Ozzie Guillen is receiving an honor he earned a long time ago.
The Chicago White Sox will retire Guillen’s No. 13 before Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. It will permanently connect one of the franchise’s biggest personalities with Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko, Minnie Miñoso and the other names displayed at Rate Field.
Guillen belongs in that company. There should be no debate.
As a player, he spent 13 seasons with the White Sox, won the 1985 American League Rookie of the Year award and made three All-Star teams. He also earned a Gold Glove while becoming one of the most recognizable players from his era.
Then he returned as manager and did something nobody in Chicago had accomplished since 1917.
Guillen led the White Sox to a World Series championship.
You can tell how much it means to Ozzie Guillen to have his number retired by the White Sox. ❤️
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 6, 2026
"I've been talking into the microphone for the last 6-7 years, done so many things in baseball, but I'm going to get nervous on Saturday." pic.twitter.com/DpNxp9YSwK
Guillen gave Chicago its greatest modern season
The 2005 White Sox won 99 regular-season games before going 11-1 in the postseason. They swept the Houston Astros in the World Series and ended an 88-year championship drought.
It was not merely a talented team that caught fire for a few weeks. Chicago led the American League in victories and then bulldozed its way through October.
Guillen supplied the attitude. He was loud, demanding, unpredictable and occasionally exhausting. He was also exactly the right manager for that clubhouse. There is no separating him from the greatest White Sox season most living fans have witnessed. His number retirement is deserved, and the organization deserves credit for finally making it official.
“The number 13 has always belonged to Ozzie,” chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said when the team announced the honor.
That is true. It is also time for the White Sox to create something new.
The White Sox keep returning to the same celebration
Chicago has spent more than two decades revisiting the 2005 championship. Reunions, anniversaries, promotional nights and endless highlights continue to bring that team back into view.
Fans enjoy it because that October run was unforgettable. The franchise leans on it because almost everything that followed has been forgettable.
Since Guillen's championship season, the White Sox have reached the postseason only three times. They have not won another playoff series. Even their promising rebuild collapsed before producing anything close to a sustained contender.
That failure is not Guillen’s fault. Saturday should belong to him, not become another complaint session about ownership or roster construction. Fans should enjoy the ceremony and give him the reception he deserves.
Still, the contrast will be hard to miss.
The White Sox are honoring the manager who delivered their last championship while the current club tries to establish its own identity. Chicago is showing legitimate progress in 2026, but one improved season does not erase years of organizational incompetence. Fans have heard about bright futures before. They would probably prefer one that survives contact with reality this time.
Retiring No. 13 celebrates a player and manager who shaped the franchise for decades. It is not an example of the White Sox clinging desperately to the past. Guillen earned this moment.
Saturday should provide another memorable night at Rate Field. On Sunday, the White Sox must continue the considerably harder job of building a team that eventually gives fans something else to celebrate.
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