Marlins Man to remain free agent baseball fan, for now

Detroit — He’s not Tigers Man, yet.

Florida attorney Laurence Leavy, better known as Marlins Man, was seated behind home plate at Comerica Park Friday night, donned in his customary orange Marlins jersey and orange visor, but he is holding off changing allegiances to any other baseball team.

“I’ve had some people approach me and ask that I don’t make a commitment right away,” he said.

The ubiquitous baseball fan — he was at the All-Star Game in Washington Tuesday night — is in a feud with his beloved Miami Marlins. 

Specifically, he’s in a feud with new owner Derek Jeter.

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If you don’t know his story by now, Leavy had season tickets behind home plate for the first 25 years of the Marlins existence. You have no doubt seen him at playoff and World Series games, helping to raise the Marlins national profile.

But after the Marlins were sold to a group headed up by Jeter, and the team was gutted to facilitate a rebuild, Leavy balked when his season ticket price was raised to more than $200,000. It was then that he threatened to take his allegiances elsewhere.

The Tigers were among several teams who offered to take him in.

But Leavy is going to remain somewhat of a free agent for now.

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“I was asked not to make a commitment because they don’t think Jeter is going to last,” he said. “How would I feel if I changed and he left? 

"I would come across as a fair-weather fan. The investors (in Miami) invested to make money, have fun and win games. They are not having fun or winning games, and they are not making money.”

So Marlins Man is going to wait it out.

“Don’t make a rash decision,” he said. “What if the investors say they are tired of being on the Titanic? What if they want a new leader? 

"What if Jeter doesn’t stay? Let’s see what happens."

cmccosky@detroitnews.com

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