Ozzie Guillen says White Sox had signs in 2005 World Series

Former Chicago White Sox player and manager Ozzie Guillen. David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Ozzie Guillen says White Sox had Astros' signs in 2005 World Series

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 4/7/23

The Houston Astros have yet to shake off the stigma surrounding an ugly sign-stealing scandal that rocked the baseball world in 2019.

On Friday, former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen hinted that the Astros were unable to keep their signs a secret during the 2005 World Series.

Now a postgame analyst for NBC Chicago, Guillen revealed that the White Sox had Houston's signs, forcing then-Astros manager Phil Garner to talk to runners at first after throw-overs instead of sending signals.

"We had their signs," Guillen said. "He said, 'You know what, they have our signs.' I said, 'Yes, we do.'"

Ozzie says the White Sox had the Astros signs in the 2005 World Series@OzzieGuillen @ChuckGarfien pic.twitter.com/Wnel8rjUit
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) April 7, 2023

Guillen gave a vague answer when asked how the White Sox acquired the Astros' signs, explaining that Chicago's "great coaching staff" deserved the credit.

"We're genius, bro. We are genius," Guillen said. "We're watching the game. We don't need computers."

The White Sox may have benefited significantly from having Houston's signs. Chicago swept the Astros in four games, winning each contest by two runs or fewer.

For now, many MLB fans still see the Astros as cheaters. Unfortunately, those are the consequences of using technology to steal signs. However, Guillen's revelation might ease the pain for those teams victimized over the 2017 and 2018 campaigns when the Astros' sign-stealing was at its height.

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