Jeter throws ‘rebuild’ out of vocabulary
Derek Jeter wants you to know that everything you think you know about his Marlins is wrong.
That he invested a measly (for him) sum into the ownership group? That he fired that scout recovering from colon cancer surgery and needing a kidney? That the franchise has money problems?
All wrong, he insists, stubbornly fighting off the claims like an 0-2 curveball.
Even the fact the Marlins are going through a rebuild, which would seem incontrovertible this offseason, is not a reality in Jeter’s world.
The Yankees legend has banned the word “rebuild” for Marlins employees. “Build” is the preferred nomenclature.
No. 2 has launched his defense for No. 1 in a Sports Illustrated feature published online Wednesday, in which Jeter may not have answers, but he does have eye rolls.
First, the investment. The amount Jeter poured into buying the franchise appears to be a sore point for him. Bruce Sherman is truly the wallet behind the $1.2 billion purchase, and the reports have been consistent that Jeter chipped in $25 million.
Jeter is and was the face, not the bank, of the group. But that face had to cough up more than a pittance of his reported $185 million net worth — Sports Illustrated quoted a source saying the total was $37.9 million.
“I keep hearing about my ‘modest’ investment,” Jeter said. “I wish that were the case. One, it’s not small. And two, that’s not accurate, no.”
So, what number is accurate? Jeter didn’t say.
And that scout? Marty Scott, whom Jeter fired while he was lying in a hospital bed?
The Marlins say that wasn’t a Jeter decision. GM Michael Hill said they reviewed all of the incumbents, deciding whom to retain, and they put off Scott’s review because of his hospitalization. So Scott was let go late in the process, which makes finding another job more difficult.
The Marlins insist Jeter wasn’t behind the decision, perhaps ignoring that he is the face of the organization and those personnel moves go up the ladder, so Jeter does get briefed.
“The scout, I don’t even want to get into,” Jeter said. “He has health issues. There’s no reason to go down that path.”
And what about the most long-term concern: that this ownership group does not have the funds to put a successful team on the field? The Marlins have had a fire sale, eliminating virtually every quality player with a significant contract from their roster. The team is stripping down to its bones, and the concern is whether the franchise can build back up and spend money when it’s prudent. Or even if the group has the funds to complete the purchase from Jeffrey Loria.
As soon as Jeter’s crew won the bid, its members started canvassing Miami businessmen looking for investors. Jeter categorized that as simply wanting to get local people involved and not a sign of trouble.
“People thinking that we are out there raising money because we are broke, that is not the case,” Jeter said. “One thing we wanted was to have local people in Miami invested in the team — to add to our group. It makes us stronger as an organization. Having said that, if we don’t raise another dime — hey, we’ve got a lot of money. Don’t think that we don’t.”
Just trust him.