Ozzie Guillen and the Miami Marlins Try to Quell the Firestorm

Ozzie Guillen took the podium deep inside the Marlins' new stadium with a far different expression from the one he wore only a few months ago when he was introduced as the manager of a re-branded, revitalized franchise. The buoyancy of his mood after the historic opening of the new stadium in Little Havana from only a week ago was also noticeably absent.  

His remarks were contrite, measured and hesitant in English and Spanish as he answered a barrage of questions from local and national media outlets.  He's "very embarrassed. Very sad." Going so far as to say that the comments he made to a Time Magazine reporter in regards to Fidel Castro were the "biggest mistake I've made so far in my life."

The Marlins have suspended Guillen five games without pay, a punishment that fell drastically short of what the many gathered in the west plaza of the stadium had in mind for the divisive Venezuelan manager. They had come on their bikes or short distances from heavily Latino neighborhood to express their views on the subject. Cuban, American and Bay of Pigs brigade flags fluttered underneath the large screen TV feeding the press conference to the impromptu public gathering.

Jay Fernandez, from Miami, wore a large billboard across his chest that summed up the general sentiment, "No apologies, Fire him now."

"It's the major leagues for everyone. You make mistakes, you got to go. The owners don't know what they're doing," he added.

Guillen has clearly entered unknown imbroglio territory that even his previous controversial comments haven't landed him in.  With Guillen being of Hispanic descent himself, the Marlins believed him to be a manager that amongst other baseball related assets further cemented their place in Miami's diverse community. Instead, he's become a lightning rod of dissent and has put the team in a difficult public relations position right from the start of his tenure.

They were few amongst the growing and emotional crowd that sympathized with him or believed it was a verbal mishap or a case of "Ozzie being Ozzie." Where that casual refrain was good enough to last him eight seasons in Chicago, it was not good enough after less than a week in Miami. 

This report was first-hand at Marlins Park.