New ballgame for Jeter when Yanks play Fish
JUPITER, Fla. — In one rather significant way, this had to feel like Groundhog Day for the Marlins’ new CEO. How many times, after all, has he heard the “DER-ek JE-ter” chant? Upon hearing this at the start of Sunday’s Yankees-Marlins game — a sellout thanks primarily to the transplanted and vacationing New Yorkers on site — at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jeter offered his characteristic smile and papal wave. Then he sat in his owners’ suite alongside wife Hannah … and, for the first time in person, rooted against the Yankees. “Quite the deal when he walked in,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, whose 2004 offseason injury led to Jeter and his eternal frenemy Alex Rodriguez being teammates for nine seasons. “I heard the people going crazy when he got up in his little suite,” Aaron Judge said. Jeter didn’t make himself available for comment at any point during the Marlins’ 7-5 victory. To be fair to him, most owners limit their public comments. To be fair to you, he never says much of substance, anyway, even when he does speak. Nevertheless, it had to feel weird for him. He visited with some Yankees officials, including Boone and general manager Brian Cashman, shortly before the first pitch. He didn’t see any of the players because they were getting ready for the game, and while Jeter has met guys like Judge and his shortstop successor Didi Gregorius, none of his former teammates made the trip across the state. Nor did his former employee Giancarlo Stanton, whom Jeter probably should consider more of a bona fide enemy than a frenemy. Judge rewarded the thousands of Yankees fans here with his first homer of the spring, a blast to left field that, according to Boone, landed on the walkway of the Marlins’ clubhouse (we media folk were interviewing Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery at the time). In batting practice, Judge hit the roof of that same building, which thrilled those same fans. “I didn’t even see where it landed,” Judge said. “I just tried to stick to my [opposite-field] approach and I was able to catch one out in front.”
Asked for a progress report, Judge said, “I was a little further along last spring, just because I didn’t have my [left shoulder] injury. Right now, I’m still working on my swing. I’m just trying to be ready for Opening Day.”
The prognosis is positive. Gregorius added a homer of his own. And while Stanton didn’t come — Boone insisted the decision had nothing to do with keeping Stanton out of his old workplace — the Marlins’ return for him, Starlin Castro, helped his prior team by taking out old pals Miguel Andujar, Estevan Florial, Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres to dinner Saturday night at an area Capital Grille.
“Yeah, I paid,” Castro said. “Those guys don’t make money yet.”
As for Torres, his eventual (the Yankees hope) successor at second base who is enduring a rough camp, “We’ve been talking,” Castro said. “He told me he feels good. He’s ready to take off. I tell him, ‘ Keep playing hard. Keep preparing mentally to play in New York. You’ve got to show who you are. You’ve got a lot of tools. You’ve got to show them.’ ”
Jeter’s Marlins showed the Yankees a little something, although no one doubts it’ll be a long, long year for the Fish after trading Stanton and their other top players. The few Marlins fans here could take solace in the fact that Gary Denbo, in attendance as Miami’s vice president of player development and scouting, helped put together the Baby Bombers. He even organized the “Captains Camp” in 2015 and 2016 when Judge and other youngsters dined with Jeter.
“He’s a professional. He’s one of the guys I looked up to,” Judge said of Jeter. “He always played the game the right way. He respects not only the game but respects his opponent. Respects his teammates. Respects the game.”
The Yankees and Marlins face off for real April 16 in The Bronx. You think this felt weird for Jeter? That, if he attends, will feel really similar — and really different — for the Captain-turned-CEO.