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The Miami Marlins handed shortstop Jose Reyes a six-year, $106-million contract this past winter so he could leave the division rival Mets to play for the Fish in their new digs. It was an expensive gesture to bring Reyes on board, and one that risked alienating the Marlins’ very own star, Hanley Ramirez, who was not only the team’s original shortstop but also a diva on par with Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin.
But they did. They paid Jose and asked Hanley to move to third base. Everything good? Not really. Because Reyes had a quite craptastic Miami debut. He started the season hitting a paltry .220, making Marlins fans uneasy and probably making Hanley say, “I told you so!” to whomever would listen. However, Reyes has begun to turn things around, raising his batting average to .333 at the beginning of this month and finding his swing against, of all teams, the Mets. It’s a long season, and slumps happen, but when you’re paid over a hundred mil, there’s no room to struggle. From the looks of it, though, Reyes is back on track to justify his big payday. Even Hanley has to be happy about that.
Mon., May 28, 1:10 p.m., 2012
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