Fish Stripes - Miami Marlins Ozzie Guillen Rebuffs Heath Bell Comments, Has His Players' SupportCovering the Marlins every day in our own wayhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52814/Screen_Shot_2018-12-07_at_12.32.35_PM..png2012-09-27T13:30:08-04:00http://www.fishstripes.com/rss/stream/31693572012-09-27T13:30:08-04:002012-09-27T13:30:08-04:00Did Marlins Clubhouse Handle Heath Bell Correctly?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ppk5KUKuuemf2F2Pmit3AE4N1vc=/2x0:998x664/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/121809/20120627_ajl_su8_175.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miami Marlins reliever Heath Bell made some harsh comments about manager Ozzie Guillen, but there have also been some mixed reactions for the response by the Marlins clubhouse. How should they have handled Bell?</p> <p>On Monday, the Miami Marlins were embroiled in yet another feud that had nothing to do with on-field play, as Heath Bell got himself into trouble by making incendiary comments towards Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen. The comments apparently were unfounded, as the rest of the Marlins team quickly came to the aid of their manager with a showing of support via texts and emails along with some nice quotes from guys like Mark Buehrle.</p>
<p>But then there was also the reaction from the clubhouse that came out. Remember this?</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">As Bell sat in front of his locker before Tuesday’s game in Atlanta, unidentified teammates cranked the volume on Guillen’s weekly radio call-in show on 790 The Ticket to force him to listen to their manager answer questions about the controversy.</span></p>
<p><snip></p>
<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Reporters walked in unknowingly on the awkward clubhouse scene before being detected by players and ushered back out by Greg Dobbs. But sources said the point was for players to show they supported their manager and to humiliate Bell.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Apparently the Marlins' response in the clubhouse was to force Bell to listen to Guillen rip him to a degree. Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation had <a href="http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/9/26/3412154/heath-bell-ozzie-guillen-miami-marlins-clubhouse">his response to that treatment</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1.7em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; ">That might be the most uncomfortable thing I've ever read about a major-league clubhouse. Maybe I'm just unenlightened, and I don't know if Mickey Mantle and Moose Skowron glued Joe Pepitone to his locker after he hit into a double play in '62. But that seems as uncomfortable as it can possibly get.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 1.7em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; line-height: 1.6em; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; ">Think about it. A bunch of co-workers turning up the radio because your boss is tearing you down. It might be the most aggressive passive-aggressive move in baseball history. And Bell was there, hanging out, sitting by his locker.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And folks in the comments mentioned the clubhouse, based on these antics, was "toxic" among other things.</p>
<p>What the rest of the Marlins did certainly sounded mean and a good deal on the passive-aggressive side of things. But I wondered if this was really a sign of a "toxic" conditions in a clubhouse, or if this was just how things were dealt with in the majors. After all, this is not the first time a player has acted up or said something and their manager has openly ripped them to the media. In fact, this certainly is not the first time on the Marlins. <a href="http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/2010/05/17/what-should-the-florida-marlins-do-about-hanley-ramirezs-lazy-lapses/">Remember this</a>?</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0.25em 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">“He got smoked by the ball in the ankle. Whether he’s hurt or not hurt or whatever it was, we felt the effort wasn’t there that we wanted. There’s 24 guys out there busting their butts. Cody Ross got hit by a ball 95 miles an hour that wasn’t thrown any less slower and he stayed in the game. And battled and got two hits.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0.25em 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">“You know what? There’s some injuries there but we expect an effort from 25 guys on this team and when that doesn’t happen we gotta do something.”</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0.25em 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px;">What did you tell Hanley when he came into the dugout?</strong><br>“I told him he needed to go inside and we’re gonna run (Brian) Barden out there, who has a sprained ankle, by the way. And he battled eight innings with a sprained ankle probably killing him, but that’s the effort we’re looking for as any organization.”