Yahoo – Miami Marlins part owner Derek Jeter has an idea that could bring the team closer together. Jeter will require the American-born coaches and players to take Spanish lessons, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. The initiative from Jeter will not only help players in the organization communicate better, but will also bring the team closer with the city of Miami, according to ESPN.

With one PR blunder after the other, when I saw the headline that Jeter was forcing the entire Marlins organization to do X, I thought oh God what did this dude do now. Apparently he’s requiring everyone, from the players to the coaches to the executives, take Spanish lessons.

“As the Marlins’ young Latin American players take English lessons, the American-born players and coaches will be required to learn Spanish.

On Thursday, Jeter hauled a bunch of vice presidents into a room for the first of what will be regular weekly lessons in Español.

“… Everybody expects the Latin players to make an effort to speak English. Well, especially here in Miami, if you don’t speak Spanish, you don’t fit in. I think it’s important.’”

As the story notes, Latino players make up 31.9% of Major League Baseball, add to that the fact that the Marlins play in Miami, which is 70% Hispanic or Latino. So yea, actually not a bad idea from Jeets.

The last thing you want is to be like Tom Selleck in the 1992 classic, Mr. Baseball, sitting at the end of the bench by yourself. Oh you didn’t see that movie? It got a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes so I can’t see why you might not pick up on that obscure reference. Basically Tom Selleck goes to play baseball in Japan and can’t understand a goddamn word anyone is saying and is miserable.

Sneaky racist 1990’s movie poster too.

Of course he eventually learns the universal language of baseball (and some Japanese) to bond with his new teammates as (SPOILER) the Chunichi Dragons win the pennant.

Hey, HBO plays a lot of random shit on hungover Saturday mornings…