Guillen returns after suffering 'worst feeling ever'
MIAMI - There will never be a mute button on Ozzie Guillen.
Everybody in and around Chicago knows that. But "muted" is the best way to describe the tone in and around Marlins Park on Tuesday, as the Cubs began a three-game series against the Guillen-managed Miami Marlins.
Guillen seemed chastened enough over the five-game suspension he just served for making comments about respecting Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, a reviled figure in this city, which houses many Cuban exiles.
Around the ballpark and around town, however, Guillen's return garnered a collective shrug. One local press-box observer said he counted one protester outside this sparkling new ballpark, "the same guy who's been protesting," he said.
That doesn't mean Guillen hasn't been stung. Aside from the suspension, he was forced to apologize to the community for his remarks.
He said Tuesday in the Marlins' third-base dugout that his apology was sincere.
"I just said what I had to say a couple days ago," he said of the apology. "What I said, I meant it. I believe it. I hope people do believe it … It was from the bottom of my heart, and I meant every word I said."
Guillen was known for his bluntness and political incorrectness in Chicago, both during his days as a White Sox player and as their manager. Such comments were greeted mostly by a "that's Ozzie" reaction.
But the comments about Castro did not play well here.
Guillen said he wants people to know he is never going to be anything but genuine.
"I don't think I'm going to change, but obviously, talking about some issues is not my business," he said. "I learned a very tough lesson, very tough, very tough. Not just me, but the people around me, my family, the organization, the players, the fans.
"You learn from mistakes. I hope this mistake makes me a better person. I want the community to know that I am real."
Guillen said that he never worried about losing his job over the flap but that he was harder on himself than anyone else has been.
"You know what? I've never worried about getting fired from my job, no matter if it was here or there or anyplace," he said. "I put myself on probation. Me. Nobody else. Be careful and don't trust too many people."
He also termed it the "worst feeling ever" having hurt the Latino community. He said that even though Marlins management was not happy with him, he maintained he has received strong support from the organization.
There were a couple of lighthearted moments in Guillen's session before Miami, Chicago and national media. When asked if he has been out and about in the Cuban community, he said: "My neighbor's a Cuban guy. I rent the house from him."
He also said he was done talking about or reading about Castro. "That's the last name I want to read," he said.
Inside the Marlins' clubhouse, it was business as usual as the team prepared to play the Cubs.
"He's still going to be the same guy; I hope he doesn't change," said pitcher Mark Buehrle, who played for Guillen when both were with the White Sox. "I don't expect him to be any different from what he's been through his whole career with me."
Guillen said he does not take out the lineup card before games, so it was hard to measure any kind of reaction to him in the stands. The players didn't seem concerned.
"Am I curious to see what kind of reception?" asked first baseman Gaby Sanchez. "For us, it's just about going out there and playing baseball. The reception that he gets he's going to get. There's nothing we can do about that. There's nothing he can do about that."
bmiles@dailyherald.com