Jose Guillen News: Pro Sports Daily

Guillen targeting a Sept. 1 return to active duty

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August 23

Kansas City Star

"The way injured outfielder José Guillen looks at it, he's on a 10-day countdown to concluding his recovery from a torn right knee ligament. "A September call-up," he joked prior to Saturday's game against Minnesota. "That's what I'm hoping to get. I've been doing a lot more than most people realize. I think I'm going to be ready." Guillen took on-field batting practice again Saturday and tested his knee by running in the outfield. He still needs to demonstrate lateral movement and the ability to make sharp cuts on the bases and in the outfield. Manager Trey Hillman, while cautious, confirmed early September as the target date for Guillen's return. "That's what we're looking at," Hillman ..."

Guillen hospitalized with sudden leg pain

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July 23

MLB.com

"Jose Guillen's game for the Royals lasted only an inning and a half against the Angels on Wednesday night. The Royals announced that Guillen suffered sudden right leg pain and was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. Results were pending and the Royals did not yet know the extent of the injury, manager Trey Hillman said after the 9-6 loss to the Angels. "He just had a lot of pain all of sudden. Right there on the bench. He was bending over to put on his shin guard and he felt a pop," Hillman said. "He has a high threshold of pain, but he was in a lot of pain." Hillman indicated the pop seemed to be in the right knee."

Guillen: 'I suck' and am 'embarrassed by the money I'm making'

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July 21

Kansas City Star

"When Royals outfielder José Guillen goes off, as he did Monday afternoon, he seldom minces words. That didn't change simply because he chose to go off on the guy in the mirror. "I hate making excuses," he said. "If I suck, then I suck. And I suck. That's the way I'm playing. If you suck, you suck. You have to take responsibility in this game. Right now, that's the way I feel. "Yes, I suck." Guillen carries a .243 average into Tuesday's double-header against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. He also had just nine homers and 37 RBIs in 76 games. That's far too little production, he readily admits, for a guy pulling down $36 million in a three-year contract that runs through next ..."

Guillen expected back in the lineup tonight

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April 25

Kansas City Star

"Trey Hillman expects José Guillen back in the lineup tonight, and the Royals manager would prefer that return comes in right field instead of at designated hitter. Guillen, out with a partial tear of the right hip flexor tendon, is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list today. "I'd rather play him in right. That's my plan," Hillman said. "I'll check with him after he finishes all his work today, just give him a heads up of what I'd like to see happen and see how that fits how his body's feeling." Said Guillen: "I'm fine. I've been fine. I don't feel anything at all. I'll be ready (Saturday)." Hillman thought Guillen, who was two for 12 at the plate in three games before the injury, ..."

Guillen set to return from DL on Saturday

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April 23

MLB.com

"Slugger Jose Guillen is on target to return from the Royals' disabled list as scheduled on Saturday. He passed what he called the final test by running the bases on Wednesday prior to Kansas City's game at Cleveland. "It was good," Guillen said with a smile. Manager Trey Hillman isn't sure if Guillen will return in Saturday's lineup against the Detroit Tigers as the right fielder or the designated hitter. He went on the disabled list on April 10 with a partially torn right hip flexor tendon. "He hasn't had any setbacks," Hillman said. Hillman would prefer that Guillen play right field, but that could depend on the weather. He'd hesitate using Guillen on wet grass because of the hip injury."

Royals mull options with Guillen out of the lineup

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April 12

Kansas City Star

"José Guillen's stay on the disabled list creates several questions for the Royals, though manager Trey Hillman wasn't very specific with his answers. Does Mark Teahen - who made 115 starts in the outfield last season - delay his transformation into a second baseman and plug the hole in right field? "I can't predict how much it's going to be at second and how much it's going to be in right," Hillman said of Teahen's playing time. "We've got to keep that progress that we've seen at second base going, and yet do what we think is best for the team once the bell rings, whether or not he's at second or in right." Does Billy Butler move into the middle of the lineup to make up for the loss of ..."

Royals' Guillen says he's healthy enough for the World Baseball Classic

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February 28

Kansas City Star

"Outfielder Jose Guillen is "feeling good" and departing camp Sunday, as planned, to join the Dominican Republic national team for the World Baseball Classic. Guillen previously said he would only leave if he was no longer experiencing problems with his right big toe and right shoulder. He has been running now for several days and is in the early stages of a throwing program to build up his shoulder. Concerns eased for club officials because the Dominican training staff includes a Royals employee. "We know he'll be able to follow his training program over the next week to 10 days," manager Trey Hillman said, "to get him ready to play in those ballgames." The Dominicans begin workouts Monday ..."

