If you follow Major League Baseball then your well aware of who Ozzie Guillen is and the impact his voice can have on the game. The out-spoken skipper who left the south side of Chicago to manage the new look Miami Marlins has already put his foot in his mouth and this one may have lasting effects.
Last week Ozzie told Time Magazine in a interview that he loved retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro for overcome all his hatred and staying in power so long. Much of the Latin community doesn’t feel the same about Castro and closer to home many of Miami’s heavily populated Cuban community fled to America because of Castro’s dictatorship.
This isn’t the first time Guillen has had controversy strike within the Latin community. In October of 2005 after leading the Chicago White Sox to a World Series title was on a radio show with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and stated “Not too many people like the president, I do.” Chavez is widely unpopular within the Venezuelan Americans and much was made of these comments. Those comments should have never been repeated.
The Miami Marlins have taken actions and suspended Ozzie Guillen without pay for five games starting immediately. Guillen held a press conference this morning where his addressed the Latin American community and apologized to the Cuban American community promising to do whatever it takes to repair his relationships but in Miami and across the board.
I’ve never been a fan of Ozzie however I respect him for always speaking his mind and delivering how he feels but he most certainly over stepped his bounds this time. I hope somehow this issue is resolved and Ozzie realizes he most shut up sometimes and focus on winning MLB games not politics.
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