Some doubt existed as to whether Peavy would make his set start on Saturday in Phoenix, as Peavy missed important work days in between due to a severe bout with the flu still clearly plaguing him. Guillen voted against Peavy staying on turn, meaning he would also stay on turn to break camp with the team and start for the White Sox on April 6 in Kansas City.
That vote was overruled, or in more accurate terms, the intense competitor that is Peavy convinced Guillen to let him face the A’s. That method of convincing also worked last year, when Peavy skipped one start in Pittsburgh and then faced the Nationals after battling shoulder inflammation.
This same convincing won’t work again, as far as Guillen is concerned. It’s not an expression of anger or disappointment aimed at Peavy, but more a protective measure for Guillen’s player and his staff.
“Jake Peavy will pitch the day I tell him to pitch. He’s not going to convince me,” Guillen said. “I don’t care, we went through it. When he tells me ‘Skip, I’m ready to pitch,’ I give him another couple of more days to recover. That’s the way we do stuff.
“When you tell your kid don’t do this and the kid is doing it, and you don’t do anything about it, you are not doing your job, and that has happened twice. My job is to protect him and the organization, to make sure when he is out there.
“I respect him because he wants to be out there. I love when players want to be on the field. That’s the best thing that can happen to any manager,” Guillen said. “He’s that type of guy who has the passion for the game. He wants to help. Sometimes when you want to help, you don’t really help.”
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