BASEBALL:MANAGER Ozzie Guillen was suspended by the Miami Marlins for five games after making comments in support of former Cuban President Fidel Castro.

Guillen, a Venezuelan who has lived in Miami for a decade, apologised at a news conference yesterday. “Today will be the last time this person talks about politics,” Guillen said during a 49-minute televised session. “This was a very bad moment. I learned a lot.”

Guillen told Time magazine for an article for April 5th: “I love Fidel Castro,” before clarifying his comments, according to the magazine. “The Marlins acknowledge the seriousness of the comments attributed to Guillen,” the Major League Baseball team said. “The pain and suffering caused by Fidel Castro cannot be minimized, especially in a community filled with victims of the dictatorship.”