Ozzie Guillen has a knack for controversial statements and it's easy to treat his bombast as Ozzie being Ozzie, but his latest words on his respect for former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro aren't going away - not in Miami.
Guillen, who took over the Miami Marlins this season after eight years with the Chicago White Sox, announced he was flying back to Miami after the Phillies game tonight to hold a press conference about the remarks, according to The Miami Herald.
“I was planning to do something Friday, but (Tuesday) we have the day off and I want to make everything clear so people can talk to me face-to-face,” Guillen told the paper. “They can ask me whatever questions they want, and the sooner the better for the people, for the ball-club and for me. I want to tell people what is going on in my mind and what I believe.”
“I want the people there,” Guillen said. “I feel embarrassed. ... Only my wife knows how bad it’s been last few days. I feel very guilty, sad and embarrassed. Anyone who wants to be there, feel free. I want the Cuban people to understand what I’m going to say because everything I’m going to say is true.”
Guillen sparked the firestorm when he told Time magazine recently that he respected Castro for being able to lead Cuba for six decades.
"I respect Fidel Castro," Guillen said in the article. "You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that son of a bitch is still there."
A group of Cuban-Americans threatened to march on the stadium Tuesday and boycott the Marlins until they fired the Guillen, Yahoo Sports reported.
The manager said he has apologized to Cuban-Americans in the Marlins organization, including Spanish-language broadcasters Felo Ramirez and Yiki Quintana, as well as Cuban-born Phillies pitcher Jose Contreras, ESPN reported.
The Marlins released a statement saying there was nothing to respect about Castro, "a brutal dictator who has caused unthinkable pain for more than 50 years. We live in a community filled with victims of this dictatorship, and the people in Cuba continue to suffer today."
Guillen backtracked on the remark yesterday and apologized to anyone he offended with the Castro remark, telling the Palm Beach Post that he is "against everything, 100%," regarding Castro's reign in Cuba.
"I've got my routine. Game's over, stay in the lobby of the hotel, the hotel bar, get drunk and go to sleep," he told the Palm Beach Post.
"I get drunk because I'm happy because we won or get drunk because I'm very sad and disturbed because we lose. Same routine for 25, 28 years. It hasn't changed. I don't like to go out."
A man is measured by the words he speaks, as opposed to a child, who just says whatever is on his mind without thought of the implications. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody misspeaks. However, for some, it is common. Guillen is not a man, he is a child. He has done this many times.
Oh man, you should see his twitter feed. Hilarious stuff.
So, real men are those that hide what they really think? Pathetic stuff!
Please Google the First Amendment. Your "right" to freedom of speech extends only so far as freedom from having the government stop you. You have NO right to say anything you like and not have your boss or his customers try and stop you with whatever legal means and rights THEY have.
I would be afraid to say what he said in Miami. He thoughtless comment to TIME put his life at risk.
Ozzie is the Zambrano of managers a complete idiot !!!!!
Step to the head of the "Little minds line". Congratulations. You're number one.
Kenny Williams<===== HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...wheeze ack...hhahahahahahahah!!!!
This is a free speech issue. Let it go and move on. Political corectness is killing this country.
I don't think you need what the 1st ammendment is.
Go tell your boss what you really think of him and then cite the 1st ammendment. See where that gets you.
Marc, you need to learn what free speech is.
*know*
Live Microphone...Ozzie Guillen...what could go wrong? Ozzie has Terminal Foot-N-Mouth disease. I loved it when he was here in Chicago, I tuned in for every interview. It was better than going to the Laugh Factory.
If he ever hit a home run he'd have to get the ground crew to roll him around the bases in a wheel barrow.
One thing you can say about Ozzie, never a dull moment.
Welcome to the club, dummy. Here, have some pintos.
He respects Castro's longevity, so what? Didn't say he respected him as a leader.
In AA you often hear, "I drank because I was happy, I drank because I was sad." His constant over-the-top rhetoric is another sign.
how can we figure out how to blame this on Obama?
"how can we figure out how to blame this on Obama?" You could just assume that he used satellites to beam the lame stream media directly into Ozzie's head, same as he does to Mitt and Newt when they try to give speeches.
Cubans have pretty thin skin I guess. You would never know. I wonder how many will go back when Castro is out. I guess none. Or only those who get good lawyers and with help of US take away all the stuff their parents used to own.
I'm one of the CUBAN's that want to thank you for realizing that the dictadorship of fidel castro stole from those that had in order to keep it,the regime is not "Robin Hood" they're simply HOOD's
Why does MLB continue to tolerate Ozzie? Every month it is something new with him not to mention that Miami is mostly Cubans.