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Report: Marlins fired broadcaster Tommy Hutton for being 'too negative'

Fox Sports
Fox Sports

Just when you thought the Miami Marlins had exhausted every avenue possible to make themselves look like an out-of-touch, poorly run organization, another story like this one surfaces.

On Nov. 23, the Marlins and broadcaster partner Fox mutually agreed not to renew the contract of broadcaster Tommy Hutton, who had been in the team's television booth for 19 seasons. That decision was met with confusion around baseball, given that Hutton had been one of the team's very few constants over the past two decades. Hutton didn't understand it either. All he was told was that the team and company had jointly decided to go a different direction.

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Well, as you can surely surmise, there was more to the story. It had nothing to do with money. And we're only guessing here, but Fox probably had little say in the matter. According to a Miami Herald report, which cites a source close to the Marlins, Hutton was actually relieved of his duties for being "too negative" during broadcasts.

Though admittedly a rare consumer of Marlins' broadcasts, this seems like an absurd decision. Hutton could be loud at times, but always seemed to be far more enthusiastic than critical. That was in the face of some dreadfully designed teams, many of which were just pieced together to keep the payroll as low as possible.

Herald writer Barry Jackson seemed to take that stance as well, stating that "Hutton was critical when necessary and had a penchant for unleashing the occasional playful rant, but there’s a distinction between critical and excessively negative."

There is a distinction, but we couldn't expect the Marlins to understand it. You obviously want your broadcasters to sell the product, which in many years is almost an impossible task with the Marlins. But you should also want them to be honest with the viewers because in many ways broadcasters are the voice of the fans. Credibility at that level at least lets fans feel like they have a connection to the organization and what they feel is being heard.

That should be important, but we already know it's not in Miami. This is just the latest example that proves owner Jeffrey Loria would rather go to irrational lengths to protect a mismanaged brand than acknowledge his own failures.

“I know there were times I was negative, but I thought those times were called for,” Hutton told the Miami Herald. “Ninety percent of what I said was positive. I tried not to be a homer, but you could tell I wanted the Marlins to do well.”

Hutton said there have been only three incidents in recent years in which a Marlins employee expressed discomfort with something he said. Hutton relayed all three --- and nothing he said seemed out of line or inappropriate --- but he was willing to discuss only one of the three on the record.

That one involved former Marlins catcher John Buck. When Buck flied out to the deepest part of Marlins Park to end a game, Hutton shouted “in any other park!” --- meaning the ball would have been a home run in a stadium with more hitter-friendly dimensions.

He said a Marlins vice president called him after the game and said that owner Jeffrey Loria prefer he not mention the ballpark’s dimensions.

If there was criticism nationally, it was that Hutton could come across as a homer on broadcasts. As noted, he was loud at times and often excitable. He had one-liners ready when Marlins players did well. He made the same shocked, awed and amazed sounds we all did upon seeing a monster Giancarlo Stanton home run, only he did it on live TV.

[Hot Stove: Blue Jays add another starter, sign J.A. Happ to three-year deal]

Some may have found it obnoxious. Others just understood that he enjoyed his job and was genuinely excited when the Marlins found success. Hutton was clearly loyal, but that loyalty was lost on his thin-skinned bosses.

“It would cross my mind sometimes, before I said something, that [Marlins officials] might not like this,” Hutton said. “It’s probably hard to stay true [to yourself]” completely when a team has major say in your employment.

Hutton, who described his initial emotions as “shocked, disappointed and upset,” said the Marlins will be miscalculating their audience if they hire a “homer” to replace him.

“There are so many people here from other areas, they just want to hear baseball,” he said. “South Florida is a different market than other areas. You get someone who’s a rah-rah homer, I don’t think this fan base would go for that.”

You know what that means, right? If the Marlins can find a homer to replace Hutton, that's exactly what they'll do. It's not about doing right by the fans or a loyal employee like Hutton. It's about placing bandaids where stitches are required and protecting a brand that's long been exposed.

It's the Marlins way, and it still stinks.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!