Miami native fulfilling longtime dream

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Jon Jay is as local as it gets.

Jay attended Coconut Grove and Sunset elementary schools, G.W. Carver Middle, Columbus High and the University of Miami. As a kid, he got lost with his grandfather trying to find the car after a game at the old ballpark. As a teenager, he and his baseball teammates drove up during the rain delay that halted play in Game 3 of the 2003 World Series and got in.

During a 12-year MLB career, Jay won the World Series in 2011 and played for seven clubs -- but never the Marlins. He always wanted to, but things never aligned. Jay, who wore a No. 11 home jersey for last Wednesday's Holiday Wishes party, will finally be part of the hometown team as the first-base/outfield coach on manager Skip Schumaker's staff.

"I'm super excited," Jay said. "For me, I'm born and raised in Miami. I live here, so it's kind of like a perfect fit. When Skip told me that there's a possibility of me joining the staff and all that, I was super excited and said, 'I'm hungry.' Putting on this jersey, it kind of completes everything for my career. I didn't get here as a player, but I always said everything happens for a reason, and I'm here now as a coach and I'm looking forward to making an impact here."

Coaching always was a possibility for the 37-year-old Jay, whose final season came in 2021 with the Angels. It's fitting he begins this stage of his post-playing career with the Marlins.

"Former teammate, knows what winning looks like, World Series champion," Schumaker said during the Winter Meetings. "I think a guy like Jon Jay has been coaching for the last three or four years of his career, honestly. He's that type of person; knew when to bring in the young guys, get them out early, whether it's the baserunning, in the outfield or talking hitting. Jon Jay was really important to me.

"Miami kid, lives he said 10 minutes away from the stadium, had built-in relationships with a lot of the players already, a good friend of mine. I know he knows what I'm about, and I think he's a guy that's going to hold everyone accountable. I think Jon Jay is a rising star on the coaching side, and I'm lucky that we got him first."

Jay hasn't wasted any time in his new role. He has been coming to loanDepot park to hit ground balls and throw batting practice to players like Jorge Soler, his teammate with Kansas City in 2018.

"Nah, I'm coaching. It's done," Jay said. "If I still had the itch, I'd go out there and play. I'm very happy with how my career was. I got the most out of my abilities. I never thought that I would play [12] years in the big leagues and win a World Series. So I'm super grateful for my playing career, and I'm looking forward to getting a ring now on the coaching side."