Ozzie Guillen Suspended Five Games For Castro Comments

Some Cuban community members still want him fired

Just five games into his new job as Miami Marlins manager, the always controversial Ozzie Guillen is already in trouble.

He has been suspended for five games after making comments about polarizing figure Fidel Castro. In an interview with Time Magazine, Guillen, who is Venezuelan, said that he respected Castro and admired how he was able to stay in power for so long.

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Guillen said that he did not say that and the words that he meant to say were lost in translation. He addressed reporters by speaking in Spanish.

[SUBSCRIBE TO LOOP 21 RSS FEED]

"I'm sorry that I hurt a city, a country," he said. "I hurt the community without any intention. But I did it. Not only Cuban Americans, but all the people outside the United States, Latin Americans, Venezuelans, people from Nicaragua, Panama and if I forgot somebody I would like to apologize."

He continued, "I feel like I betrayed my Latin community. I'm here to say I'm sorry with my heart in my hands. And I want to say I'm sorry to all those people that I hurt indirectly or directly." 

The suspension takes place immediately and will be without pay. Some local Cuban-American officials have demanded that Guillen be fired or himself resign. The Marlins have not said that they will fire him, and Guillen says he has no plans on resigning.

Guillen is no stranger to controversy or punishment. He once made headlines for calling a reporter a gay slur and then even poked fun at the sensitivity training he had to commit to as punishment.

This is also another blemish on the Marlins very young season. The two time World Series champions were supposed to be starting anew with new uniforms, a new stadium, new players, a new manager and a name change from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins. Things got off to an awkward start when they decided to invite an obviously ill Muhammad Ali to be a guest of honor on opening night.

[Also Read: Cops Pull Out Guns MLB Player In His Own]