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Soon After $1.2 Billion Takeover, MLB Great Derek Jeter Once Brought in David Beckham’s Then Imaginary MLS Team to Make an Honest Confession

Published 12/30/2022, 1:42 PM EST

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Derek Jeter had a sporting career, where he earned enormous success banking on his optimistic nature. He almost never surrendered until the end and reaped the benefits of his valor. After he wrapped up his journey as a baseball player, the Yankees legend became a team administrator. But unfortunately, Jeter couldn’t replicate his athletic success as a team CEO and almost lost all hope.

Jeter joined the ownership group of the Miami Marlins in 2017 by cashing in a whopping $25 million. His group poured in $1.2 billion in total, wherein buying a four percent stake, he also became the Marlins CEO. However, the struggles continued for the Marlins and there was no stoppage in the downward flow. So back in 2018, Jeter described his team’s condition by drawing a parallel with soccer icon David Beckham’s “nonexistent” MLS franchise.

When a dejected Derek Jeter made a strange comparison:

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Jeter repeatedly came under fire from the media and the public alike during his tenure as a Marlins’ administrator. But by 2018, he was still somewhat fresh into his job. On the other hand, Beckham’s MLS franchise was still a dream. Nonetheless, Jeter was already down on hope for a brighter future. 

via Getty

With a $450 million net worth, Beckham is one of the richest soccer players worldwide. A former right-winger for the England national soccer team, Beckham famously played MLS for the Los Angeles Galaxy. In other notable clubs, he played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain. He also joined AC Milan in 2009 as a loaned player for a couple of seasons. All in all, Beckham scored a total of 97 club goals and 17 international goals throughout his professional soccer career. 

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Back in 2014, Beckham announced the creation of a new MLS team based in Miami. His ownership group, having paid $25 million, was hoping to complete the formation of the team by 2016. However, failing to sign a stadium deal, the team participation kept on getting delayed. It was in 2018 that the team finally got a confirmed year in 2020. Beckham’s team then came to be known as Inter Miami CF. 

Why Did Derek Jeter Leave the Miami Marlins 4 Years After Striking an Astonishing $1.2 Billion Deal Along With Michael Jordan?

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So, Jeter’s act of comparing Marlins with a team that faltered to come into existence explained his frustration. Speaking to Miami Herald beat writer Clark Spencer, Jeter said, “We’re in deeper hole than he is.” Wherein Jeter compared the Marlins’ poor performances to Beckham’s ghost of a team. Therefore, Jeter eventually wrapped up his horrific campaign with the Marlins, through his resignation from the post in 2022. 

What exactly transpired during Jeter’s administrative time span?

During Jeter’s reign, the Marlins only once clinched wildcard berths in the pandemic-curtailed 2020 MLB season. Additionally, Jeter made several trading blunders by sending away star players to other teams. Therefore, as one mistake followed another, and the Marlins got sinking into quicksand, Jeter quit, citing a conflict of interests as the reason.

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Watch This Story – Derek Jeter Stepped Down As CEO Of Miami Marlins: What Went Down As Yankees Legend Walked 

So, considering his faulty decision-making, do you think he can still become a successful franchise owner in the future? 

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Written by:

Madhurjya Bhuyan

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Madhurjya Bhuyan is an MLB author at EssentiallySports. He has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in English Literature from Gauhati University and IGNOU, respectively, and also possesses prior professional experience as a content developer. Being a performance artist since childhood, Madhurjya has always aimed to contribute towards creativity in any possible manner, and writing only boosts that desire.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar