The suspended Marlins skipper first cited his admiration for the former Cuban leader in an October 2008 interview with Men’s Journal.

by Blaine McEvoy

The Miami Marlins suspended their manager, Ozzie Guillén, for five games this morning, citing pro-Castro commentary the Venezuelan shared with Time magazine.

Guillén, 48, told Time‘s Sean Gregory he “loves Fidel Castro” and respects the Cuban leader for staying in power so long, echoing sentiments published in the October 2008 issue of Men’s Journal.

When challenged four years ago by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Rick Telander to name the toughest man he knows, Guillén — then manager of the Chicago White Sox — named the 86-year old politician.

“He’s a bullshit dictator and everybody’s against him, and he still survives, has power. Still has a country behind him,” Guillén told Men’s Journal. “Everywhere he goes they roll out the red carpet. I don’t admire his philosophy. I admire him.”

Read the entire 2008 interview with Ozzie Guillén here.

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