Former Angel Jose Guillén: “I suck”

Kansas City Royals outfielder Jose Guillén has always been vilified in the eyes of my fellow L.A. Angel fans and for good reason. As a member of the club in 2004, Guillén was suspended for the last two weeks of the regular season and the postseason for “inappropriate conduct” in arguing with skipper Mike Scioscia following his removal in favor of a pinch runner during a late season game against the Oakland Athletics.

To make matters worse, Guillén did shy away from bashing Scioscia and the Angels just one year after being traded away from Anaheim:

"“I don’t got truly no respect for [Scioscia] anymore because I’m still hurt from what happened last year . . . Mike Scioscia, to me, is like a piece of garbage . . . He can go to hell . . . I can never get over about what happened last year. It’s something I’m never going to forget. Any time I play that team, Mike Scioscia’s managing, it’s always going to be personal to me.”"

So when Guillén goes off, as he did Monday afternoon during a media session with the Kansas City Star, most Angel fans tune in to hear what he has to say: 

"“I hate making excuses,” Guillén 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.”“I’m embarrassed by the money that I’m making,” he said, “and playing the way I’ve been playing. I’ll swear that on my kids’ (lives). I feel very embarrassed.“Sometimes, I feel I should take money out of my own pocket and buy tickets for every fan. Because you know what? For a $12-million man, these are not the numbers you should be expecting. I admit it. I’m not playing to my potential.”"

Well, at least the guy is being honest. So far this season, Guillén is batting .243 and has just nine homers and 37 RBIs in 76 games. That’s far too little production for a guy earning $12 million a year.