BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com April 10, 2012 11:20PM
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 10: Starlin Castro #13 of the Chicago Cubs slides back into second base safely as Rickie Weeks #23 of the Milwaukee Brewers makes a tag in the third inning on April 10, 2012 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) R:MerlinGetty_Photos142648323.jpg
today
BREWERS AT CUBS
The facts: 1:20 p.m., Ch. 9, 720-AM.
The pitchers: Yovani
Gallardo (0-1, 14.73 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster (0-0, 1.17).
Updated: April 11, 2012 2:21AM
Is anybody surprised that Ozzie Guillen shot off his mouth? Of course not.
Surprised that someone who has spent more than a week in Miami would publicly praise Fidel Castro?
''It wasn't the smartest thing to say,'' said Cubs pitcher Chris Volstad, who grew up in South Florida and spent the last four seasons playing for the Marlins. ''It's become a big story, and I think rightfully so. The population there is heavily Cuban. . . . I think it took a whole lot of people by surprise. I think at first that's why it didn't blow up, until you realized what he said.''
Guillen, the first-year Marlins manager who kept a residence in Miami since long before his eight years managing the White Sox, was suspended for five games by the Marlins on Tuesday, the same day he issued an hour-long public apology for comments to Time magazine, including, ''I love Fidel Castro.''
He's scheduled to return when the Cubs open a three-game series in Miami on Tuesday, figuring to raise the voltage on a series that already might include Carlos Zambrano's first start against his old team.
At least one Cuban-American organization has threatened to demonstrate against Guillen and the Marlins until he's fired.
''Right now, you just hope you're never in that seat, because he's in a difficult situation right now,'' Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. ''It's unfortunate for him and the city of Miami. Just one of those incidents you wish you could have back, but it's not going to go away.''
As rooted in the South Florida community as Volstad is, he doesn't seem to think the comments should, or will, cost Guillen his job.
''Obviously, there's steps that need to be taken,'' he said. ''It's not something that's going to blow over immediately by any means. It'll take some time. It'll definitely take some time. . . .
''He seemed real apologetic. I think he knows it's something that he shouldn't have been said, and I think he's ready to move toward getting past it.''
Big catch
In addition to maybe two starts a week, Sveum said he envisions using lefty-hitting backup catcher Steve Clevenger in more late-inning pinch-hit situations such as Monday's ninth inning, when Clevenger delivered an RBI single.
''You've got to stay away from sometimes using him too early,'' Sveum said of his only backup catcher. ''But that's a nice asset on your bench to be able to use in that situation, because he hits velocity, and that's what his [pinch-hit] at-bats are going to be a lot of times . . . off closers and setup guys.
''He's a valuable weapon. He's probably, if not the best, one of the best backup catchers in all of baseball.''
Starlin starts over
One night after his streak of reaching base was snapped at 43 consecutive games, Starlin Castro started a new streak Tuesday with a double in his first at-bat.
''It's amazing,'' he said of the streak that had dated to August. ''I couldn't keep it going. . . . But I play hard and don't think [about it] too much.''
