Glow is gone for Marlins’ CEO after 2 months
MIAMI — Reacting to the Giancarlo Stanton trade, a Miami Marlins supporter who is a priest suggested in church that fans boycott the team’s games in protest.
Does Derek Jeter have a prayer?
Always a winner as captain of the New York Yankees, Jeter is trying to revive the downtrodden Marlins, and so far, he appears out of his league as a CEO.
Barely two months into the job, he has been faulted for his handling of the Stanton deal, and that’s not all. Critics contend Jeter is to blame for clumsy firings, delegating too much and hanging in the background rather than accepting his role as the face and voice of the franchise.
“It’s definitely different,” former Mets general manager Steve Phillips said. “As a player, everyone had respect for Derek Jeter and kind of treated him with kid gloves. The new role has created a different role for him. We never saw Derek Jeter beat up like this in New York.”
Part of the issue is that Jeter has taken on a task that might be impossible: trying to make baseball succeed in South Florida. The Marlins’ miserable record and attendance year after year has raised doubts about whether the sport belongs in the Sunshine State.
Founding owner Wayne Huizenga drew boos at the ballpark despite the Marlins winning a World Series title in 1997. Jeffrey Loria, who sold the team to Jeter’s group, became wildly unpopular even after his Marlins made a run to another Series championship in 2003.
And now it’s Jeter drawing jeers when he attended a recent Miami Heat game. He also sat in a skybox at Monday night’s Patriots-Dolphins game, raising the question: Why wasn’t he at this week’s winter meetings?
“I was never planning on attending the winter meetings,” Jeter said. “Michael Hill is our president of baseball operations, and that is his job.”
Jeter’s absence reinforces the notion he’s trying to distance himself from the decisions he’s making.
Even before Jeter’s group formally took over the franchise, the Marlins fired Jack McKeon, Jeff Conine, Andre Dawson and Tony Perez, all longtime executives and team ambassadors. There was public backlash, and another when the Marlins fired TV play-byplay announcer Rich Waltz. More negative headlines reported the Marlins fired a scout while he was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery.
Jeter has said little in response to the criticism.
“It has been a learning experience,” Jeter said. “There have been a lot of stories out there that haven’t entirely been true. One thing that has been consistent with me throughout my career is I do not operate through the media.”
But now, the media and fans have turned on Jeter.
“This is an open game,” Phillips said. “My guess is it’s really hard on him right now. You have to have thick skin and be able to take it. But the things he’s hearing, they can go right through your thick skin and into your soul.”
Nothing angered Marlins fans like the departure of Stanton, the NL MVP and majorleague home run king.
Jeter took hits for a trade that appeared to favor his former team, but it should be noted that Stanton first rejected being traded to the Giants or Cardinals.
Nonetheless, the deal marked the start of the franchise’s latest payroll purge. Huizenga and Loria dismantled, too.
Last in the NL in attendance for 12 of the past 13 years, the Marlins lost money this year with the highest payroll in team history. Jeter argues the franchise must live within its means and rebuild a weak farm system to create a foundation for the type of long-term success the Marlins have not enjoyed.
They last reached the playoffs in 2003, and last finished above .500 in 2009.
“The one thing everyone needs to realize is this is an organization that had not been successful,” Jeter said. “I understand. Well, actually, I can’t say I do understand. I don’t understand how the fan base feels, because they have been through quite a bit . ...
“If you haven’t been winning, it’s time to make a change. To make a change, there have to be some moves. There may be some unpopular decisions at times, but we are trying to fix something that is broken.”