</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0.25em 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">Gonzalez said Ramirez offered no excuse when he came off the field after the play.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0.25em 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px;">Will Hanley receive any further discipline? </strong><br>“You need more embarrassment other than being taken out of a major league game?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>This is Fredi Gonzalez ripping into Hanley Ramirez a good amount about his effort following the infamous Jog-gate scenario of 2010 (you can read my reaction over at Marlin Maniac <a href="http://marlinmaniac.com/2010/05/18/hanley-ramirez-fredi-gonzalez-and-the-jogging-fiasco/">here</a>). In this case, the manager ripped into Ramirez to the media, and for his efforts, Gonzalez was seemingly unilaterally supported by the media. A few folks, such as myself, <a href="http://baseballmusings.com/?p=51422">David Pinto</a>, and <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Did-Fredi-Gonzalez-handle-the-Hanley-Ramirez-sit?urn=mlb,241881">Kevin Kaduk of Big League Stew</a>, questioned whether Fredi Gonzalez should have taken the dispute into the public in the first place rather than handling the situation behind closed doors, but for the most part people seemed pretty affirmative in supporting Gonzalez's hard-line stance.</p>
<p>But what have Guillen and the Marlins done here that is different from then? We were not privy to the backstage happenings, but you have to imagine a number of players and coaches got in Ramirez's face and confronted him about the situation. How does that differ from what the Marlins did in Bell's case? Was it the passive-aggressive radio thing that made some folks uncomfortable? Should Greg Dobbs have gone up to Bell himself and given him a stern talking-to?</p>
<p>Since Greg Dobbs was <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video/MLB?vid=3e4f467e-72a9-4513-b3fb-c0a9df5699bb">kept from a trade</a> to the Atlanta Braves specifically because of his clubhouse influence, I will leave it to him to figure out how to best motivate or chastise fellow baseball players. I know that in the previous incidence with Ramirez, veteran gritty clubhouse guy Wes Helms also spoke to the media and asked Ramirez to apologize. Was that any better than Dobbs?</p>
<p>Look, I do not presume to know the right answer here. Had reporters not randomly walked into the clubhouse, only to be shooed away by Dobbs, we would not even know about this management of the situation. Presumably, this was all supposed to be handled behind closed doors, which is the way I prefer it. Would it have been better had there been a more clearly <i>aggressive</i> confrontation, like when Dan Uggla yelled at Ramirez for <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4441073">being pulled from a game for a minor injury</a>? I do not necessarily think so.</p>
<p>Perhaps the idea that the handling was "uncomfortable" and "toxic" was not necessarily in the handling itself, but in the fact that the team even <i>needed</i> it in the first place. We had not heard anything in terms of clubhouse rumblings all season long until today, and that is with a team that had a struggling Hanley Ramirez for half a season. But maybe there were problems before, and the Bell situation brought them to the forefront, and <i>that </i>is why folks think the situation in the Marlins clubhouse is dire. Because in an otherwise healthy clubhouse, such things like this would not happen <i>at all.</i></p>
<p>Then again, how <i>are </i>you supposed to "discipline" a rogue player among your team? What do you guys think would have been the best way to manage this situation? Could Greg Dobbs and the Marlins have done this in a more "professional" way, or is a more antagonistic approach like this one fine as well? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/27/3416926/did-the-miami-marlins-clubhouse-take-the-right-approach-with-heathMichael Jong2012-09-25T21:50:03-04:002012-09-25T21:50:03-04:00Marlins' Ozzie Guillen Laughs Off Bell's Comments
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/krx1wOroloTY-4yNALLSzkXCTb4=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827887/large_fishstripes.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> fans were eagerly awaiting the response of manager Ozzie Guillen in the ongoing saga between him and reliever <span>Heath Bell</span> following Bell's inflammatory remarks on Guillen's straightforwardness and honesty with his players.</p>
