Jeter: No time frame for Marlins being playoff contender
MIAMI — As the Miami Marlins enter the second year of its new ownership regime — led by Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter — it’s evident the franchise is still very much in the rebuilding stage.
From revamping player development to international scouting, changes have been taking place throughout the organization.
As Jeter addressed the media Monday morning a few rows behind home plate, it seemed appropriate that the sounds of construction crew machinery frequently drowned out the team’s CEO as renovations continued on the team’s new outfield fan section.
“We’re excited about the direction [of the franchise],” Jeter said. “We still have a long way to go; I don’t know if I’ll ever be satisfied. As an organization, we’ve taken some great strides, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Two days from the beginning of spring training, Jeter discussed a variety of topics as the Marlins prepare for the season.
After finishing 63-98 last year, the Marlins are still in the early stages of their rebuild and have been projected by most outlets to finish last in the National League East.
While change takes time and can be incremental, Jeter didn’t give a time frame when asked when he thinks the Marlins will realistically be a serious contender again.
“I don’t put a time frame on it, because anytime you put a time frame on it, you’re telling your team it’s OK to accept mediocrity,” Jeter said. “That’s not the case. I said it before and I’ll say it again — when you’re competing, you’re competing to win. You do that every single day. Every day you come out and play a game, you have an opportunity to win. That’s the mindset I want throughout this organization and the mindset we’re creating in the minor league system and we’re going to bring it up to Miami.
“You never put a time frame on it. You come out and say it’s going to take us, five, 10, 15 years, you’re saying it’s OK to lose and that’s not the case.”
One of the Marlins’ biggest initiatives this offseason has been reconnecting with the Miami community in an effort to boost attendance, which was worst in the league last season.
The majority of the outreach has been specifically targeted toward Miami — as opposed to Broward or Palm Beach counties, which have a large contingent of supporters. When asked if there were any plans to lure more Broward County fans, Jeter said the immediate focus was on targeting the local audience.
“I think for us, we have to worry about obviously getting the fan base that’s closest to us. Whether that’s Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Brickell, Pinecrest. All these areas, we really have to focus on marketing toward them and getting them to the park and experience this Marlins brand of baseball now. I think we need to focus on what’s closest to us and then build out.
“We need to focus on the community that’s closest to the park.”
wdusenbury@sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @dusereport