20 years after shocking World Series title, former owner Jeffrey Loria looks back on Marlins tenure
PHILADELPHIA – Former Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria had no idea. This was all news to him. This news clearly did not spread in Paris.
Just three years after being hailed an industry leader when she hired Kim Ng as the first female general manager in baseball history, the Marlins ruthlessly ousted her two weeks after winning the top job first in the playoffs for an entire season.
Well, technically Ng left on his own, refusing to accept a demotion with the planned hiring of a baseball operations manager while accepting a one-year general option, but It was rude to tell her that they didn’t believe in her. Who knows, maybe they never really wanted to hire him in the first place.
And now they’ve gotten rid of Ng and the man responsible for hiring him, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. “She did the right thing in leaving, she did a great job,” Loria told USA TODAY Sports after being informed of the decision. “There may have been other people pulling the strings there, but that’s not a good way to reward the guy who got you into the playoffs.”
How about Jeter, who resigned with a year left on his five-year, $25 million contract?
“Let me just say it’s a long way to go from shortstop to CEO and head of baseball operations,” Loria said. “I couldn’t believe Jeter fired everybody, even the great talent evaluators. How could he let Andre Dawson and Tony Perez go? I shake my head at some of the things that happened.”
This is the 20-year anniversary of the Marlins’ stunning World Series championship, bringing a 72-year-old out of retirement (Jack McKeon) to manage in mid-season, calling up a 20-year-old third baseman (Miguel Cabrera) from Class AA to learn a new position in the major leagues, inadvertently making a household name out of a Chicago Cubs fan (Steve Bartman), knocking off the mighty New York Yankees with an unconventional pitching decision, and introducing a gaudy World Series ring that is now the standard for all sports teams.
“Twenty years have passed in record time,” said Loria, who wrote the 432-page memoir, “From The Front Row:
Reflections of a Major League Baseball Owner and Modern Art Dealer.” years old (82), flies every year.”
Loria, who sold the Marlins for $1.2 billion in 2017 after buying the franchise for $158.5 million, watches a lot of games on his iPhone himself, but didn’t miss it after being an owner for 17 years with the Montreal Expos and Marlins.
He cringes about what is happening in Miami. He believes that Jeter ruined the ballpark by removing their home run sculpture behind the center-field fence. He wonders what owner Bruce Sherman is doing after firing so many of his employees, and now forcing Ng out. And he worries whether the franchise will ever be successful.
“I wished them good luck when I left,” Loria says, “but I don’t know if they should be doing what they’re doing, whatever that is.”
The Marlins created shock waves in the industry when they parted company with Ng, leaking that their reasoning was they were upset with their drafts and farm development under her watch. Then they turned around and fired several other employees, including amateur scouting director D.J. Svihlik, who has been with the organization since 2017.
So much for the good vibes of the 20-year reunion.
In fact, it all started when Loria, on the advice of tourism secretary Bill Beck, hired McKeon, who hadn’t played baseball in three years. The Marlins were leading 16-22, Loria wanted to fire Jeff Torborg and Loria heard Beck tell him he should interview McKeon.
“So I called him, met on Collins Avenue, and there was an older man sitting there with a plaid shirt and another pair of plaid pants,” Loria said. “I said, ‘Jack?’ He said, “Jerry?
“And that’s how our beautiful relationship began.”
McKeon led the Marlins to a Wildcard berth in an era of only one Wildcard team, defeating the San Francisco Giants in the NL Division Series, shocking the Cubs after a 3-games-to-1 lead, then transforming the baseball world. upside down by beating the Yankees with a payroll three times Miami’s.
“This is something I will cherish forever,” Loria said. “I can still see almost every play, every inning, all the excitement in Chicago hearing Pudge Rodriguez say, ‘We’re going to win this for you.’ , Jack.'”
It was Hall of Fame catcher Rodriguez, along with several players, who asked Loria during their playoff game whether their potential World Series rings would be white or gold diamonds or not.
“Just win the [expletive] World Series,” Loria said, “and you’ll see.”
What they didn’t realize was that Loria, the art dealer, would design a the ring that could change the sport forever. The ring weighs 100.6 grams with a gem weight of 4.75 carats, including 228 white diamonds.
It’s not really a ring but a wearable trophy.
“I’m an art dealer trying to create something great,” Loria said. “I wanted it to be special, I wanted it to be like a sculpture. I said, ‘Boys, you’re going to have the biggest, most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, but just win the damn World Series damn it.
” Now, as you can see, it has changed championship rings, with this amazing, impressive style, in all sports.”
This will never happen again. could now be done, Loria said, without hiring McKeon and Call-up Cabrera, 20 He was playing in Class AA, strictly as a third baseman, and the Marlins needed an outfielder. Loria suggested Cabrera, who was shot down by general manager Larry Beinfest.
“I told him he had no choice, Cabrera came in, hit a home run in the 10th inning, and that was the beginning of his Hall of Fame career. ”
It was in the World Series against the Yankees. that Loria has decided to exercise her power again. He sat on the bench during batting practice before the first game and noticed that the Marlins were afraid of Yankee Stadium, fearing they didn’t belong there.
Loria turned to McKeon and said, “I think we’ve got a problem. They’re playing ‘New York, New York’ by Frank Sinatra. My players are coming up from center field, where they’re at Monument.” Park, looked into the Yankees dugout and looked completely intimidated. Some players have never even been to New York.
So Loria asked McKeon if he could talk to the team.
McKeon’s answer:
“That’s your [expletive] group, Jeffrey. You are the owner. You can do whatever you want.”
Loria walked into the clubhouse with a baseball bat, picked it up and slammed it on the table.
“Look, half a season later you have the best record in baseball,” Loria shouted. “You have a leader in your manager. If you believe in him and in yourself, you will be part of the program.
“Oh, and you know, all the player names you saw in Monument Park are dead.”
Loria was again interrupted before the end of the series after McKeon decided to start ace Josh Beckett on short rest. McKeon could have waited until Game 7 when Beckett was on regular rest, but according to McKeon, they had no chance of winning Game 7 at Yankee Stadium.
Loria, knowing that 23-year-old Beckett would be nervous, called him to his hotel room the morning of the match.
“I said, ‘Josh, you have the worst dress sense on the team,'” Loria recalls. “I said, ‘Why don’t you come with me. We’ll go to Barneys, buy you some new shirts. Really, I was just trying to distract him.
“Well, I walked onto the field campaigning late in the afternoon, he was sitting in front of the club’s television watching cartoons. I knew then that no one could stop him. will be broadcast regularly during this year’s World Series. They would show Cabrera getting knocked out by Roger Clemens, belittling him, then hitting a home run. They will present a brilliant performance by Beckett.
And they’ll definitely show it to McKeon. , chewing his cigar, led the Marlins to one of the most improbable World Series championships in history.
“Jack is my hero,” Loria said. “I really think so. Not only does he belong in the Hall of Fame, but he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame in the golden chair. Look at what he’s done for the game, as a general manager and manager , win.” a World Series, why wouldn’t he fit in?
If Loria remains owner, 92-year-old McKeon will manage the Marlins at least one game past his 88th birthday, making him the oldest manager in history, surpassing Connie Mack.
Again, if Loria were still the owner, he would be vehemently opposed to establishing an expansion franchise in Montreal (“they don’t deserve it”), strongly considering creating one power in Indianapolis (“right in the middle of the country”). , and do everything possible to make sure the Tampa Bay Rays get a new stadium for owner Stu Sternberg (“a wonderful, brilliant man”).
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