Ozzie Guillen: Marlins Manager Must Change and Keep a Low Profile

A lot of Major League Baseball managers are quiet and unassuming, and they don't attract attention to themselves.

That's not Ozzie Guillen's style. The Miami Marlins' manager has always liked to talk, and he's never really bothered to care if he might be crossing any lines with his comments. When he has crossed lines, apologies haven't always ensued.

That's how you know that what's going on right now is serious. 

You've probably already heard all about what Ozzie said to get himself in trouble. For some reason, he got it in his head to tell Time magazine that he loves and respects Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, sentiments that immediately caused an uproar in the city of Miami. As well they should have.

According to The Miami Herald, Guillen backed off his comments over the weekend in Cincinnati, saying he is "against the way he [Castro] treats people and the way [he has treated] his country for a long time."

Guillen is not done addressing the outrage over his comments. The word from the Herald is that he is travelling to Miami from Philadelphia on Monday and that he will hold a press conference on Tuesday morning.

From the sound of things, Ozzie is going to be on the apologetic side on Tuesday:

"

I feel embarrassed. I feel guilty not because I’m lying, but because this thing hasn’t let me sleep for three days. 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.

"

Let's give Ozzie some credit. Despite the fact he doesn't always apologize for his assorted outrageous remarks, he at least has the common sense and the decency to square things away with people who have every right to be annoyed with him.

But then what? Will Ozzie go back to being Ozzie, or will he use this incident as an excuse to tone down his act a little bit?

The right course of action is Option B. I love a good Ozzie Guillen quote as much as the next guy, but this is the perfect excuse for Ozzie to change his ways and keep a low profile.

Things are different in Miami than they were in Chicago. The White Sox already had a significant fanbase before Ozzie came along, but they were also a team in need of a spark. Chicago had some good individual pieces, but from 2001 to 2003, they were kind of stuck in a rut.

The White Sox had their ups and downs in Ozzie's first season in 2004, but 2005 was about as smooth as a baseball season can possibly be. The White Sox were one of the best teams in baseball from start to finish, and Ozzie's energy was a big reason why. The fans and the media fully realized that Ozzie was an oddball, but it was okay because the White Sox were winning. People couldn't get enough of him.

Ozzie's career in Miami is barely off the ground, and you get the sense that people have already had enough of him. He's done nothing but be himself since the moment he arrived in Miami, and that's the problem.

What makes the Marlins different from the White Sox circa 2004 and 2005 is that the Marlins don't have a big fanbase to draw from. They're trying to cultivate one, and Ozzie is not helping the effort. The Marlins want the locals to come out to the ballpark, and Ozzie has ticked off a lot of locals.

Will these same locals forgive him? The best answer anybody can give is "maybe." Apologizing certainly won't hurt, but there's only so much damage an apology can undo in this case. A lot of people in the Miami area are going to hold a grudge against Ozzie.

So, from this point on, Ozzie would be wise not to press his luck. He's going to be under a microscope because of his Castro comments, so any additional outrageous comments are only going to be met with additional outrage. That's not a good way to cultivate a fanbase.

Besides which, the last thing Ozzie should want to do right now is overshadow the Marlins' players. They're a colorful bunch, and a talented bunch at that. There's a lot to like about Miami's lineup, which features stars like Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez and budding young stars like Giancarlo Stanton and Logan Morrison. Their pitching staff features an ace in Josh Johnson, a steady veteran in Mark Buehrle and quality starters in Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez. Heath Bell, Miami's new closer, is one of the most likable players in baseball.

It's these guys who should be grabbing the headlines, and it's these guys who should be bringing fans out to the ballpark. Give them enough time, and they'll definitely be able to draw fans to Miami's lovely new stadium.

But only if Ozzie lets them. He's always been front and center, but now is the time for him to step aside.