Marlins Derek Jeter: No Opening Day Superstitions

MIAMI, FL — Former Yankee teammate Jason Giambi reportedly wore a gold thong to break free of his batting slumps, while "The Great Bambino" himself was known to don women's silk stockings to ward them off altogether. But legendary Yankee shortstop turned part owner of the Miami Marlins Derek Jeter insists he doesn't subscribe to any baseball superstitions.

"Superstition? I'm not very superstitious," Jeter told Patch outside the Marlins dugout this week ahead of the team's March 28 season opener against the Colorado Rockies at Marlins Park.

"I was just big on being prepared," said Jeter. "My most uncomfortable situations that I could ever put myself in is when I'm unprepared. I don't know if I necessarily had a routine, but I'm not superstitious."

Jeter's favorite Opening Day memory of his storied 20-year career with the Yankees was also his first, when he took the field as starting shortstop against the Cleveland Indians on April 2, 1996.

That's also the day Jeter smacked his first big league home run just as a television announcer was predicting that Jeter might need time to adjust to American League pitching.

"Favorite opening day is probably as a player your first opening day," recalled Jeter. "You never forget when you do something the first time."

Watch below as Jeter rips his Opening Day home run in 1996 against Cleveland courtesy MLB:

Jeter took over the ownership of the Marlins in September of 2017 along with businessman Bruce Sherman. The club struggled through its 2018 season with a losing record of 63 wins and 98 losses after shedding slugger Giancarlo Stanton and other marquee players in favor of a fresh start.

Jeter said the team has spent a lot of time listening to fans to get Marlins Park ready for the 2019 season.

"They said when they walked into this ballpark they wanted it to look, feel and taste like Miami," he said. "As you can see, we re-imagined the entire food and beverage experience inside the park and on top of that, we invested a lot of money in capital projects."

As an owner, his priorities have shifted somewhat from his days on the field as a five-time World Series champion.

"I feel bad for even saying this, but it's impossible to win every single game but one thing you always remember is the experience you had while you were at the park," Jeter acknowledged. "A lot of times people come; They don't know who won or lost. Sometimes they don't even know who was playing. But they do know if they had a good experience and that's what we're focusing on."

That experience will be shaped a great deal by what fans eat and see when they set foot in Marlins Park, one of the most visually pleasing stadiums in the country with a retractable roof and stunning views of the Miami skyline.

This week, the team unveiled The Club presented by DEX Imaging at Marlins Park as well as the 2019 lineup of food options that will be served throughout the season. The club layout features an extensive bar, food section, seating options accented by wood finishing and pops of green.

Menu items include the Cracker Jack Colada made with spiced rum and butterscotch, Tuna Crudo Spritz, Slider “Kib” Burger with lamb and beef kibbeh along with Nothing but Mac, an upscale — and delicious — take on mac and cheese by Chef Michael Finizia.

"The menu is a combination of a lot of things," Finizia explained. "Because it's so fan-based driven, we just get inspired by great products — bringing in great ideas, being as true as possible to any cuisine that we go through whether it would be a Peruvian item or a Latin item — an item from Mexico, whatever it may be. The inspiration is ever flowing."

Traditionalists won't be disappointed either.

"The hot dogs are here to stay, the great pretzels that we have — and we have of course that great cold beer," Finizia said. "We get to actually enhance it a little bit more. We've offered different experiences that are going to elevate that. With our craft cocktail program, we have an in-seat menu that has not just regular fan favorites but elevated fan favorites too."

Finizia, who oversees all of the food served at Marlins Park, said the general concessions will feature a new addition this year called "The Change-up" by standing room only sections 1, 2 and 3.

New vendors include Miami’s Best Pizza, Pincho, Novecento and Suviche.

"We'll have invitations at times to bring in other chefs that have an experience to try something new," he said. "There's been a whole overhaul of the food and beverage program to really be anchored in what the fans have asked us for."

Marlins President Chip Bowers said the new club has an improved sight line and will feature craft cocktails and nightly entertainment, including weekend DJs during the club's 81 home games.

"We're standing by our promise to create the right type of experience," Bowers said. "We heard it loud and clear that they want an enhanced premium experience."

Opening Day tickets were still available for as little as $30 this week. Click here to find tickets at Marlins Park and enter the promo code "PatchTickets10" at checkout to get 10 percent off.

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