Jeter gets defensive over tanking questions

Derek Jeter defends the course of action he's set for the Miami Marlins in an interview with HBO's Real Sports airing on Tuesday.

Jeter, 43, is in his first season as the CEO of the rebuilding Marlins and was in charge when the team parted ways with several star players during the winter, including Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich and Dee Gordon.

The roster overhaul has caused some to question whether the Marlins are trying to win games at all.

"Tanking? What is ... tanking?" Jeter responded when asked by host Bryant Gumbel if that was the team's mindset, according to a transcript in the Miami Herald.

"We're trying to win ballgames every day," said Jeter. "When you take the field, you have an opportunity to win each and every day. Each and every day. You never tell your team that they're expected to lose. Never."

Jeter cut off Gumbel as he tried to interject and turned the conversation toward the host.

"Now, you can think ... now, I can't tell how you think," he said. "Like, I see your mind. I see that's how you think. I don't think like that. That's your mind working like that. ... You don't get it.

"You don't. ... I can't wait to get you on the golf course, man. We got ... I mean, I can't wait for this one. ... You're mentally weak."

Gumbel also tells Jeter that it's "delusional" to believe the Marlins, who are off to a 5-15 start, can contend.

"Well, call me delusional," Jeter responded.

--Field Level Media