<p>Well, Marlins fans did not have to wait long, as Guillen made comments both on the Dan LeBatard Show on 790 Ticket and in his pre-game media interviews. Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/fl-miami-marlins-discontent-0926-20120925,0,1208183.story?track=rss">has the quotes</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #292727; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">"I laughed," said Guillen, before Tuesday's game at Turner Field. "Comments like that, I don't lose sleep for that. Everybody has their own opinion. Everybody has a different way to look at stuff and I respect that. I make comments some people don't respect. That's why I have to respect everybody's opinions and comments.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #292727; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">"The thing that shocked me was if you say I'm not a good manager, I don't know how to handle a bullpen, I don't know how to treat players, I can buy that. When you say I'm not honest with players and I never tell the people in their face what I feel, uh, you have to put a lot of doubts on that one. That's the best thing and the worst thing I have in my life, not just baseball."</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Now, as easy as it would likely be for Guillen to find himself a new job were he to be fired from this one, either in another dugout or in the announcer's booth, I am certain his primary goal was to keep hold of his job. So maybe in this case, he did not really go after Bell and instead played the whole situation off.</p>
<p>But wait, <a href="http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120925&content_id=38991798&vkey=news_mia&c_id=mia">there's more</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Guillen said he has lost respect for Bell because the reliever has had issues this season with the team's trainers, catchers, pitching coach Randy St. Claire and the reality TV show, "The Franchise," which aired on Showtime.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"It was my turn this week," Guillen said. "Last week, it was somebody else. It was the pitching coach. The week before that, it was the catchers. The week before that, it was the scouting report. When you make all these things, they keep piling up. It was 'The Franchise.' All kinds of stuff.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"That's why I don't respect him as a person, because you have to have principles. You have to learn how to look yourself in the mirror and blame yourself. That's why, before anyone else blames me, I blame myself. When something goes wrong or something goes right, that's the way it is."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Boy, Ozzie, tell us how you really feel.</p>
<p>Guillen was probably incensed that Bell blamed him for being dishonest and unable to face others with his complaints when Bell himself has been throwing blame around left and right, especially in the media. That has to go over poorly with a guy who deems himself a straight shooter. With Guillen's job on the line, it may not have been a smart move to run down a player on his team, but since Bell started the conversation, I think Jeffrey Loria and company can give Guillen a pass.</p>
<p>As for Guillen's status with the team, Bell's comments may have been a blessing in disguise, as they mobilized a number of players to come out and support the embattled Marlins manager.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px; ">Veterans like Dobbs and <span>John Buck</span> personally spoke with Guillen. <span>Justin Ruggiano</span>, who is back in Miami undergoing an MRI on his right shoulder, reached out to the manager. And so did catcher <span>Brett Hayes</span>, who finished up the season at Triple-A New Orleans.</span></p>
<p><snip></p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; ">"Heath put himself in this mess," [Marlins starting pitcher <span>Mark Buehrle</span>] said. "I've never looked at Ozzie the way that he's saying. Everybody has got their own opinion. He obviously thinks that for some reason, and that's why he said it.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.3em; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; ">"You guys [beat reporters] know [Guillen]. He's face to face. Half the time he's too honest with people, so that gets him in trouble. Heath felt like he needed to comment on it."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It looks as though Guillen does indeed have a loyal set of players who have played for him, respect him, and are on his side. Supposedly he received support from "90 percent" of the team, so the Marlins at least seem like they are behind their manager after remaining relatively quiet during the controversy behind his job.</p>
<p>The Marlins seem to be supporting manager Ozzie Guillen. Let's see if Guillen's owner will support him after this season is over.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/25/3408854/miami-marlins-manager-ozzie-guillen-heath-bell-comments-mark-buehrleMichael Jong2012-09-25T16:10:54-04:002012-09-25T16:10:54-04:00Marlins' Bell Backpedals On Ozzie Guillen Comments
