Marlins Fans Rip Derek Jeter During Bizarre Town Hall Meeting

Miami Marlins fans expressed their displeasure with the direction of the franchise Tuesday at an emotional and ultimately bizarre town hall meeting with chief executive officer Derek Jeter.

Laurence Leavy, better known as Marlins Man, was among the most notable speakers, and he took a hard line with the club after it shipped off reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, left fielder Marcell Ozuna and shortstop Dee Gordon in separate trades at the winter meetings. 

According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, Leavy—who has had season tickets since the franchise's inception—hasn't renewed his ticket plan because he's not satisfied with paying top dollar "for [a] Triple A team."

Leavy added that the new regime's decision to dramatically slash payroll has him missing old owner Jeffrey Loria: 

On top of that, WPLG's Will Manso reported one fan was reduced to tears "while talking to Jeter about Stanton and Ichiro" no longer being with the club. 

According to Andy Slater of 940-AM WINZ, another attendee decided to take out his frustration regarding the Stanton deal by telling Jeter it was "ironic" the meeting was held at the stadium's Budweiser Bar in left field "because there won't be a ball hit in the area by the home team next year."

Jeter reportedly countered some of the criticisms by saying the front office is aiming to rebuild the team by keeping its books clean and replenishing the farm system with young talent. 

Speaking candidly, Jeter said the ownership group "didn't buy this team to continue losing money or more importantly losing games," per Jackson. 

"Throwing money at a problem is not the answer," he added. 

There was also the following exchange, which highlighted Jeter's stance: 

Needless to say, fans fed up with the team's 14-year postseason drought are likely to be disappointed for the foreseeable future. 

But if Jeter can hold up his end of the bargain and stockpile the prospects necessary to bolster Miami's farm system, the Marlins could develop into a formidable National League contender a few years down the line.