Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was fined $20,000 and suspended two games for Tweeting during a game.
After being ejected after a toe-to-toe argument with home plate umpire Todd Tichenor over a called third strike, Guillen tweeted, “This one is going to cost me a lot of money this is patetic [sic].”
Like the NFL Major League Baseball has rules against Tweeting during games and although the rules are in place to control the players, they are in affect for the coaching staffs as well. The MLB rules state that “social media messages” must cease thirty minutes prior to opening pitch but can resume after the game.
Guillen known for getting in the last word later said:
“Do I regret it? Not in that moment. The only thing I regret is that I’m going to let the team by itself for two days.”
The White Sox was without Guillen in last night’s 10-4 loss against the Baltimore Orioles and will miss today’s game as well.
Peter Woodfork from MLB confirmed this is the first incident where the league had to deal with a player, coach or manager breaking the social media rules by Tweeting during a game.
It’s not the first time Guillen has made the news on a derogatory note. The colorful skipper was ordered to sensitivity training during 2006 after calling a sportscaster a homosexual slur and later went off on a profanity-filled rant against Magglio Ordonez after the player signed a FA contract with the Tigers.
Used with permission of the author.
Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.
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