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/krx1wOroloTY-4yNALLSzkXCTb4=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827887/large_fishstripes.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> reliever Heath Bell was met with a parade of backlash regarding comments that he made on Sunday regarding embattled Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen. Bell previously stated the following after being egged on to comment about Guillen's currently troubled season:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"It’s hard to respect a guy that doesn’t tell you the truth or doesn’t tell you face to face,’’ Bell said Monday during an interview on The Dan Sileo Show on 560 WQAM in Miami.</span><br style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span id="more-13018" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;"></span><br style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"There’s probably reasons why. It’s probably one of those things, like you said, if I said something or I did something, I’m going to own up to it. What you see is what you get.’’</span></p>
<p><snip></p>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"We need a guy that leads us that everybody respects and looks up to," Bell said. "That’s what we need."</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Well, it seems Bell did not mean exactly what he said, as he went on MLB Network Radio with Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin to clear up his comments on Guillen. You can hear the entirety of the interview <a href="http://siriusxmsports.posterous.com/heath-bell-miami-marlins-pitcher-discusses-hi">here</a>. Here are the pertinent quotes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Q: Was it misinterpreted somehow, your comments?<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Heath Bell: "I think it was. I was never criticizing Ozzie. I don’t think that’s what I was doing on the radio. I was choosing my words kind of right. Apparently I didn’t get it too right but the thing is I respect Ozzie as a manager. Sometimes it’s hard to respect a guy when he doesn’t tell you face to face and tells you in the media. And that’s basically what I said. I never said I don’t respect him as a manager or a person. It is interesting, I think, to play underneath a manager like Ozzie because he talks to the press and he does a lot of things and he’s loud. But you know what? You know, I’ve had good managers, I’ve had bad managers and I don’t think Ozzie’s the reason why we really stunk this year. I think for me not performing to the next guy not performing. And that’s the reason we didn’t win this year. It’s not because of Ozzie. It’s getting totally blown out of proportion for the simple fact [that] everybody’s looking for a scapegoat. Everybody’s trying to point at Ozzie or somebody in this organization."</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Color me unimpressed or not the least bit surprised that Bell rescinded his comments. He is basically claiming that, when he said a sentence regarding it being interesting to work under Guillen, then followed up by saying "It is hard to respect a guy who doesn't tell the truth or doesn't tell you face to face," he was making two unrelated statements and that the second one is not related to the first one. Either that or he is claiming that Guillen is not truthful and does not tell him what is going on face to face, but that this does not prevent him from respecting Guillen.</p>
<p>In the interview on Sirius XM, he flat-out stated that he respects Guillen as a manager, but it seems hard to believe after he made comments insinuating Guillen was dishonest to the media. This sounded more like an apology and a backpedaling in the face of public outcry regarding the statements. He certainly did not retract his words, but rather state that the media misinterpreted their meaning, but it seems very difficult to misinterpret what he said as anything other making a characterization of Guillen without outright saying it.</p>
<p><span>Heath Bell's</span> season has gone poorly and his relationship with his manager seems rocky at best. No amount of backpedaling will solve that, so if Bell's solution is to be quiet on the media front as he mentions later in the interview, it may be a good idea. He has certainly had enough foot-in-mouth situations this year to keep him through at least next season.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/25/3407062/miami-marlins-heath-bell-backpedals-on-ozzie-guillen-commentsMichael Jong2012-09-25T10:50:44-04:002012-09-25T10:50:44-04:00Marlins Players Defend Guillen From Bell Comments
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Btlmj8g6xc3m7bDxOcfE9ku0dCw=/361x0:964x402/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28345/20120525_mje_su8_613.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After Heath Bell says Ozzie Guillen is hard to respect in a radio interview, teammates Justin Ruggiano and Brett Hayes jump to the defense of Ozzie Guillen on Twitter.</p> <p>If you thought that the drama surrounding the <a href="https://www.fishstripes.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Marlins</a> ended when the Showtime series ended, you were dead wrong. In fact, constant, idiotic drama has been the only consistent thing going for the Marlins in this 2012 season.</p>
