Derek Jeter is intent on making the Marlins relevant in the Miami/South Florida market.
One way he wants to accomplish that goal: speak the fans' language. In this case, that means learning Spanish.
Jeter and the team's front office are taking lessons, and he wants to extend that instruction to the organization's English-speaking players and coaches.
"Everybody expects the Latin players to make an effort to speak English. Well, especially here in Miami, if you don't speak Spanish, you don't fit in. I think it's important.," Jeter, the Marlins' CEO and top baseball executive, told ESPN's Jerry Crasnick for a longform story published Tuesday.
FLASHBACK: Jeter insists Marlins aren't tanking
That sentiment meshes with Jeter telling Crasnick that the atmosphere at Marlins Park needs to better reflect its heavily Latino home.
"Everything that happens in this park has to capture the energy, culture and diversity of Miami. We are catering to that diversity, from the music to the food," Jeter was quoted as saying.
The Marlins are last in the National League East after an offseason in which they traded their entire starting outfield (Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna) and their everyday second baseman (Dee Gordon) to reduce the payroll.
Fans are responding by not showing up. Miami is last in the majors in average attendance (9,677 per game), a figure that represents tickets sold rather than previous ownership's metric of tickets distributed.
Marlins fans that have attended games have seen several well-regarded Latino players who could become part of the team's young core, in particular pitchers Jose Urena, Sandy Alcantara, Tayron Guerrero, Elieser Hernandez and Jorge Lopez, and outfielder Magneuris Sierra. Alcantara and Sierra were acquired from the Cardinals in the trade for Ozuna.
