Guillen’s Crucifixion

Sept. 17, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins relief pitcher Mike Dunn (left) is taken out of the game by manager Ozzie Guillen (13) during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Marlins Park. The Braves won 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

So the manager’s merry-go-round is spinning, and in an effort to stir as many pots as possible, the mainstream sporting press is in full hysteria mode trying to paint Ozzie Guillen as an unhinged, undisciplined, insensitive walking gaffe-fest. I’m sorry, but I simply don’t see it the same way that Jaffe, Olney, Corcoran, et al do.  Everything still seems to pivot around the flap about Ozzie’s comment to Time magazine early in the season.

That was six months ago, and the article was a hit piece to begin with. Furthermore, his comments were about Castro’s ability to stay in power, and was never an expression of support for either Castro or his government. Once again, we see an example of a guy getting tarred with the racist brush for comments determined to be racist by the mainstream press. In the article, Guillen heard how his comment sounded, and immediately walked it back. Still, the manufactured controversy continues.

Guillen has been a colorful manager, to be sure, but so have countless others in baseball’s colorful past.  Ozzie keeps the Marlins in the press, which probably makes Loria happy, in a “bad press is better than no press” way.

Bottom line: If Ozzie is a really bad manager, sure…fire him.  So far, I’ve seen nothing to show that he’s a really bad manager.