Siri, show me two people overrated in their fields that have always been surrounded and propped up by more talented people spending their money on something you can’t believe still exists.
BREAKING: Derek Jeter/Jeb Bush-led group wins auction for @marlins, source says. No purchase price given yet #sportsbiz #MLB
— Scott Soshnick (@soshnick) April 25, 2017
That’s right — retired Yankees shortstop and failed Presidential candidate Jeb Bush are set to become to the new majority owners of the Miami Marlins, a real live professional baseball team. We first heard about this possibility last week, and now it’s an actual, true thing. This seems like an excellent opportunity for the scoreboard operator in Marlins Park to tweak the sign that gets fans to cheer to read, “PLEASE CLAP!”
While the range of Jeter as a shortstop was widely accepted as minimal, the range on the winning bid remains unknown.
Jeter earned nearly $300 million as an above-average slap hitter on loaded Yankees teams throughout his career while Jeb! is wealthy because of his family name, so they surely had enough money to waste on a baseball team no one cares about. Jeter has talked in the past about wanting to own a team. From The Daily News:
“I’ve made it very clear of ownership aspirations at some point. Who knows when that is, who knows if you get the opportunity. I hope I do,” Jeter said in December.
Will owning a team and being a prominent sports blogger represent a conflict of interest? Will The Players Tribune still be able to write honest piece about what Marlins players would tell their younger selves? The world of sports journalism should soon find out.
