It took all but five games for The Mouth to get suspended for making the ''biggest mistake'' of his life.
New Miami Marlins manager, Ozzie Guillen, is on the hot seat for comments he made to Time magazine published last week about Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
''I respect Fidel Castro,'' Guillen said. ''You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that motherfucker is still here.''
Last Friday the Marlins tried to quell the public relations nightmare by releasing a statement that said:
''There is nothing to respect about Fidel Castro. He is 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."
As public outrage in south Florida grew, the Marlins reacted by suspending their new manager for five games. Bench coach Joey Cora will be the interim manager.
The baseball club also released a new statement that read:
''The Marlins acknowledge the seriousness of the comments attributed to Guillen. The pain and suffering caused by Fidel Castro cannot be minimized, especially in a community filled with victims of the dictatorship.''
At a news conference, Guillen said, ''This is the biggest mistake I've made so far in my life. When you make a mistake like this, you can't sleep. ... When you're a sportsman, you shouldn't be involved with politics.''
Guillen also tried to say his remarks were misconstrued.
''I was saying I cannot believe somebody who hurt so many people over the years is still alive,'' Guillen said at the news conference.
''I'm very sorry about the problem, what happened,'' he said. ''I will do everything in my power to make it better. ... I know it's going to be a very bumpy ride.''
Of course, Guillen has never been shy about voicing his political views before.
He twice went on a radio show hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in October 2005, when Guillen led the Dirty Hose to the World Series title. At the time, Guillen said: ''Not too many people like the president. I do.''
The Marlins signed Guillen to a four-year, $10 million contract and now there some anti-Castro groups calling for his ouster. Some public officials are also weighing in. Francis Suarez, chairman of the Miami city commission, said Guillen should be fired. Joe Martinez, chairman of the Miami-Dade County board of commissioners, said Guillen should resign.
Does all this mean that somehow, maybe, hopefully, the Curse of the Billy Goat hitched a ride south with Guillen?
