I'm on vacation

[trosmok]

World Champion Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is vacationing in the Dominican Republic before the season long grind to repeat begins. This has da mayer Daly pretty p.o.'d, because today, most everyone associated with the southsiders are visiting the White House at the invitation of the President. Ozzie is never one to mince words, and he was just recently granted U.S. citizenship, so I tend to believe he really wanted to enjoy these last few days off, and isn't snubbing W as a personal insult. Of course, being from Venezuela likely means they aren't exactly political campaneros, but O.G. is above all else a family man and baseball lifer. See:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/cs-060209soxwhitehouse,1,4993808,story?track=rss

Well, nuts. The link to the Trib article was broken, I guess they go stale after 48-72 hours. The fellows at SI.com did offer an update, claiming Ozzie did accept Vice Prez Deadeye Dick's invitation to accompany him on his next hunting accident, er trip later this spring.

[Mattingly]

For a minute there, I thought that you, tros, were on vaca. From the ChiTown Trib:

Sox visit White House

* * *

Indeed, team General Manager Ken Williams was echoing the president's sentiments as Williams stood outside on the driveway of the West Wing after the brief ceremony, with Williams calling the championship team "regular, grind-it-out type guys who won a championship at the highest level."

Mayor Richard Daley and Illinois' two Democratic senators, Barack Obama and Dick Durbin, sat in the front row of an audience snapping electronic memoirs with tiny digital cameras and cell phones.

Conspicuous for his absence: team manager Ozzie Guillen. But the president brushed off his absence as a much-needed vacation: "I understand Ozzie is on vacation, which I fully understand," said Bush, alluding to the crusty snow on the chilly White House lawn by saying: "He's a Caribbean guy."

[DownUnderDodger]

I too thought Tros was on vacation

It is baseball off season so Ossie is entitled to his vacation time. Did the invite come before or after he planned/organised/took his vacation? And why would you not want to be somewhere else when that part of the world is gripped by snowstorms - plus dangerous Dick may be on the loose!! I would hate to be near Dick if someone yelled duck!! And Dan needs to be careful around deadly Dick in case someone yells Quayle!!

[trosmok]

Axel Foley's line from Beverly Hills Cop

I too thought Tros was on vacation
Did the invite come before or after he planned/organised/took his vacation? And why would you not want to be somewhere else when that part of the world is gripped by snowstorms -

The invitation did indeed come long after O.G. had booked his flights and rooms for the two week sabbatical in the warm sunshine. In fact, the president's schedule only opened up within the last week or so before the announcements were delivered to the team. The east coast blizzard was indeed one for the record books as it fouled up flights and surface travel for travelers nearly worldwide. In other news, I read Peter Benchley passed away, while dozens, perhaps hundreds of sharks were scaring the Foster's out of folks in DownUnderDodgers part of the world. I can't wait for spring!