On this date seven years ago, the White Sox beat the Houston Astros to claim the 2005 World Series. At the time, Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen were heroes in Chicago, as well as close friends.
How things have changed for both men, even in the last week.
Williams has relinquished his role as White Sox general manager, named the teams executive vice-president on Friday. Guillen, meanwhile, is out of a job after one miserable season with the Miami Marlins in which they finished in last place.
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Since their well-publicized, bitter divorce last year, Williams and Guillen have kept their public comments about each other to a minimum. However, Friday, Williams opened up about their relationship, expressing sympathy about Ozzie getting fired.
He was my friend, a very dear friend at one point in time, Williams told Comcast SportsNet. Some of the things that have been said have hurt me, Ill be honest with you, because I didnt feel like it was warranted. For me personally, its water under the bridge. You move on. Its unfortunate what happened down in Florida.
Before the two had their falling out, Williams and Guillen shared incredible memories from their times with the White Sox. Williams says he is choosing to recall those times, as opposed to the ugly battle the two waged against each otherin the media, in the clubhouse, on Twitter, etc.
Well yeah, we do have a history, Williams said. You can have bitterness about the way it ended, about the road we had to travel ultimately to where it ended, or you can say regardless of what's been said or insinuated or whatever, I'm going to choose to remember the positive -- when we first hired him and the energy he brought, and the passion, and all the things that made Ozzie Ozzie.
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"So I'll choose to go that route before focusing on some things that I still don't believe werent entirely manipulated anyway.