Marlins targeted one player in team meeting

The Miami Marlins held a team meeting before they steamrolled the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, and it sounds like they had to clear the air about one player in particular.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said he called a closed-door meeting because he wanted his players to get things out in the open. Mattingly also said he would not be surprised if the team came out flat following the meeting, but the opposite happened. Miami pummeled the Nationals 12-2.

Second baseman Jazz Chisholm had two home runs — one of which was a grand slam — and six RBI in the win. Perhaps the 24-year-old was motivated by some things his teammates said to him in the meeting. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Chisholm was the subject of criticism in the team meeting. Sources told Heyman that some Marlins players “aren’t always as enamored as fans who love the style and sizzle” of Chisholm.

One person suggested to Heyman that Chisholm’s teammates may be “jealous.” That source compared Chisholm to Dennis Rodman, saying he is a “lightning rod” who “works hard and plays hard.”

The Marlins went on to sweep the Nationals and are riding a three-game win streak. Chisholm had another two hits and two runs scored in Thursday night’s 7-4 victory.

Chisholm has 10 homers and 37 RBI this season. He is one of the game’s best young players. He appeared to air some of his frustrations with the team on social media early in the year. The team meeting may have been a long time coming. Time will tell if it provided as much of a spark as it appears.