Royals' Guillen out after removing ingrown nail himself

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February 19

Kansas City Star

"Royals outfielder Jose Guillen expects to return to full-time drills, perhaps by this weekend, after easing the pain in his right big toe by yanking out a severely ingrown nail. The nail was only a slight irritant Monday when Guillen reported to camp but soon worsened from the pounding caused by various workouts. "The doctor saw me (Wednesday)," Guillen said, "and he said we'll see how it feels in the morning. If it wasn't any better, he wanted me to have surgery. I thought, 'Whoaaa.' "So I went on my own (Wednesday) to the pharmacy, got some tweezers, came home and pulled it out myself. Let me tell you, I cried. I had one tough hour. But I got it out." Guillen said the nail had hooked and ..."

A trimmer José Guillen reports to camp

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February 16

Kansas City Star

"Outfielder José Guillen, trimmed down as promised, checked into camp Monday, two days before the Royals begin official full-squad workouts. Guillen hadn't yet weighed in, but he is clearly in better shape than when he reported last spring at 230 pounds _ some 15-20 pounds over his optimal playing weight. "I'm much lighter than last year," he said. "That much I can tell you. Just look: My pants are falling down. Last year, they were really tight." Guillen blamed his need for rapid weight loss last spring for his slow start _ he batted just .165 in his first 31 games. "He looks good," manager Trey Hillman said. "By appearances, he definitely is in better shape." Guillen stopped short of ..."

No word on why Guillen missed Tuesday's game

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September 18

Kansas City Star

"Was José Guillen really sick Tuesday night? Still, no one knows. Manager Trey Hillman said it was his decision to keep Guillen out of the lineup Tuesday. But Hillman gave no reason for the late scratch. That made Guillen the center of attention Wednesday afternoon when inquiring minds wanted to know the real reason. So when reporters surrounded Guillen, he leaned back in his chair, smiled and gave his reason. "I wasn't feeling good yesterday," Guillen said. Guillen was then asked how he felt now. "I'm feeling the same," Guillen said. A little over three hours before Wednesday's game, Guillen said he wasn't feeling well enough to play. He must have felt a little better later because he was ..."

Guillen heating up as season winds down

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September 14

Kansas City Star

"Royals outfielder Jose Guillen offers an easy answer for his September surge. "I feel good now," he said. "My hamstrings and everything else are good. I think that's the main reason. When you're trying to play hurt, sometimes you change your swing. You wind up doing something different. "But when you feel healthy, like I'm feeling now, then the swing is there." Guillen had three more hits in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Indians. That extended his hot streak to 22 for 57 over the last 14 games and raised his average to .262. Throw in three homers, six doubles and 10 RBIs, and Guillen is starting to resemble the guy who batted .380 in 44 games from May 7 to June 23 with 10 homers and ..."

Rare decision to tape ankle saves Guillen

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August 31

Kansas City Star

"Credit Royals trainer Nick Swartz with a decision that possibly kept outfielder José Guillen from suffering a broken right ankle in Saturday's 13-3 rout of the Detroit Tigers. Guillen's cleats caught in the infield dirt at Comerica Park as he decelerated while going into second base after leading off the eighth inning with a double into the left-center gap. The result was the Guillen rolled his ankle. He remained in the game long enough to score the first run of a five-run burst before leaving the game when the Royals took the field in the Detroit eighth. "I never tape my ankles," Guillen said, "but I taped the left one today because it was a little sore. Nick said, `Let me tape the right ..."

Guillen producing too many outs

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August 5

Kansas City Star

columnist Bradford Doolittle

"The latest Jose Guillen controversy is troubling, but maybe not for the reasons you think. Shrouded in the rhetoric in comments regarding Guillen's clubhouse antics is a bit of conventional wisdom that screams to be debunked. And no, we're not talking about the quotes in which Guillen has been portrayed as everything from Beetlejuice to Ward Cleaver. My personal stance on athletes is that they are human, exceptional in some ways, flawed in others. Who cares? This is sports. All that matters happens between the white lines. Listen, this is where I really get crusty on the Guillen story: In all these comments, it's sort of taken for granted that Guillen has been fine and productive on the ..."

