No fan of Seattle

What Guillen is not shy about saying is how much he resents Seattle. He talks about "excuses" the Mariners’ front office made — although it is more likely a man still learning English means "criticisms."

He felt as if Seattle had branded him. He was injury prone. He needed to watch his weight. He was more likely a third baseman. He was this. He was that.

In fact, the Mariners had decided Guillen was risky, in great part because of his health. He played in 109 games last year because of an inflamed pelvis. He missed almost all of 1999 because of a torn knee ligament.

He was also a free-agent-to-be heading into 2004.

Seattle had traded him to Cleveland last off-season, in a straight exchange for shortstop Omar Vizquel, until Vizquel flunked his physical and the deal was called off. But the Mariners were determined to move Guillen and to hire a new shortstop for 2004. Seattle finally found its man in Rich Aurilia, a free agent whom the Tigers had tried to sign.

Once Aurilia joined Seattle, the Mariners couldn’t trade Guillen fast enough. Detroit got him at a discount — in a trade for shortstop Ramon Santiago and minor-league prospect Juan Gonzalez.

"They traded me because they didn’t want me," said Guillen, who wasn’t bothered that Detroit had also decided, at one point, that Aurilia was the better catch.

"We were always in first place when the trade deadline came, but they didn’t want to compete," he said, teeing off again at Seattle.

"Here they want to win."