many walks. He is one of only six players who have concluded a 30-homer season with more homers than walks (31 HR, 29 BB), the others being Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
(39-23 in 2002), Garret Anderson
Garret Anderson
Garret Joseph Anderson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played most of his career with the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels...
(35-24 in 2000), Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
(35-24 in 1999), Joe Crede
Joe Crede
Joseph Taylor Crede is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently a free agent. Crede attended high school at Fatima High School in Westphalia, Missouri which he led to 3 district championships and two final four berths as a pitcher...
(30-28 in 2006), and Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
(34-24 in 2007). After the 2003 season he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Anaheim Angels
On December 20, 2003, Guillén was signed by the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. In 2004, he hit .294 with 27 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 104 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
s for the Angels, but he was suspended the last two weeks of the regular season and during the postseason for "inappropriate conduct" in publicly expressing his displeasure with Angels manager Mike Scioscia
Mike Scioscia
Michael Lorri Scioscia is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has worked in that capacity since the 2000 season, and is the longest-tenured manager in Major League Baseball....
following Scioscia's removal of Guillén in favor of a pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
during a crucial game against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
Washington Nationals
On November 19, 2004 he was traded to the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
for shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Maicer Izturis
Maicer Izturis
Maicer Eduardo Izturis is a Major League Baseball third baseman, second baseman, and shortstop for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Juan Rivera. The move sent Guillén to his sixth team in just five seasons.
In 2005, Guillén began his season strongly. In April, he batted .303 with 6 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 14 RBIs. The Nationals were impressed and on April 29, they exercised his option for 2006.
On June 14, 2005, the Nationals began a three-game series against the Angels, who were still helmed by Mike Scioscia. This marked Guillén's first return to Anaheim since being traded. Going into the series, both Guillén and Scioscia kept a civil tone publicly, each indicating that the past was behind them and claiming that they held no hard feelings toward one another. However, the tensions below the surface were exposed when, during the second game of the series, Angels pitcher Brendan Donnelly
Brendan Donnelly
Brendan Kevin Donnelly is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed.-Career:Donnelly was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 27th round of the 1992 amateur draft...
was found with illegal substances on his glove.
Donnelly was ejected from the game, and Scioscia came out of the dugout and exchanged hostile words with Nationals manager Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
, who had instigated the search of Donnelly's glove. The confrontation led to both teams' benches being cleared as all of the players streamed out on to the field. As he was being restrained by fellow Nationals players, Guillén shouted angry words at the Angels, a number of whom made it clear that they felt their former teammate had been the one who told Robinson to have Donnelly's glove examined. (Several weeks later, Guillén would acknowledge that he had indeed done so.)
In the eighth inning of the same game, Guillén hit a two-run home run to tie the game, and the Nationals went on to win. After the series' final game, Guillén blasted Scioscia and acknowledged that despite his earlier statements to the contrary, he was in fact still hurt over what had happened at the end of the 2004 season.
Nevertheless, Guillén remained as a crucial ball player for the Washington Nationals. In 2005, he hit .283 with 24 home runs and 76 RBI for Washington.
In 2006, he was involved in an incident with Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez
Pedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
. Martinez hit him with a pitch twice, and after the second time Guillén charged the mound, only to be held back by Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
and umpire Ted Barrett
Ted Barrett
Edward George "Ted" Barrett is an umpire in Major League Baseball. He joined the American League's staff in 1994, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000....
. Guillén appeared in only 69 games and hit only .216 with 9 homers and 40 RBI. On July 25, 2006, he was diagnosed with a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament
Ulnar collateral ligament (elbow)
The ulnar collateral ligament is a thick triangular band consisting of two portions, an anterior and posterior united by a thinner intermediate portion....
in his right elbow, which would require ligament replacement surgery.
Seattle Mariners
Before the 2007 season Guillén signed with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
. His swing, which is very balanced and natural, moved him up in the Mariners' lineup to hit in the coveted third spot during May 2007. Guillén helped the Mariners return to the playoff hunt in 2007 after being absent in the previous several.
Kansas City Royals
On December 4, 2007 Guillén signed a 3-year, $36 million dollar contract with the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. His signing moved Mark Teahen
Mark Teahen
Mark Thomas Teahen is an American-Canadian professional baseball infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....
to left field, and Billy Butler
Billy Butler (baseball)
Billy Ray Butler is a Major League Baseball Designated Hitter for the Kansas City Royals. He has also played first base, left field and right field...
to first base. He was suspended for the first 15 days of the 2008 season on December 6, 2007 just hours after passing his physical exam. His 15-game suspension was rescinded on April 11, 2008; after the MLB Players' Association and MLB owners agreed on modifications to the current drug testing program. As a result of the agreement, all players implicated in the Mitchell Report were given amnesty.
In a game on August 26, 2008 in Kansas City against the Texas Rangers, Guillén was involved in a confrontation with a fan in the stands just past the Royals dugout down the first base line. He made vulgar gestures and yelled profanity at the fan who had reportedly been heckling him for his lack of hustle. His coaches and teammates had to restrain him as he made his way towards the fan. The fan was removed from his seat.
On May 21, 2010 Guillén got his 1,500th career hit in Kauffman Stadium
Kauffman Stadium
Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium is a Major League Baseball stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri, and home to the Kansas City Royals of the American League. Together with Arrowhead Stadium, home of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, it is a part of the Truman Sports Complex...
against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
.
On August 5, Guillén was designated for assignment.
San Francisco Giants
On August 13, 2010, Guillén was traded to the San Francisco Giants for cash and a player to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
, later chosen to be Kevin Pucetas
Kevin Pucetas
Kevin Randall Pucetas is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball. He currently plays for the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Royals Triple-A affiliate....
. Guillén was left off the Giants' postseason roster as a result of an ongoing investigation on the use of performance-enhancing drugs
Performance-enhancing drugs
Performance-enhancing drugs are substances used by athletes to improve their performances in the sports in which they engage.- Types of performance-enhancing drugs :...
.
Alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs
Guillén was linked to performance-enhancing drugs in the Mitchell Report
Mitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
. He was suspended for fifteen games in 2007, but like all players mentioned in the Mitchell Report, he received amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
. In 2009, he acknowledged that he had worked "for many years" with Angel Presinal, a personal trainer closely linked to performance-enhancing drugs and who is currently banned from Major League clubhouses. However, Guillén states that he has not worked with Presinal since 2004, though they remain friends, and he continues to claim that he has never used or been offered performance-enhancing drugs.
In 2010, MLB began an inquiry on shipments of human growth hormone received by Guillén, and directed the Giants to keep Guillén off of their postseason roster. On November 14, it was revealed that the DEA
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
intercepted a package of fifty HGH syringes being sent to Guillen's house.
Ingrown toenail removal
On Feb. 19, 2009, The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star is a McClatchy newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes...
reported that Guillén removed an ingrown nail
Ingrown nail
Onychocryptosis , also known as an ingrown toenail, or unguis incarnatus is a common form of nail disease. It is an often painful condition in which the nail grows so that it cuts into one or both sides of the paronychium or nail bed...
himself, unbeknownst to club officials.
The "injury" had been mentioned in an article on Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News
Yahoo! News is an Internet-based news aggregator provided by Yahoo!. It features Top Stories, U.S. National, World, Business, Entertainment, Science, Health, Weather, Most Popular, News Photos, Op/Ed, and Local news....
about the weirdest Spring Training Injuries.
See also