<p>Monday was no different, as <span>Heath Bell</span> stirred up the drama in Miami once again in an <a href="http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/2012/09/24/marlins-closer-heath-bell-criticizes-ozzie-in-radio-interview/" target="_blank">interview</a> with The Dan Sileo Show on 560 WQAM in Miami. Bell, who has had a few run-ins already with manager Ozzie Guillen already this season, took another shot at the manager, who is already sitting on the hot seat with <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/24/3377058/miami-marlins-ozzie-guillen-firing-larry-beinfest-job-security" target="_blank">recent rumors that he could be fired</a>.</p>
<p>Bell, like Michael <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/25/3385368/miami-marlins-reliever-heath-bell-finds-ozzie-guillen-hard-to-respect" target="_blank">pointed out earlier today,</a> has not painted himself as a likeable figure in the eyes of the Miami media and fanbase. His comments on Monday did not help his cause either.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"It’s hard to respect a guy that doesn’t tell you the truth or doesn’t tell you face to face,’’ Bell said Monday during an interview on The Dan Sileo Show on 560 WQAM in Miami.</span><br style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span id="more-13018" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;"></span><br style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"There’s probably reasons why. It’s probably one of those things, like you said, if I said something or I did something, I’m going to own up to it. What you see is what you get.’’</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"We need a guy that leads us that everybody respects and looks up to," Bell said. "That’s what we need."</span></p>
<p> </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Bell is already on shaky ground with the Marlins fanbase, but on Twitter, we learned that it might be the same with his Marlins teammates.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>This is ridiculous.<a title="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/20354185/heath-bell-isnt-happy-with-ozzie-guillen-either" href="http://t.co/ubOFtkko">cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-o…</a></p>
— <span>Justin Ruggiano</span> (@justinruggiano) <a data-datetime="2012-09-24T23:01:07+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/justinruggiano/status/250369301117288448">September 24, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>Ruggiano was then asked to clarify if there is a divide in the locker room over Ozzie Guillen and his management.</p>
<blockquote data-in-reply-to="250369665791045633" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/fadedwight">fadedwight</a> this is one persons opinion. We have a very close locker room.</p>
— Justin Ruggiano (@justinruggiano) <a data-datetime="2012-09-24T23:04:06+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/justinruggiano/status/250370050433875968">September 24, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>Ruggiano is adamant in that Ozzie Guillen has the support from Marlins players. Which makes sense, as he has always been seen as a player's manager. There were notable stories of him sticking up for his players in Chicago.</p>
<p><span>Brett Hayes</span> was quick to back Ruggiano and his defense of Ozzie up:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Hahaha the irony. absolutely rediculous RT "@<a href="https://twitter.com/justinruggiano">justinruggiano</a>: This is ridiculous.<a title="http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/20354185/heath-bell-isnt-happy-with-ozzie-guillen-either" href="http://t.co/qZKdFB1f">cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-o…</a>"</p>
— Brett Hayes (@bretthayes9) <a data-datetime="2012-09-24T23:22:20+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/bretthayes9/status/250374641372262400">September 24, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>The irony to which Hayes is probably referring to might be what Michael pointed out earlier today, in that Ozzie Guillen was always supportive of Bell, even when he was at his low point in April. Ozzie gave Bell as many chances as he could to earn his closer role back.</p>
<p>Of course, there came a point when Ozzie had no choice but to remove Bell as the closer, as it was obvious he was not getting the job done and the Marlins had a better option in <span>Steve Cishek</span>.</p>
<p>As Michael also pointed out this morning, Bell has pitched much better in the second half, and as well as Cishek has at that, too. Bell feels that is enough for him to merit his closer role back, but obviously Ozzie does not agree with that.</p>
<p><b>Should the Marlins Punish Bell?</b></p>
<p>David Hyde, of the Sun-Sentinel made an <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/sfl-hyde5-the-best-tweets-from-debacle-in-seattle-20120925,0,6506656.story" target="_blank">excellent point </a>in his blog today:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. The Marlins should suspend Heath Bell</b> for the rest of the year. OK, so that's just a week. But you can't allow your manager to be ripped like that publicly by a player. What's more, Bell is more responsible for this awful season than Guillen is.</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, I know the Marlins are not exactly happy with Ozzie Guillen, especially after the comments he made about owner Jeffrey Loria. Guillen is clearly on the hot seat and in danger of losing his job. But the Marlins need to send a message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated by the team.</p>
