Ozzie Guillen Fired by Miami Marlins
By John Parent
Last Winter, there were a pair of high-profile hires in the managerial world, Boston nabbed Bobby valentine and Miami struck a deal for Ozzie Guillen. Just one season later, and a pair of 93-loss campaigns, Guillen has joined Valentine in the unemployment line.
Guillen got two thumbs down from the brass in Miami and was fired on Tuesday. Image: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
Guillen came under fire early and often during his short tenure as Marlins’ skipper. The Fish suspended Guillen for his comments in praise of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro early in the season and as the losses mounted, several players became less than enamored with Guillen’s loudmouth act. As the season drew to a close, Guillen fired some verbal shots at Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, suggesting it was Loria that had caused problems with previous managers.
As should be expected, Loria was none too pleased. It seems once away from the protection offered by his relationship with White Sox ownership, Guillen wasn’t going to get away with his antics any longer. A public spat with now-former Marlin Heath Bell certainly paved Bell’s way out of town, but it may have sealed Guillen’s fate as well.
The Marlins were one of the sport’s most disappointing teams in 2012; the first year in a brand-new ballpark. They spent the past off-season bidding on most every major free agent available and managed to land a couple of marquee names, but by mid-season they had traded away Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, and Omar Infante, among others. Now, with word coming down that the Fish will once again slash payroll, it looks like despite the new uniforms and new stadium, this is the same old miserly Marlins, complete with near-empty attendance figures.
Guillen may not be suited for a major league manager’s job, not with the losing climate and all the turmoil that followed him through his final years in Chicago and his first season in Miami.
While Loria is no doubt a difficult boss to work for, he’s the guy who signs the checks and his is one of only 30 major league teams. So, while the marlins job may be pretty low on the list of desirable managerial jobs, it’s still a job that will have no shortage of interested candidates.
Whomever is the next Marlins manager, however, you can bet it’s only a matter of time before Loria runs them out of town as well.