Marlins' Run On "The Franchise" Wraps Up; Some Players Happy To See Cameras Leave

The final episode of Showtime’s “The Franchise” featuring the Marlins airs at tonight at 10:00pm ET, and some members of the team “privately are happy the cameras are gone,” according to Juan Rodriguez of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. For the most part, everyone “interacted well with the crew, which received unprecedented access.” MLB Productions Senior Field Producer Jason Katz said, "This is the most access we've ever gotten on any show we've ever done.” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said of the MLB Productions field staff, "Those people, they're good. ... They should continue to do it. Hopefully when they pick somebody they win for them.” Marlins P Heath Bell said that the show “did not do him any favors” when he was “prominently featured because of his early season struggles.” He also “took issue with how segments were edited.” Bell: "I really learned how a reality show can hurt a personal life. It all depends how they want to put a spin on it. If the producers or the guy that cuts and edits, if he wants to bash somebody or if he wants to make it look bad he can definitely do that." Bell, when was asked what he would tell fellow players featured on future seasons, said, "I'd stay off camera" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 8/22).

FISH STORY: MLB Network’s Kevin Millar said “The Franchise” is stopping a week early "because the Marlins stink.” Millar: “Hadn’t been the kind of season the Marlins thought. They have all of these casts of characters they signed in the offseason and they said, ‘No, no, we're done.’ This is part of that distraction scene. It's not the production. MLB Production does a great job with this, believe me. But when you lose them, it turns into a distraction" (“Intentional Talk,” MLB Network, 8/20). The N.Y. Daily News' Bob Raissman said, "This series started out with promise, with Ozzie Guillen with the Castro comments and it looked like it would be a good rolling series, but now Ozzie lost his shot at getting an Emmy. But then again, who would want to listen to his Emmy acceptance speech?” (“Daily News Live,” SportsNet N.Y., 8/20).