Guillen Apologizes for His Comments

TORONTO —  The Angels and Jose Guillen went to great lengths to defuse the controversy created by Guillen’s comments Monday night, when the left fielder ripped Angel pitchers for not retaliating after Guillen was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season, an American League high.

Guillen apologized to his teammates during a 40-minute pregame meeting Wednesday. He also issued a public apology during a brief meeting with reporters and spoke privately with General Manager Bill Stoneman, Manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Bud Black before the game against the Blue Jays.

“If I hurt anyone, from the owner, to the front office to the general manager, to the manager, to the pitchers, I’m sorry,” Guillen said. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.... Let’s just leave it at that. It won’t happen again. This team has a great attitude, there’s great chemistry here. Hopefully, this won’t hurt anyone.”

Guillen believed Toronto starter Justin Miller hit him intentionally in the sixth inning Monday night, when a first-pitch fastball with a runner on third and two out drilled Guillen, who had homered in the game, in the back.

Angel starter John Lackey knocked down Toronto’s Simon Pond with a high-and-tight fastball in the bottom of the sixth, but that apparently wasn’t enough for Guillen

“I don’t know how many times I’ve been hit, and there’s no retaliation,” Guillen said. “I’m giving everything I’ve got -- I’m playing hurt, I’m playing in pain -- and I’m not getting any help from nobody.”

Guillen’s comments caused considerable tension in the clubhouse Monday night and could have driven a wedge between Angel hitters and pitchers, but Stoneman, Scioscia and Black said they were satisfied with Guillen’s handling of the situation.

“He wanted the team to understand how much he wants to win, how competitive he is, and how frustrated he is -- hey, he’s been hit six times,” Scioscia said. “But he also understands that pitchers are going to try to crowd him to neutralize his power.

“I think Jose feels better about things after our conversations, and he has a better understanding of our philosophy ... which hasn’t changed. We’ll continue to pitch inside aggressively, but we’re not into headhunting; we’re not into bean balls.”

Black called the Guillen situation “A closed case -- I’m satisfied with what happened this afternoon,” and Stoneman said, “We’re moving forward.”

Toronto Manager Carlos Tosca was asked whether he expected the Angels to retaliate Wednesday night.

“Geez, I hope not,” Tosca said. “There’s a reason [Guillen] has been hit six times -- you’ve got to get the ball in on him. We don’t retaliate when guys hit home runs off us. That’s not my philosophy.”

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The Angels are one of three finalists, along with the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, in the bidding for outfielder Raul Mondesi, the former Pittsburgh slugger told Associated Press in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.

Scioscia acknowledged that the Angels have contacted Mondesi and are looking at him as a fill-in for injured center fielder Garret Anderson. Mondesi, who hopes to make a decision by the end of this week, is looking for a two-year deal, but the Angels are hesitant to extend Mondesi, 33, beyond this season.

“No question, he would be a fit here -- he can play center field, and he would create a lot more depth than we have,” said Scioscia, a Dodger coach when Mondesi played in Los Angeles. “But sometimes a player wanting to come here doesn’t always mean it’s going to happen.”

The Pirates terminated Mondesi’s contract after he left the team May 7 to return to the Dominican. Mondesi said he was fearful for his family’s safety as he fought a lawsuit by former major leaguer Mario Guerrero, who claims Mondesi owes him 1% of his major league earnings -- about $640,000 -- for helping develop his skills.