Marlins Man Versus Derek Jeter, Who Ya Got?
By Jason Lisk
One man was ever-present in late October, always visible in key moments. The other is ruining his legacy by being associated with the Miami Marlins. Yes, I’m talking about Marlins Man, and Derek Jeter, or maybe it’s Derek Jeter and Marlins Man.
Darren Rovell has reported the news that Marlins Man (Laurence Leavy) is becoming a free agent and will no longer be a season ticket holder of the Miami Marlins.
"Leavy presented the Marlins with an offer, as well as signed checks that they could cash, on Dec. 27, as first reported this week by local Florida radio personality Andy Slater. Leavy’s offer was $200,000 for three years of four Diamond Club seats behind home plate, figuring a 10 percent discount for the Marlins’ lack of stars and a 10 percent discount for paying everything up front. Leavy said he paid $250 per ticket per game last year for his best seats. The Marlins came back asking for $260 for those seats over three years for what Leavy said was “a worse product with all the All-Stars gone.”"
So, just so we are clear, the Marlins–who are fielding an objectively awful product and are projected to win 64.5 games this year–turned down $200,000 up front based on a $10,000 difference over that time. On the one hand, we have an attention-seeking fan who has become famous for wearing his Marlins gear at games all across the country. On the other hand, he wasn’t asking for free tickets on the basis of being Marlins Man, and we have one of the cheapest franchises in sport, which have apparently somehow become worse with new ownership.
According to Leavy, an earlier discussion with the Marlins was not productive: “They said that I did nothing for the team, I don’t promote the Marlins, nobody buys season tickets because of me, nobody buys advertising because of me, and they don’t care what I do.”
Jeter is one of the new owners and the public face–whether he likes it or not–of the current ownership in Miami. Leavy also dropped this shade on Jeter: “Derek Jeter is a Hall of Fame player and a virgin and inexperienced corporate owner and baseball manager of a team. I wish them luck and success, and I hope that they have a winning team in my lifetime.”
I hope he at least sends him a gift basket.