Miami Marlins’ 2023 Playoff Clinch Earns Derek Jeter Criticism One Year After Abrupt Departure

There are rarely any players as loved as Derek Jeter. The retired New York Yankees slugger’s play at shortstop and his famous ability as a clutch hitter earned him fans around the league. Any way one looks at it, Captain Clutch was a popular figure in baseball. But his fortunes reversed when Jeter shifted from Yankees’ shortstop to Miami Marlins CEO.

From 2017 to 2022, Magic City saw some drastic changes happen to its Major League Baseball team. Fans praised a few moves, like the introduction of a mandatory Spanish language course. But others, like the multiple firings in the front office and player trades, weren’t received too kindly. Now, as the team clinches the fourth playoff berth in franchise history, some cannot help but look back at the dark times.

Miami Marlins Fans Blast Derek Jeter While Praising Kim Ng

It’s official, the Fightin’ Fish are headed to October. With a recent victory over The Pittsburgh Pirates, The Marlins claimed one of the two remaining NL Wild Card spots yesterday. While 2023 has been rather underwhelming, the team fired up in its last month of the season, seemingly determined to make it to the playoffs. It’s a long cry from what The Marlins were like when Derek Jeter called the shots.

Wanting to build up the organization from the bottom up, the former Yankees player made changes that seemed rather extreme to many. With Kim Ng by his side as the first female general manager in MLB, the two were going to build something great. But four years into his role, Jeter announced he was stepping down from his position in February 2022. The team was nowhere near where it should ideally have been.

Fans announced it a terrible mess and took it out on Jeter, who had left them in that state. A lot more responsibility landed on Ng’s shoulders. With many huge players traded in their former owner’s reign, all Miami had was less than popular names. But looking at 2023’s results, at least one of Jeter’s huge decisions paid off.

The Marlins worked together to regain fan favor and rebuild their reputation. With Ng as GM and first-year manager Skip Schumaker leading the charge, 2023 has been record-breaking. The Dark Ages in Magic City might end soon after all.

Even the Previous Owner Put the Blame on Jeter

When Jeffrey Loria handed over the Marlins to Derek Jeter, he was probably not expecting the state the former shortstop left it in later on. One of the many decisions contested was the removal of the iconic home run sculpture from loanDepot Park. Instead of keeping it in center field, where it troubled players on occasion, Jeter moved it to an outdoor plaza.

READ MORE – Two Years After Derek Jeter’s Exit, $500 Million Worth Miami Marlins Owner Commits to Stay on For Life

Loria was livid. “Jeter came in and destroyed the ballpark,” the former owner said later. “Destroying public art was a horrible thing to do.” Even a year later, many cannot forget the incident. Instead of going into business, Jeter now stays connected to baseball as an MLB analyst for FOX Sports.

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