Ex-Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria: Derek Jeter 'destroyed' stadium by removing HR sculpture

Former Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria hasn't been part of the franchise for six years, but he still takes issue with the group that purchased the team from him, and in particular with the face of that group, Derek Jeter.

The main point of contention stems from alterations Jeter and new ownership made to the stadium where the Marlins play, currently named loanDepot park. Loria, who is an entrepreneur and art dealer, oversaw the incorporation of a home run sculpture in left-center field of the Marlins' stadium, which opened in 2012. He also incorporated aquariums with live fish behind home plate and colorful art installations throughout the building. Once Jeter and his ownership group took over, they were quick to remove the sculpture, aquariums and other aesthetic features Loria had commissioned.

"Jeter came in and destroyed the ballpark," Loria said in an interview with the Miami Herald that published Monday, before adding that "destroying public art was a horrible thing to do."

Jeter's ownership group was able to relocate the sculpture outside of the stadium, in a plaza on the grounds.

"Now it will rot outside where it is, condemned to neglect and outdoor decay," Loria told the Herald.

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

The sculpture was commissioned for $2.5 million and artist Red Grooms designed it. When the Marlins would hit a home run or when they would win games, marlins and pelicans would sway and a fountain would splash water into the air.

In August 2017, Loria sold the Marlins for $1.2 billion to the New York Yankees legend and his group led by New York businessman Bruce Sherman. Then, in February 2022, Jeter sold his stake in the Marlins and left his post as CEO of the organization.

"I was fastidious about all the color we put into the building and it was changed; it didn't have to be changed," Loria said of the other design tweaks. "They covered up all the (colorful) tiles, which we brought in from Europe. To me it reflected the culture of Miami. Now it's all blue. It's ridiculous. The amenities like the fish tanks behind home plate − they were there for the kids − and they got rid of them. It's silly."