<p>Of course, then the argument could be made that Guillen should be suspended for the comment he made that Loria found derogatory.</p>
<p><b>The Marlins Firing Ozzie Looks Less Smart</b></p>
<p>I was talking to Michael on Saturday and I pointed out that what was interesting was that, with all the Ozzie Guillen hot seat rumors out there, there had been no players coming out to support him. In fact, all season long, I could only recall a Marlins player sticking up for him after the Fidel Castro fiasco.</p>
<p>The Heath Bell comments added fuel to the fire that I believed that the players were not supportive of the loud-mouthed manager.</p>
<p>Luckily for Guillen, two Marlins players stepped up to his defense on Twitter. As Ruggiano pointed out, the Marlins clubhouse is 100 percent behind Guillen, minus Heath Bell, of course.</p>
<p>That was the only point that I believed gave the Marlins front office a justifiable reason to fire Guillen; if the players were not behind him, there was no point in keeping the manager. But with the players seemingly behind Guillen, I cannot see a way that the Marlins firing him can end well.</p>
<p>The Miami Marlins continue to be a joke in a season that was supposed to begin a new era for the team. The Marlins can really thank the NFL and their replacement referees for taking much of the spotlight off of them right now. The Marlins are a complete mess right now and the offseason could not come any quicker for the Marlins at this point.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/25/3373368/miami-marlins-heath-bell-disses-ozzie-guillen-teammates-call-him-outek11242012-09-25T08:00:18-04:002012-09-25T08:00:18-04:00Marlins' Bell Finds Guillen "Hard to Respect"
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fbJyuqChyEz3rZ7DQCDSFJZi-WQ=/14x0:3986x2648/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/8529963/20120819_kkt_su8_231.jpg" />
<figcaption>Presswire</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miami Marlins reliever Heath Bell had some harsh words for embattled manager Ozzie Guillen, implying he was dishonest. Perhaps Bell should worry more about his performance than alienating more members of the Marlins by speaking to the media.</p> <p>There are many things fans can discuss about the 2012 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a> season. One thing that is difficult to discuss without getting furious is the performance of embattled former closer <span>Heath Bell</span>, who received a large contract before the start of the 2012 season, proceeded to have a horrific April and first half, then has settled into a relative groove over the course of the rest of the year.</p>
<p>If that were just the case, fans would perhaps be a little more amenable to Bell's situation. He would be just like any other struggling player who was looking to get back on track, albeit at a position that receives among the greatest amount of scrutiny from fans. But Bell has also been a bit of a loudmouth for most of the season, and that has not endeared him any more to the Miami Marlins fan base. When asked about his early-season struggles, <a href="http://stripclubwithstanton.blogspot.com/2012/05/lessons-in-radio-interviews-dont-be-a.html">he laughed them off and brushed those struggles aside</a> as rudely as the radio announcers teased him about said struggles. When manager Ozzie Guillen questioned his pitch selection, <a href="http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/2012/05/26/a-difference-of-opinion-between-marlins-closer-heath-bell-and-manager-ozzie-guillen/">he complained to the media about it</a>. When Guillen pulled him out of an inning before the final out, Bell had a <a href="http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120613&content_id=33230276&notebook_id=33276382&vkey=notebook_mia&c_id=mia">"misunderstanding"</a> with the manager in the dugout.</p>
<p>So needless to say, these two have not gotten along well, and certainly Bell has not made himself to be a likable character to the fans and media either. So when Bell said the following about Guillen in <a href="http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/marlins/2012/09/24/marlins-closer-heath-bell-criticizes-ozzie-in-radio-interview/">a radio interview yesterday</a>, it should not have surprised anyone.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"It’s hard to respect a guy that doesn’t tell you the truth or doesn’t tell you face to face,’’ Bell said Monday during an interview on The Dan Sileo Show on 560 WQAM in Miami.</span><br style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-size: 13px;" id="more-13018"></span><br style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"There’s probably reasons why. It’s probably one of those things, like you said, if I said something or I did something, I’m going to own up to it. What you see is what you get.’’</span></p>
