Jeter says no excuses as he tries to build a winner in Miami

MIAMI (AP) - Derek Jeter says he will help develop a winning culture with the Miami Marlins that will emphasize hard work, discipline and no excuses.

The turnaround won't happen overnight, he said, but added the new ownership group believes in the market and the fan base.

Jeter and new controlling owner Bruce Sherman spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday about their group's $1.2 billion purchase of the Marlins. Their news conference came two days after the Marlins concluded their eighth consecutive losing season, the longest streak in the majors.

Jeter, who played on five World Series champions with the New York Yankees, will lead baseball and business operations for a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2003. He has about a 4 percent stake in the ownership group and said he will surround himself with qualified people.

"I'm not coming in here thinking I know everything about team ownership. I do not," Jeter said. "One thing I'm good at is knowing what I do not know."

Among issues to be addressed by the new owners will be the future of major league home run and RBI champion Giancarlo Stanton, whose salary will nearly double next year to $25 million next year, which could make him unaffordable for the revenue-challenged franchise. Also in question are the status of manager Don Mattingly and president of baseball operations Michael Hill.

Jeter said evaluations of all personnel will be done, as happens with every team every offseason.

"We do have to rebuild an organization," Jeter said.

Writing on the Players' Tribune website earlier Tuesday, Jeter recalled his first trip to Florida, when he was 17 and being recruited by the Miami Hurricanes.

"To this day I still remember how it felt," he wrote. "The music, the weather, the diversity - I remember how alive Miami was."

Jeter said the new ownership group will celebrate the culture and diversity of South Florida.

He described the purchase of the team as a long process that was "draining at times." But he said Miami has always made him feel welcome, and it's time to return the favor.

"Doing things the right way, over and over, leads to sustained success," he wrote. "That journey starts today. It will not happen overnight. But our ownership group is focused on building a team that this community can be proud of."

Sherman has the highest equity stake at about 46 percent. The venture capitalist spent much of his financial career in New York and has a home in Naples, Florida.

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