Heath Bell and Ozzie Guillen apparently don't have much respect for each other, creating a rather awkward situation for the Marlins.
Bell sounded off about Guillen on Monday, hinting during a radio interview that it's "hard to respect" the Marlins skipper. Guillen not only expressed similar sentiments about Bell when asked about the situation on Tuesday, but Bell was forced to listen to Guillen's entire radio segment in the Marlins clubhouse, according to The Miami Hearld's Clark Spencer.
Spencer tweeted about the bizarre series of events on Tuesday. Marlins infielder Greg Dobbs reportedly ushered reporters out of the clubhouse, and unidentified teammates reportedly cranked the volume on Guillen's weekly radio call-in show on 790 The Ticket, forcing Bell to listen to their manager answer questions about the controversy.
According to Spencer, sources said the point was for players to show they supported their manager and to humiliate Bell. It looks like the mission may have been accomplished, as Guillen had some rather candid words — as he usually does.
"As a player, yes. As a guy, I don't know," Guillen said during his radio appearance of whether he respects Bell.
Much of the criticism toward Bell apparently comes from the reliever's outspokenness when it comes to others in the clubhouse.
"I am the No. 10 guy he's talked about this year," Guillen reportedly said. "This kid has been saying so many things all year about a lot of people. It was my turn this week.
"Last week it was somebody else, the pitching coach. The week before it was the catchers, and the week before that it was the scouting report," Guillen added. "When all these things pile up, then you don't have respect for someone. When you read every week, it's another [excuse], another, another … all kind of stuff. You have to have principles. You have to look yourself in the mirror and blame yourself."
Bell tried to backtrack a bit on Tuesday, claiming that some of what he said on Monday was taken out of context and that he has always given Guillen respect. The reliever even said he tried to call Guillen on Monday night to apologize, but the Marlins manager said he didn't recognize the number so he didn't answer. Guillen also claims he mistakenly deleted Bell's message.
In other words, Bell's efforts to make good might be too little, too late.
"No matter what he said," Guillen said, "it's not going to resolve anything."
Bell understands he's now in a tough situation, even noting that his teammates might not have as much respect for him now.
"Yeah," Bell said. "I've pretty much lost all that."
Then again, it all makes sense. Losing, after all, has been a common theme with this year's Marlins.
Heath Bell photo (left) via Wikipedia/Heath Bell
