Former San Diego Prospect Guillen Wins AL Rookie of the Year Award

Shortstop Ozzie Guillen, who came to the Chicago White Sox in a trade that sent a Cy Young winner to San Diego, was named the American League Rookie of the Year in voting released Monday by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America.

“It is the greatest thing to happen to me in a long time,” said Guillen, 21, who was reached by White Sox officials in his native Venezuela for a telephone interview. “I tried to do everything on the field to best help the Chicago White Sox win games.

Guillen committed just 12 errors in 150 games, the fewest of any regular American League shortstop, while hitting .273.

“Of course, I thought about the Rookie of the Year award,” he said. “But the most important thing to me was what I was able to do for the team. My biggest thrill was getting the game-winning RBI in Tom Seaver’s 300th win.”

Chicago Manager Tony LaRussa praised Guillen.

“He far exceeded our expectations,” LaRussa said. “We expected him to hit about .240 and provide us with some solid defense.”

Guillen came to the White Sox last Dec. 10 in a seven-player deal that sent right-handed pitcher LaMarr Hoyt, the 1983 Cy Young award winner, to San Diego along with two minor leaguers for pitcher Tim Lollar, infielder Luis Salazar, Guillen and a minor leaguer.

Guillen received 16 of a possible 28 first-place votes--alloted two apiece among BBWAA members in each of the 14 American League cities--for 101 total points. Ted Higuera, a left-handed pitcher from the Milwaukee Brewers, was second with nine first-place votes and 67 points.

Third went to another Brewer, infielder Earnest Riles, who got 29 points, followed by outfielder Oddibe McDowell of Texas, 25; relief pitcher Stu Cliburn of the Angels, 16; pitcher Brian Fisher of New York, 7; relief pitcher Tom Henke of Toronto, 5, and catcher Mark Salas of Minnesota, 2.

McDowell, Cliburn and Henke got the other first-place votes. A first-place vote counts five points, with three awarded for second and one for third.

Guillen is the club’s fifth rookie of the year.

Chicago’s most recent rookie winner was outfielder Ron Kittle in 1983. Before that, they were Luis Aparicio in 1956, Gary Peters in 1963 and Tommie Agee in 1966. Alvin Davis of the Seattle Mariners won the 1984 AL rookie award.

Guillen, noted primarily for his glove, was a .308 hitter in four minor-league seasons, but he began the 1985 season slowly. He hit just .210 through June 10, but he hit .302 the rest of the way to raise his average 63 points. He walked only 12 times and stole just seven bases, but he struck out only 36 times and scored 71 runs in 491 at-bats.

Originally a switch-hitter, Guillen has hit left-handed exclusively since 1983.

One of the most attractive minor-league prospects in the Padres’ farm system, San Diego had many offers for Guillen (pronounced Geeh-YEN) before finally trading him during the 1984 winter meetings. In 1984 with Las Vegas of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, Guillen hit .296 with 53 RBIs and 81 runs scored in 463 at-bats, while committing only 17 errors.

Higuera had a 15-8 record and 3.90 earned-run average. He allowed 30 earned runs and 186 hits in 212 innings pitched, striking out 127 and walking 63.