Booing at home games takes toll on Guillen

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August 3

Kansas City Star

"Up comes Jose Guillen to the plate Saturday, which means out come the boos at Kauffman Stadium. A guy in the Crown Seats has already asked Guillen for his money back. The boos aren't as loud as a week before. Maybe that's progress. Or it could be a sign of how bad it has been - that boos from home fans are now graded on a scale. Guillen has brought much of this upon himself, of course. He makes the most money on the Royals, showed up overweight in spring training, called some teammates "babies," said he doesn't give a bleep about the fans (which he quickly apologized for), and then cringed last week when a report quoted an anonymous source saying Guillen wanted a trade (which he quickly ..."

Glass says Guillen's commitment to winning outweighs any negatives

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August 1

Kansas City Star

"Royals owner David Glass has only one barometer as he views the soap opera that forever seems to surround mercurial outfielder Jose Guillen. "The one thing that I'm satisfied with," Glass said, "is that he does care. He wants us to win. He wants us to be better. I like all of that. "I understand why some people have trouble with him because he says things, sometimes, that I'm not sure he actually even means." So when Guillen stirs the pot by calling out teammates, challenging coaches and criticizing fans? "I can handle that," Glass maintained, "as long as I know that he really cares, wants to win and wants us to get better. Those things are really important to me. I'm satisfied that he ..."

Royals' Guillen involved in yet another controversy

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July 30

Kansas City Star

"Controversy is swirling again around Royals outfielder Jose Guillen. The difference this time is he says he didn't initiate it, and he insists it's erroneous in nature. At issue is a report by ESPNdeportes.com that surfaced Tuesday saying Guillen wants out of Kansas City because of a fractured relationship with manager Trey Hillman. Although Guillen admitted he and Hillman "have had our differences," both asserted those differences have been handled professionally. "This is completely catching me by surprise," Guillen said. "This isn't coming from me. Trey and I are fine right now, and I've never said I wanted out of Kansas City." The story, written by Enrique Rojas, quotes an unidentified ..."

Guillen's drama frustrates GM Moore

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July 30

Kansas City Star

"Jose Guillen is in the news again. No surprise there. When the Royals signed Guillen, they presumably knew he had been traded, released or let go 10 times in his 12-year career. They may have heard he threw a helmet at Angels manager Mike Scioscia and later called him a piece of garbage. They probably were made aware that Guillen was suspended by baseball (the suspension was later rescinded) after a report emerged that he allegedly purchased $19,000 in steroids and human-growth hormone and had it sent to him at Oakland Coliseum. So, now there's a report by ESPNdeportes.com in which an anonymous source said that Guillen doesn't talk with Royals manager Trey Hillman, that Guillen feels ..."

Guillen denies online report of rift with Hillman, desire to leave Kansas City

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July 30

Kansas City Star

"Royals outfielder Jose Guillen denied an online report by ESPNdeportes.com that surfaced Tuesday claiming he wants out of Kansas City because of a fractured relationship with manager Trey Hillman. "This is completely catching me by surprise," Guillen said. "This isn't coming from me. Trey and I are fine right now, and I've never said I wanted out of Kansas City. "This is the team that is paying me a lot of money, and this is where I want to be. I don't know where all of this stuff is coming from. I hate to be put in this situation, and now I look like a bad guy again." The story, written by Enrique Rojas, quotes an unidentified source as saying Guillen and Hillman are not on speaking ..."

Relationship with Hillman in tatters, Guillen wants out of K.C.

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July 29

ESPN.com

"Left fielder Jose Guillen wants out of Kansas City pronto, according to a source who spoke to ESPNdeportes.com on condition of anonymity. Guillen feels the Royals have not kept the promises made when he signed for three years and $36 million during the offseason, said the source. But the main reason he is in "living hell in Kansas City" is a foul relationship with manager Trey Hillman. "Guillen and Hillman are not on speaking terms, they don't talk," said the source. "Guillen is definitely not happy, he's not comfortable and he would do anything he can in economic terms to ease his way out of Kansas City." When Guillen signed with Kansas City he knew the team wouldn't be a contender in ..."

Guillen back in lineup but happy to be away from home

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July 29

Kansas City Star

"Outfielder Jose Guillen returned Monday to the Royals' lineup after a one-game absence because of an ailing left groin. And it's best - perhaps - that his return came in a road game. Guillen acknowledged, again, being irritated by the boos Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium when he failed to make the catch on a high pop to short right field. He said the groin injury, aggravated earlier in the game, prevented him from making the play. "Some fans got upset," he said, "and I got upset because they thought I wasn't trying. I heard all kinds of stuff out there. It bothers me. I should catch that ball, but I was having problems coming in." The ball fell for a two-out double in a tie game. Tampa ..."

