Former Miami Marlins exec on Derek Jeter's overbearing style: "He erased anything I had done. And figured he could do Costanza"
When Derek Jeter retired from baseball in 2014, it was after 22 years of playing shortstop for the New York Yankees.
During that time, Jeter won five World Series rings, five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and a Rookie of the Year Award. In 2020, he received nearly 100% of first-ballot votes to punch his ticket to immortality in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
As legendary as Jeter was on the field, his post-retirement work did not have such a sublime impact on those around him. A former colleague has recently alleged the same as well.
In 2017, Derek Jeter and colleague Bruce Sherman entered a deal to purchase the Miami Marlins. Although Jeter only controlled 4% of the franchise, his baseball experience led to him being named CEO.
In a recent piece for MassLive, writer Nick O'Malley gave voice to some rather harsh accusations leveled against Jeter's style in the role by David Samson. Samson was a former executive vice president of the Marlins.
"“So he erased anything I had done. And figured he could do [George] Costanza, which is opposite day. Anything I did, he did the opposite and assumed it would work.” - David Samson
In the hilarious quote, Samson compared Jeter to George Costanza, a popular character on popular American sitcom Seinfeld. In one episode, Costanza attempts a radical change by doing the opposite of everything he and his friends would normally say, think, and do.
Samson claimed that Jeter came in with grandiose plans to rebuild the team, which was struggling at the time. According to him, the Yankees legend's style was difficult at worst and obstructionist at best.
“I love it when people doubt me. It makes me work harder to prove them wrong.”
~ Derek Jeter
#Yankees #RepBX https://t.co/q5WRrYalVN
"“I love it when people doubt me. It makes me work harder to prove them wrong.” - Derek Jeter" - Bronx Zoo NYY
Under Derek Jeter, the Marlins made the postseason in 2020 for the first time since 2003, but were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the first round. Following their unsuccessful return to the playoffs, Jeter relinquished his role as the CEO of the team and transitioned to other ways of spending his retirement.
Derek Jeter's case shows that the best players are not always the best managers
Derek Jeter will always be a legend for New York Yankees fans. However, just because he had superlative abilities on the field, that does not mean that he possesses them off of it.
Although Jeter's time with the Miami Marlins is behind him, he may not be in any rush to rejoin a front office any time soon.