Andre Dawson and Tony Perez are still upset over the way Derek Jeter’s Miami Marlins ownership group handled their firings two years ago and are holding grudges.
Dawson and Perez, both Hall of Fame players, were fired in 2017 from their jobs as Marlins special assistants. The firings were handled by team president David Samson rather than the new ownership group. After some backlash, Jeter’s group relented and offered Perez and Dawson gigs for $25,000 a year instead of the $85,000 they were previously being paid. Their roles would have been greatly diminished.
Dawson told Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller last week at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction that he doubted he would attend the induction next year when Jeter is likely elected.
“I sincerely doubt [that I will attend] at this point,” Dawson told Bleacher Report. “All indications are likely not. … I can’t speak for Tony. But I don’t have a sense or feeling like I want to sit on that stage to hear what [Jeter] has to say.”
Dawson says what happened was an “insult” and he felt “disrespected” by the way things were handled.
Perez was less adamant about his plans.
“I think it’s still early,” Perez told Miller. “One year. I don’t want people to be talking about that. If it happens [that he skips Cooperstown next year], it happens.”
Dawson and Perez may change their minds. Would they really boycott what is annually a very special meeting just because of this? Maybe not. But this shows just how bothered they remain by the situation.
If Jeter is reading this, he should probably just end the issue by reaching out and apologizing. And he probably now sees there are some serious consequences to some of the team’s poorly handled moves, which included an even worse firing.
