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You'll recall that the Marlins earlier this week were reportedly unhappy about the de facto Triple-A lineup trotted out by the Red Sox in a Grapefruit League tilt for which Miami had sold "super premium" tickets. Red Sox GM Ben Cherington subsequently apologized for offending their valorous sensibilities, and the controversy seemed to fade away. Now, though, Sox owner John Henry has taken to Twitter to offer up a thinly veiled swipe at Marlins and their curious grievances ...
They should apologize for their regular season lineup.
— John W. Henry (@John_W_Henry) March 8, 2014
Well then. A shot across the bow is what that is.
Henry's right, of course. For the Marlins, who stripped the payroll down to almost nothing after a slow start to the 2012 season and after the taxpayers of Miami-Dade County ponied up for a new ballpark, to complain about the major-league quality of an opposing lineup is the depth and breadth of chutzpah. And that's putting it charitably.
It's also worth noting that there's some intertwined history here, as Henry once owned the Marlins. In 2002, though, he sold the team as part of multi-franchise deal that put the Marlins in the hands of current owner/saboteur Jeffrey Loria and allowed Henry to buy the Red Sox.
In Episode 4 of this ongoing saga, Marlins president David Samson will stomp his widdle feet.
