CLEVELAND - White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez diplomatically stopped short of taking former manager Ozzie Guillen to task for his inflammatory remarks about Fidel Castro, saying he hopes a forthcoming apology is accepted by those whom Guillen offended.

"I haven't specifically heard what Ozzie said,'' Ramirez said through a translator before the Sox opened a three-game series against the Indians in Cleveland. "But I would just say whatever his thoughts, whatever his comments, those are Ozzie's comments. That's more on him.''

Guillen last week told Time magazine that he "loves" and respects Castro, a brutal Cuban dictator. Ramirez left Cuba for the Dominican Republic in 2007. Asked if he found it offensive that anyone in baseball would support Castro, Ramirez said, "Everybody is free to have an opinion. It's one of those that there are some people who like Castro and some people who don't. In Miami, it's definitely of a different thought frame. I think that his opinion is not the same opinion I have.''

Ramirez said he hopes Guillen's apology is accepted.

"Apologizing is definitely a big first step,'' Ramirez said. "Everyone has an opinion but I also feel that people should be forgiven. If he's going to apologize, hopefully it will be accepted.''