'Mr. Marlin' Conine leaves team after refusing reduced role under Jeter
Derek Jeter's Miami Marlins takeover has now officially pushed out one club legend.
Jeff Conine, well known to fans of the franchise as "Mr. Marlin," revealed to the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer and Barry Jackson on Thursday that he will step away from the club after rejecting an offer from Jeter for a lesser, lower-paying role with the team. Since 2008, Conine has served as a special assistant to former president David Samson, who wasn't retained when Jeter and Bruce Sherman bought the team from ex-owner Jeffrey Loria.
Conine didn't share specifics on what Jeter's offer entailed, but sources told Spencer and Jackson the new position came with less responsibility and would only pay half of his reported $100,000 salary.
"It was diminished everything across the board," Conine said. "I didn't feel it was worth my time and I’m going to explore other opportunities."
Conine spent a majority of his 17 seasons with the then-Florida Marlins, helping the club win two World Series in 1997 and 2003. He returned to the Marlins on a one-day contract in 2008 to officially retire as a member of the club.
"I spent 7 1/2 years as a player and the last nine years as someone working with the organization," Conine told Spencer and Jackson. "I've always considered myself a Marlin.
"I'm a member of this community. I want to see them win again. I want to see them get back to the World Series and the playoffs."