Derek Jeter wants to remove dinger statue from Marlins Park

The group led by Derek Jeter has the winning bid for the Miami Marlins and the garish dinger machine in the outfield could be on its way out.

After leading the charge to buy the Miami Marlins for a reported $1.2 billion, future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter is ready to get to work rebuilding the team in his own image. The farm system needs a total overhaul, the rotation is without a competent leader, Giancarlo Stanton is owed $295 million over the next 10 years and attendance is still trending way downward. The Marlins have not been to the playoffs since 2003.

It would seem Jeter has a pretty full plate to keep him occupied when the sale is finalized and his group takes over the franchise. All of those important things may have to wait, however, until after Jeets figures out what to do about the garish tribute to Loria’s art-dealing past. Folks, we’re talking about the dinger machine. According to John Heyman of FanRag Sports, the home-run sculpture in left-center field could be on the outs when the new owners take over.

"One thing someone connected to the Jeter group has suggested will likely go: the home run sculpture in left-center field that was designed by artist Red Grooms and has been the subject of controversy."

If you’ve somehow managed to not see this thing in action once since Marlins Park opened in 2012, feast your eyes.

This statue definitely doesn’t play in many MLB cities, but it’s so Miami that it needs to stay. The sculpture, designed by Red Combs, is about 75 feet tall at its highest point and is just a spectacular sight to behold with swooping fish and technicolor spray. In many ways, it is the perfect metaphor for the Loria era for the Marlins. The sculpture cost a ridiculous $2.5 million, only adding to the bill for Miami taxpayers who were fleeced by the owner into paying out well over $2 billion for the next 30-plus years.

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It’s hard to imagine Marlins Park without the teal, aqua, orange and green shrine to dingers in the outfield. Hopefully Jeter and his billionaire pals come to their senses and do right by the 11,563 fans who regularly attend Marlins home games.