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By MARC TOPKIN
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Ozzie Guillen stopped short of announcing his retirement Sunday morning, but not by much.
Released by the Rays on Saturday, Guillen, 37, sounded like he was ready to end his career after 16 major-league seasons.
"It's been great, I don't regret anything," Guillen said. "Maybe my kids want me to keep playing, but it's time to move on. My country (Venezuela) has got 3-million people without a job -- now they've got 3-million and one."
Actually, Guillen won't have any problem getting a job. He met with Rays general manager Chuck LaMar Sunday morning to discuss several employment opportunities and might listen to pitches from some other teams, including the White Sox, for whom he starred for more than a dozen years.
"I can do whatever I want in baseball," Guillen said. "I can pick my job."
Guillen, who would finish with 1,764 hits and 1,993 games played, said he understood why the Rays let him go, though he wished they had made a decision sooner.
He thinks he still can compete effectively at the major-league level, but after being released three times in less than three years he isn't sure he wants to keep trying.
"I can't say that I'm not (going to play) because you never know what's going to happen," Guillen said. "But I don't want to go through this again. If some team calls me and wants me to play I'd think about it twice. If they're going to use me for one year and then release me ... I have to move all my stuff and meet all new people ... it's worth it, but it's not."
Guillen said there was a chance he could be asked to play again for the Rays if, for example, shortstop Felix Martinez were injured.
"They said if something happened they might call me," Guillen said. "They told me to stay in shape. I told them it's no problem. I stay in shape because I want to look good with clothes on. I don't stay in shape for baseball. I can play baseball getting out of bed."
AGE: 37.
B/T: L/R.
HT/WT: 5-11/165.
BORN: Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela.
LIVES: Boca Raton
HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent in April 2000.
CONTRACT STATUS: Making $550,000 in one-year deal.
'00 REVIEW: Joined Rays after being released by Atlanta. . . . Started 27 games -- 17 at shortstop, nine at third, one at second. . . . Was one of 12 major-leaguers to appear at all four infield positions.
DID YOU KNOW? Guillen was one of the top players in White Sox history. . . . Won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1985 and a Gold Glove in 1990. . . . Played in the 1999 World Series for Atlanta. . . . Has made considerable donations to people in his home country.