Former New York Yankees superstar shortstop Derek Jeter has been talking about trying to buy the Miami Marlins for the last year. However, when the Major League Baseball executives asked for an update, they learned that Jeter did not have enough capital and money to buy the team and run it. As a result, Jeter has been looking for more partners and might have found a huge partner to join up with him in the attempt to buy the Marlins. Former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan has joined onto his ownership team.
Michael Jordan and the MLB
This is a huge move but isn’t as big of a surprise as another recent move.
Fans might remember when Magic Johnson, the former Hall of Fame star from the Los Angeles Lakers, joined up with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, while both men have National Basketball Association Hall of Fame careers in common, Michael Jordan has a little more of a connection to Major League Baseball than Magic did.
Longtime fans of Michael Jordan will remember when he retired from the NBA after winning multiple championships to try to kick start a career as a baseball player. In 1994, the Chicago Bulls star signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox and joined their organization as a Minor League player. Since the same man owned both the Bulls and White Sox, he honored Jordan’s basketball contract while he played baseball.
Michael Jordan retired from his baseball career after playing for two teams – the Birmingham Barons and Scottsdale Scorpions. The Barons were a Double-A team and Jordan finished his baseball career with a .202 average and three home runs. He quit baseball when the strike started and returned to the NBA, winning three more championships in basketball.
Marlins ownership
According to Michael Jordan’s business manager, he has supported Derek Jeter in becoming an MLB owner since the start. According to Major League Baseball, there are still three groups bidding to purchase the Miami Marlins, with Jeter’s group just one of them. Miami businessman Jorge Mas is the favorite to win the team.
Former governor Jeb Bush has a team trying to buy it as well. Bush’s brother and former U.S. President George W. Bush owned the Texas Rangers before he became president.
Derek Jeter is the third group and is backed by money manager Bruce Sherman. They are offering a reported $1.2 billion. Current owner Jeffrey Loria will choose from one of those three groups to sell the Miami Marlins to.
