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Ozzie Guillen fired: Marlins manager's ego lead to demise

Was Ozzie Guillen's ego the reason Miami decided to fire him after just one season?

Marc Serota

In response to Ozzie Guillen's dismissal, Phil Rogers of the Sun Sentinel asserts that the manager's ego is to blame for his rapid demise. Rogers writes:

He was a showman as a player but never put himself above the game and his team, but as a manager he allowed his ego and the need for attention to distract him from the thankless tasks that come with preparing a team and handling talented players.

In April, Guillen drew negative attention to himself and the team with inflammatory comments on Fidel Castro. In his final years with the White Sox, Guillen's use of social media frustrated Chicago management.

After just one season of Ozzie Guillen, Miami decided to cut its ties with the manager. Guillen originally signed a four-year contract worth $10 million.

Manager's ego aside, the Marlins were a disappointment this season. They finished in dead-last in the National League East with a record of 69-93, which is their worst mark since 1999. The blame for such a poor record cannot rest solely with Guillen, as Miami began selling off many of its high-priced pieces in the second half of the year.

Attendance in their new stadium was equally disappointing. Marlins Park drew just 27,400 fans per game, which ranked 18th in the majors.

Photographs by cstreet.us, thelastminute, turtlemom nancy , fesek, kthypryn, justinwright, sue_elias, pointnshoot, and scrapstothefuture used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.