BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
If there was ever a story that came full circle, it occurred during the Miami Marlins series vs the Detroit Tigers May 13-15 at Comerica Park.
I’m very thankful that Marlins Luis Dorante Jr. of the Marlins Communications Department steered me in this direction.
It’s easy to go after the bigger name players and get some good sound bites. Those are also good stories.
Since I’ve covered minor league baseball in the past, I like to go after stories that most reporters won’t think of. I like going after the “Hidden Gems” or the underdogs.
I’ll never forget the time when I used Chad Crunk of the Detroit Tigers as a resource often and asked him is there a player that he wanted to promote. We kidded around about this when I was at Comerica Park. He came up with some good players, but the one that stood out was Tigers catcher Jake Rogers. Jake was one of the players that the Tigers acquired when they traded Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros.
Before going to Comerica Park, I didn’t even know Dorante Jr.
In Detroit, Dorante Jr., he introduced himself to me in front of the Marlins dugout. We talked about players and landed on outfielder Dane Myers.
If there was ever a story that was ideal, this was it.
Myers (28), who played college baseball for the Rice Owls, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft, 185th overall. He bats and throws right.
I’m not going to get into his minor league history too much with the Tigers.
Myers didn’t play a game in 2020 do to the cancellation of the Minor League season being cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
He began his professional career as a pitcher but was converted to an outfielder prior to the 2021 Season in the Tigers organization.
Myers found a new home on December 7, 2022 as he was selected by the Miami Marlins in the Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He spent time between Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to begin the year.
On July 3, 2023, Myers was selected to the Marlins 40-Man Roster for the first time. During his rookie season he hit .269 with one homer, and nine RBI.
At the moment, the Marlins are 18-34 and are in fifth place in the National League Eastern Division. They’ve been decimated by injuries to their pitching staff as well as under performance.
Earlier in the year, the Marlins traded NL Batting Champion Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres for prospects.
When teams struggle, this is an opportunity for other players to make the most of their opportunity.
That’s exactly what Myers is doing.
To date, he’s currently hitting .269 with two home runs and 16 RBI. He’s playing third base and outfield.
Because of his strong arm, this gives the Marlins another option at the hot corner.
If there was ever a guy that you’d want to pull for, it’s Myers.
We talked for nine minutes before the second game of the Tigers contest vs the Marlins. As you watch this interview, there is no doubt that you’re going to find yourself rooting for Myers.
The Columbus, Texas., native and I talked about his time with the Tigers, changing positions and his fresh start with the Marlins.
He would make his Comerica Park debut in the final contest of the three-game series. He went 0-2 but finally got to play in a stadium that he yearned to make his regular home when he was drafted.
Before the final game of the Marlins three-game series vs the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, I asked Miami Manager Ship Schumaker about what Myers role is with the team and what he thinks of his future with the club.
Once again, check out the video to get the skippers answer.
You’re going to get the same impression that I did and the future is bright.
If there was ever a story that was a natural idea being a native from Detroit, this was it.
After the interview, I felt like I made a friend for life with Myers and you can be rest assured, that I’ll be a fan of this guy and monitor his career.
There is nothing NOT to like about Dane Myers and it’s only fitting that his Road To The Miami Marlins came via the Detroit Tigers.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at southfloridatribune@gmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter/X @TribuneSouth.
If you want to see his broadcasts as well as his other interviews, there is no cost to subscribe to the South Florida Tribune You Tube Channel.
Finally, Scott’s book “Lessons From The Microphone” talks about Old School Media vs New School Media and anybody can benefit from it. It’s available on Amazon-Kindle and Barnes & Noble.
