Ex-White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen Still Really, Really Hates ‘Fake’ Nick Swisher

Guillen is now an analyst for NBC Sports Chicago, working on the network’s White Sox postgame show. On Wednesday night, host Chuck Garfien teed up Guillen with a doozy of a prompt: “Who did you dislike more? Carlos Gomez or Nick Swisher?” And Guillen did not hold back.

“Oh my god,” Guillen replied. “Nick—nobody can compare that with Nick Swisher. I hate Nick Swisher with my heart.”

Guillen called Swisher “fake” and said his one season in Chicago was “one year too long.”

Swisher’s 2008 season with the Sox was a total mess. He was traded from Oakland to Chicago before the season in exchange for Gio González (then a promising prospect) and Ryan Sweeney (who would go on to be an everyday player for the A’s). He started the season as the White Sox’ leadoff hitter but by the end of May was hitting mostly in the seventh and eighth spots, even as low as ninth, as his batting average hovered around .200. He wasn’t any better in the field. Swisher, who played mostly right field for the A’s, was deployed in center by Guillen, where he was worth a whopping -11 defensive runs saved in just 70 games.