The Marlins' annual Fish 'N Chips charity casino night last Thursday "promised 'an evening of fun ... with your favorite Marlins players, coaches and alumni,'" but it was "conspicuous for the absence" of any current players, according to Craig Davis of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. The fact that no players attended "prompted a flurry of criticism on social media as well as conspiracy theories that it may have been an organized protest by players upset about the change of managers" from Mike Redmond to Dan Jennings. Marlins P Steve Cishek said, "That's not the case at all. We have D.J.'s back, and of course he has our back. It was just bad timing, really. That's all it was." Marlins President David Samson indicated that although attendance was optional, he "was upset that no players were present" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 5/23). Cishek said, "I can see why people are making a big deal about it -- people pay money, want to be around the players. But you've got to realize we were here all day. Everyone is exhausted. You look at Dee Gordon, he’s stumbling around the locker room after the game, played his heart out. Everyone battled (Thursday). It was just not the right timing." In Miami, Manny Navarro noted the Marlins' 7-6 loss to the D-backs on Thursday afternoon was their seventh in a row. However, Samson said that neither the losing streak nor the long day "were valid excuses for players to skip the event." He added, "I think, win or lose, what we do in the community matters most." Navarro noted Jennings and most of his coaching staff "did attend Thursday night’s event," as did President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill. Jennings said that he hopes fans "will eventually cut the players some slack" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/23).
