JUPITER, Fla. • Before beginning an interview, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill paused for a quick question about Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna: “Is it OK for me to say that he’s my favorite?”
Absolutely. It’s not as though Major League Baseball would accuse Hill of tampering just a few months after trading Ozuna to the Cardinals.
Hill has known Ozuna for a decade. He has watched the two-time All-Star closely since he signed the raw slugger out of the Dominican Republic on Feb. 15, 2008. Very few men can appreciate how much Ozuna has grown since he dropped out of a high school as a junior to chase his baseball dreams.