<p><snip></p>
<p><span style="color: #444444; font-size: 13px;">"We need a guy that leads us that everybody respects and looks up to," Bell said. "That’s what we need."</span></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The words themselves are not surprising, and there is something to be said about the apparent lack of defense of Guillen this season as his job is on the line (more on that a little later). But here, I am not addressing Guillen's job status (there was plenty of that discussion <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/24/3377058/miami-marlins-ozzie-guillen-firing-larry-beinfest-job-security">yesterday</a>). Here, I am interested in talking about Heath Bell.</p>
<p>Yes, Heath Bell has been better in this second half. Yes, he probably deserves a shot at the closer job next season. But the team could use some relative media quiet and fewer distractions amid the firestorm about the jobs of Guillen and the front office. And Bell, who has not been good overall this season, is the <i>last person</i> who should be throwing others under the bus. This is especially true with regards to Guillen, who stuck with Bell when he had few supporters left.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Guillen Remained Loyal</b></p>
<p>Guillen seemed to be almost the last person to lose confidence in Bell as his struggles continued from a horrid April to a better May and a poor June. While Bell failed to earn the trust of Marlins fans everywhere with his struggles, Ozzie Guillen continued to support him through his problems. Repeatedly, Guillen mentioned that the Marlins "were a better team with Bell as the closer" despite Bell's problems. No one was impressed with Bell's massive struggles and the Marlins had to be concerned about their investment. But Guillen stuck with him all the way through the first half, and we even mentioned how loyal and protective Guillen has been of his players in a <a href="http://www.fishstripes.com/2012/6/14/3085356/miami-marlins-ozzie-guillen-not-respected-manager">previous article</a>.</p>
<p>So of all the parties on the Marlins, the last person Bell should be berating and throwing under a bus is Guillen, especially for supposedly being dishonest. Guillen kept him in his job for as long as he possibly could without receiving a massive public backlash, yet Bell's response to that is to bury that person in a radio interview. With fans still angry at his season performance, should Bell really continue to act out publicly along with alienating more members of the clubhouse?</p>
<p><b>Deserving of a Job?</b></p>
<p>Bell seems to be more than ready to compete for a closer's job, and he insinuated that, despite a good second half, Guillen has not allowed him the opportunity to earn back his role. Never mind the fact that Guillen gave Bell a save opportunity and saw him blow it a few weeks ago. Even discounting that, Bell has been significantly better in the second half, and his numbers would indeed challenge current closer <span>Steve Cishek's</span> numbers.</p>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<th>Pitcher, Second Half</th> <th>IP</th> <th>K%</th> <th>BB%</th> <th>ERA</th> <th>FIP</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Heath Bell</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>23.8</td>
<td>6.7</td>
<td>3.13</td>
<td>3.10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Steve Cishek</td>
<td>22 1/3</td>
<td>25.8</td>
<td>10.3</td>
<td>4.03</td>
<td>2.47</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>These are comparable numbers between the two players in a very small 20 or so innings. Sure, by these numbers, you could say that Bell has earned an opportunity to try and win back his closer's role. And the Marlins should not be against that option when they make the decision over the offseason. After all, as bad as Bell has been this year, Cishek has struggled in the second half and has seen his share of problems versus lefties.</p>
<p>But Bell simply does not "deserve" shots at the closer job after failing spectacularly in the first half, as if he is entitled to get the occasional save opportunity. The Marlins can easily reconsider the situation in the offseason, and while trying him in a couple of opportunities would not be a bad idea this late in a meaningless regular season, Guillen and the Marlins have no reason to do it if they do not feel like it.</p>
<p>Bell signed a deal with the organization, and while he may not be in the role he envisioned, the Marlins have no reason to hold him back if they did not feel he was capable of outright winning the job over a successful Cishek. Right now, Bell is at best even with Cishek, and the team has no strong reason to change the current status quo. And with the way that he has spoken about members of the organization such as Guillen, there is no reason for the team to award him any role.</p>
https://www.fishstripes.com/2012/9/25/3385368/miami-marlins-reliever-heath-bell-finds-ozzie-guillen-hard-to-respectMichael Jong