Marlins CEO Derek Jeter continues to convince fans to "believe and to come to the ballpark to watch a team" that he and Owner Bruce Sherman "gutted in a massive ground-up rebuild," according to Greg Cote of the MIAMI HERALD. Jeter was at Marlins Park this week for a food-tasting event when he said, "One thing you always remember is the experience you had while you were at the park. We want it to be a positive experience. We want people to enjoy themselves. Look, people come and they don’t even know who won or lost sometimes. They don’t even know who was playing. But they do know if they had a good experience, and that’s what we’re focusing on." Cote writes the problem is "saying you are focusing on a 'good experience' when any fan over the age of 7 would suggest that a good ballpark experience begins with winning, with a team to be proud of." Miami is a "smart enough fan base to not be fooled into forgetting that everything starts with a competitive team" (MIAMI HERALD, 3/8). ESPN's Dan La Batard said Jeter is "playing the handbook that every ownership group in Miami has ever played, saying all the same things, as if they're novel." La Batard: "We've heard all of them." ESPN's Israel Gutierrez: "Never once have I walked into an arena or stadium and said, 'Man, this place reminds me of home, I want to come to these games more often.' No. It's all about the product on the field. He has no idea what he's doing from a PR standpoint, outside of insulting a bunch of fans" ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 3/6).
