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Derek Jeter Becomes First Black CEO of MLB Team: Florida Marlins

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Derek Jeter (250263)
Derek Jeter

Multiple news outlets are reporting that the deal is done, putting former baseball star Derek Jeter at the helm of the Florida Marlins as CEO. He is also part owner, joining Magic Johnson who is part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jeter has quite a baseball history, having won the World Championship five times as a New York Yankee.

Jeter and a group of investors, including Florida businessman Bruce Sherman, completed the purchase of the team earlier this month. Before the sale was finalized, there were reports that former NBA superstar Michael Jordan had stepped in as one of several financial backers. Jordan is a billionaire, according to Forbes. The cost of the team was estimated at about $1.3 billion.

Celebrities heard the news and began to congratulate Jeter  on social media. One such message came from Sean “P.Diddy” Combs, who wrote on Instagram: “Congrats to my brother Derek Jeter, the first African American CEO of a Major League Baseball team. #blackexellence. I had the pleasure of throwing him a congratulations dinner last night … so proud of my friend!”

The city of Miami, where the Marlins are based, is already welcoming its newest celebrity in Jeter. The Miami Herald ran a headline last week that read: Jeter Settling Into His New City Like A Boss.” According to the story, Jeter and his wife, model Hannah Davis, went out in public to see the show “On Your Feet,” which is based on the loves of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.

Jeter joins the Williams sisters as major sports team owners. Venus and Serena are part owners of the Miami Dolphins.

Jeter was asked by reporters earlier this week what his stance is on professional ball players kneeling during the National Anthem. “You have a right to voice your opinion, as long as it’s a peaceful protest,” Jeter said, reports the New York Post. “The thing that I think is probably frustrating with this whole rhetoric that’s going back and forth is people lose sight of why someone was kneeling. They’re focused so much on the fact they are kneeling, as opposed to what they are kneeling for.”

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