It's a darn shame the Marlins and Red Sox aren't in the same division, because the team's two managers would make for quite the entertainment.
After Ozzie Guillen earned his first ejection as Marlins manager, he walked across the field to the clubhouse and Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine waved to him as he exited.
"I didn't see it," Guillen told reporters (via the Boston Herald). "I would have told him to go and (expletive) himself, too. That's the way Ozzie Guillen is."
In fairness, the report notes Guillen was laughing as he said it, and Valentine probably would have gotten a laugh out of it as well. It doesn't seem mean spirited, it's, as the man said, the way Ozzie Guillen is.
Check out the video here or this YouTube video (as long as it stays up):
With two on and one out in the top of the sixth inning, Guillen went out to the field to question first base umpire Manny Gonzalez about a foul ball call on first baseman Terry Tiffee's grounder to Adrian Gonzalez. Guillen yelled at Gonzalez and then walked across the field, having a word with Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkils, as well. He also made sure he got a shot at third base umpire Tim Tschida and then Valentine gave the first-year Marlins manager a wave on his way off the field.
"A little excitement, set the tone," Guillen said afterward. "Protecting my players. That's it. My first base coach told me the ball was fair, I'm going to believe him. We should be (tied) 3-3.
"That happens. Spring training is for everyone. What's the difference between spring training and the season? I do my job, the umpires have to do their job, the players have to do their job. My job is to protect my players. I don't mind getting ejected, man. That's my job. I get ejected protecting my players, I can sleep at night."
For his part, Valentine said he believed Guillen had a point -- not on the actual call, but on which umpire made the call.
"It was lesson time," Valentine told the Herald. "Ozzie was telling the first base umpire it wasn't his call, because the ball was in front of the bag, and he didn't want to hear that."
The good news is the two teams do meet for an interleague series this season, June 11-13 in Miami.
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