Ozzie Guillen Released: 5 Ways How Ozzie Can Help the Florida Marlins Now

Well, what appeared to be an inevitable breakup finally happened.

On Monday evening, the Chicago Tribune reported that Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has been officially released from his contract with two games remaining this season. Several media outlets have confirmed the report, including ESPN and USA Today.

The White Sox also confirmed the official release, with owner Jerry Reinsdorf releasing a statement of his own following the White Sox 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

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We certainly cannot thank Ozzie enough for all he has done during his eight seasons as manager of the Chicago White Sox, highlighted by an unforgettable 2005 World Series championship, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. I personally appreciate everything he has done for this organization, our fans and the city of Chicago. We shared the greatest moments together and wish him nothing but future success in baseball and in life.

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With his release, Guillen is now free to manage any other team, and several media outlets are reporting that Guillen is close to becoming the next manager of the Florida Marlins.

Since the White Sox still retain the rights to Guillen, a source is saying that two minor leaguers will be sent by the Marlins to Chicago.

Guillen apparently met with Reinsdorf sometime Monday morning, but Guillen left without the extension he was seeking.

Guillen, who was the third base coach for the Marlins when they won the World Series in 2003, will be replacing Jack McKeon, who announced earlier in the day that he would be retiring at the end of the season.

So, just how can Ozzie help the Marlins in 2012 and beyond? We have five possible ways that Guillen will be of great service to the new Miami Marlins.

1. Guillen’s Community Ties in South Florida Area

Ozzie is a South Floridian through and through. He has maintained a home in the Miami area ever since he left the Marlins to take the managerial job in Chicago seven years ago.

His many ties to the community will be huge draw for fans, especially as the Marlins move in to their brand new facility beginning next season.

Ozzie will also be a huge draw for the large Latin population living in the Miami area, and considering the Marlins were last in attendance in the National League this season, they can use all the goodwill they can find.

2. Logan Morrison Can Now Have a Peaceful Existence in Miami with Ozzie Around

If the Florida Marlins thought young outfielder Logan Morrison was a handful in terms of social media outlets (Twitter), wait until they get a load of Ozzie.

As of midnight Tuesday morning, Ozzie had 174,553 followers on Twitter, dwarfing Morrison’s 69,646 followers. However between the two, there will certainly be some interesting tweets.

In fact, right after the news came out about Ozzie and the possibility of his joining the Marlins as manager, Morrison tweeted:

"They may actually name the new stadium the TwitterDome after all..."

How do you think David Samson and Jeffrey Loria will react after they saw Ozzie ranting on Twitter?

Let’s face it, Dave and Jeff—Twitter followers can be a great thing for the team!

3. Ozzie the Perfect Draw for the New Stadium

As mentioned in an earlier slide, bringing Ozzie in as manager will be a huge draw as the team moves into its new Marlins Ballpark in April 2012.

Obviously, having great talent on the team (Mike Stanton, Logan Morrison, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson) will certainly help the Marlins in the future, but having a high profile manager now just before the stadium opening certainly doesn’t hurt.

Photo courtesy ballparksofbaseball.com

4. Maybe Ozzie Is the Man That Can Get Through to Hanley Ramirez

Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez has had his share of troubles with previous managers during his time with the team. In May 2010, Ramirez was benched by former manager Fredi Gonzalez for leisurely jogging after a ball after he had accidentally booted it, allowing two runs to score in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ramirez, who was pulled from that game by Gonzalez and benched for the next game, publicly tore into Gonzalez, refusing to apologize for his lack of hustle.

Ramirez was also benched this season by manager Jack McKeon as well. It has been reported in the past that Ramirez is not a high quality clubhouse guy, either. Ramirez has had rifts with teammates Dan Uggla and Logan Morrison in the past.

Ozzie Guillen could be just the manager that Ramirez needs to turn his questionable clubhouse presence around. Guillen simply won’t put up with the attitude that Ramirez appears to convey, and could be the man to show Ramirez that he needs to be a leader by example.

5. Ozzie Commands and Demands Respect, but Knows How to Lead

There are very few people who will ever question Ozzie’s leadership skills. With personalities like A.J. Pierzysnki and others in the Chicago White Sox clubhouse, Ozzie was able to create a balance that worked.

Ozzie takes complete responsibility for what happens with his team, however he also expects everyone on his team to play to their abilities every single day. If his team is getting the job done, he will praise them to the high heavens. However, when he feels let down by marginal performances, he finds a way to let them know how he feels, at times publicly.

There are absolutely no pretenses with Ozzie, and his team will benefit from his honesty, candor and openness.

Bottom line is this: Ozzie is the perfect fit as manager of the new Miami Marlins. While he may not fit the mold envisioned by David Samson and Jeffrey Loria, he is nonetheless the perfect fit.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.