He basically called him a tough son of a bitch. That's offensive high praise? Even the Cuban refugees who hate him know that is fact, and "son of a bitch" isn't terribly supportive.
People who may otherwise give the Marlins their money are offended. If your business depends on other people giving you money, it’s best not to offend those people, be it rational or not.
While your point is valid, I can still understand why it may have offended the local Cubans. What the heck is the manager of the baseball team making stupid or misunderstood remarks when you’re trying to sell stadium tickets for the new arena!