KC's Guillen gets into heated exchange with coach

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July 6

Kansas City Star

"Outfielder Jose Guillen initiated a near-brawl with pitching coach Bob McClure in the Royals' clubhouse before Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Witnesses said no blows were exchanged but the two had to be separated after exchanging heated words. Guillen remained in the lineup as the designated hitter. Guillen is believed to have been upset at what he considered excessive supervision by coaches in the clubhouse. The coaches' lockers in the visitors? clubhouse at Tropicana Field are located alongside the players' lockers."

Guillen regrets word choice in criticizing fans

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June 29

Kansas City Star

"Royals outfielder Jose Guillen insists he still doesn't care whether he is booed by fans or how they view his actions, but he admitted regret Saturday for his recent choice of words in expressing that opinion. "I know a lot of fans took it the wrong way. I didn't mean to say '(expletive) the fans.' Everybody just caught me at the wrong time. I should have said it in a different way. I'm sorry if I (offended) anybody, but that was in the heat of the moment.""

Guillen shows Giants the way

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June 22

San Francisco Chronicle

"With one ferocious swing in the seventh inning Saturday night, Royals designated hitter Jose Guillen changed the entire tenor of a game. His two-run homer against Billy Sadler busted open a one-run game, all but dooming the Giants to their 5-3 defeat. Guillen's 12th homer of the season underscored the point that many teams in the majors possess something the Giants lack in this first year of the post-Barry Bonds era, the consistent long-ball threat."

Guillen drives resurgent Royals offense

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June 22

Kansas City Star

""We still (stink)," Guillen says. "How about that? We still (stink), simple as that. We still (stink). You got it. If you want to know the truth, you got it." Perhaps. But they (stink) less now than three weeks ago, and in no small part because Guillen is fulfilling that $12 million salary by ranking third in the American League in RBIs with 57. These being the Royals, there are still holes. Guillen was frustrated Friday when David DeJesus looked behind him while running to third base, nearly getting thrown out. That frustration was amplified when the Royals blew a four-run lead and lost. So things are not perfect. Not even close. The Royals are in last place, again. But, big ..."

Hillman says he never doubted Guillen would produce

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June 19

Kansas City Star

"Guillen entered Wednesday's game against the Cardinals with an 11-game hitting streak and on a .390 binge in 38 games since that night against the Angels. He also had 18 doubles, eight homers and 38 RBIs in that span. "I'm the same guy," Guillen said. "I know a lot of people were worried about me early in the season. But I'm a veteran player. I know what I can do." Manager Trey Hillman says he never doubted Guillen would come around."

Bruised shin leaves Guillen questionable after record performance

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June 8

Kansas City Star

"Outfielder Jose Guillen is nursing a deep bruise on his left shin that puts availability in doubt when the Royals continue their four-game weekend wraparound series today against the New York Yankees. Guillen suffered the injury in Saturday's 12-11 loss when he fouled a ball off his shin in the sixth inning. He remained in the game and even capped an extraordinary individual performance by hitting a grand slam in the seventh. In all, Guillen went three for four with two homers and a career-high seven RBIs. He also threw out two base runners from right field before exiting when the Royals took the field in the bottom of the seventh."

Day after outburst, Guillen says he’s ready to step up and lead team

May 30

Kansas City Star

"“I learned the hard way,” Guillen says. “I’m not trying to point fingers at anybody, but this is not going to happen here. I signed a big deal here. I’m supposed to be one of the leaders. I’ve got a big responsibility to carry some of these young guys, and we need to play hard, so what’s wrong with getting on some guys?” The feeling around the team seems to be that Guillen’s thoughts needed to be expressed — by someone — and Hillman said Guillen was the best candidate to do it."

Guillen sounds off following loss

May 29

Kansas City Star

"“How does this happen? You tell me: How does this happen?” Veteran outfielder José Guillen snapped Wednesday night — somebody had to, didn’t they? — after the Royals extended their losing streak to 10 games in stunning fashion by allowing a five-run lead to slip away in the ninth inning...“Too many babies in here,” Guillen fumed afterward in an otherwise hushed clubhouse. “They don’t know how to play the game and how to win games. That’s the problem here. Now I know why this organization has been losing for a while. Now I know. It doesn’t have anything to do with our manager. He cares more than anyone.”"