Derek Jeter is expected to wash his hands clean of any awkward confrontations with a few Miami Marlins’ staff members, and it appears he’ll be doing it with a large hand sanitizer dispenser located in his brand new office.
On Tuesday, the Marlins’ Twitter account posted a photo of Jeter — the franchise’s new CEO — situated behind his desk with two iPads nearby. Underneath the photo, the caption reads, “A new era begins.”
The $1.2 billion sale of Jeffrey Loria’s Marlins, which was led by an investment group of new principal owner Bruce Sherman and Jeter, became official on Monday. The former Yankee captain expressed his excitement of joining Miami’s front office in a post on his website, The Players’ Tribune, saying, “We’re going to develop a winning culture.”
“The way I see it, doing things the right way, over and over, leads to sustained success,” Jeter said in his post. “I’m not just talking about wins and losses — winning games is very important to everyone — but also about developing a winning culture throughout the organization. That’s what is most important, and that journey starts today. It will not happen overnight. But our ownership group is focused on building a team that this community can be proud of.”
Jeter also mentioned his fondness for Miami, and that he aims to embrace the city’s diversity and culture while at the helm.
“This is Miami’s team. We’re committed to celebrating what makes this community great,” he said. “Over time, we want you to get to know us as an organization. More importantly, we want to get to know you.
“The truth is, the purchase of the team has been a long process. It’s been draining at times. But we stuck with it because we believe in Miami, we believe in this organization and, with your help, we believe we will turn it around.”
According to multiple reports, Jeter is expected to fire former Marlins’ manager and Loria’s special assistant Jack McKeon, as well as special assistants Jeff Conine, Tony Perez, and Andre Dawson.
Jeter, who has close to a four-percent stake in the franchise, will run baseball and business operations. In a news conference Tuesday, Jeter told reporters that he’s eager to learn how to manage a rebuilding organization.
“I’m not coming in here thinking I know everything about team ownership. I do not,” Jeter told the Associated Press. “One thing I’m good at is knowing what I do not know. I surround myself with people who are much smarter than I am.
“We have some wonderful people who are working in this organization now. We are going to add some quality people as well to help us turn this organization around.”
