The Marlins’ dismissal of Tommy Hutton after 19 years as their TV analyst not only stands as the worst broadcasting personnel decision ever made by a South Florida team, but the reason being whispered privately seems particularly unjustified.

According to a source in close contact with the Marlins, the team believed Hutton was too negative – a criticism that isn’t valid if examining his full body of work.

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.

When there was something positive to say, Hutton said it. He never blasted Marlins management. But he rarely sugarcoated poor play.

“I know there were times I was negative, but I thought those times were called for,” he said. “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.”

After being told that his salary wasn’t a factor in the decision, Hutton suspected that his candid, blunt analysis might be the impetus for his ouster.

So after learning his fate on Monday, he asked that question – whether they thought he was too negative -- to both a Fox producer (at a meeting at Starbucks) and the Marlins’ vice president/communications (by phone).

He said the question was met with silence by both executives.

“I couldn’t get a yes or a no,” he said.

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.

“Did I complain about the park being too big? Yeah,” Hutton said, noting the dimensions are being changed this off-season. “But if that was the reason, they knew that the day after the season. I didn’t say anything negative the last six weeks.”

Hutton said no player ever complained to him, but if anyone had a complaint, he made himself visible. “I was always in the clubhouse and on the field,” he said. “I know a lot of announcers who just go to the booth.”

Meanwhile, WINZ’s Andy Slater reported that on numerous occasions after games, players complained to the public relations staff or Loria about comments Hutton made on the broadcast. Slater said Loria didn't like it when Hutton “would talk too much” about another team's player --- something I’ve also heard.

Hutton still doesn’t know whether it was the Marlins or Fox that wanted him gone --- they said it was mutual decision – but the source close to the Marlins indicated the negativity complaint was voiced by the team.

Hutton’s dismissal serves as a disconcerting reminder that many teams prefer cheerleaders in the booth, announcers who won’t rock the boat and certainly won’t openly question coaching or personnel decisions. It’s a slippery slope to navigate.

“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.”

Hutton has been heartened by the reaction to his departure. Many fans have blasted the Marlins’ decision on social media, and star pitcher Jose Fernandez, former Marlins star Mike Lowell, Marlins infield coach Perry Hill and former Marlins announcers Len Kasper and Jon Sciambi were among those who reached out to him.

ESPN’s Sciambi ripped the Marlins on Twitter: “Classic Marlins letting him go… He was passionate, prepared and had credibility, something that organization had very little of.”

Rich Waltz, who will be retained as the team’s TV play-by-play announcer, said by phone that he was “saddened” by the news.

“When he told me, the feeling was hurt for him as a friend,” Waltz said. “I’ve never looked at myself as an individual in 11 years in this job. When he told me, it was almost like we both were let go. I don’t know the reasons. From Day 1, it felt like a great partnership.”

BigEd76 wrote:They're also tweaking the pattern on the camouflage alternate (and updating the "PADRES" script)

Ace Rothstein wrote:i wouldnt mind Hutton in the phillies booth

BigEd76 wrote:-- Hinted in the 2016 All-Star Game logo, the Padres are bringing back yellow as a secondary color, but it'll only be seen on some of the uniforms. Looking at the home uni, yellow is being added to the navy piping, the wavy "Padres" script will be replaced by a navy "SD" logo on the chest and the friar patch is gone, and the "D" on the cap will now be yellow. ... they're going to have another alternate uniform that uses brown jerseys with yellow "PADRES" script and has a brown helmet/cap with yellow panel for all the fans crying for a return to the 70s/80s (but without the orange). The road uniform is unchanged

Ace Rothstein wrote:i wouldnt mind Hutton in the phillies booth

Swiggers wrote:

Ace Rothstein wrote:i wouldnt mind Hutton in the phillies booth

Me neither.

My parents went to a game in 1976 and brought me home a program (I was 5). I read that thing every day and memorized all the players, Hutton included.

BigEd76 wrote:Toronto's GM search is down to interim GM Tony LaCava and Cleveland VP of Player Personnel Ross Atkins

BigEd76 wrote:-- The DBacks are making a few updates: 1) they're gonna try to pull off the shimmer look used by the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks where a small design is repeated all over the jersey material* (hmmm); 2) turquoise is coming back as an accent color on some of the uniforms to go with the red, black and sand; 3) the old snakehead [/PiP] logo** is coming back with current colors; 4) the "D-Backs" and "Arizona" scripts will be arched

BigEd76 wrote:PANTZ