Words by Leslie Monet
Recently retired Yankee captain, Derek Jeter, took ownership of a team and history by becoming the first African American CEO of a Major League Baseball team….ever. Having gone from the dugout of the New York Yankees to the front office suites of the Miami Marlins, Jeter has successfully done what Diddy has been rambunctiously calling out for other black entertainers to do via his social media outlets lately. It’s no surprise the celebration of such a feat included Diddy and a few other good men; Busta Rhymes, French Montana and DJ Khaled who were all photographed at Komodo Miami over the weekend.
Although the $1.2 billion deal took months to become official, Jeter is settling in quickly and has already made a firm commitment to supporting his team on any personal decision the make in regards to the protests of the national anthem. Jeter voiced his unbiased position during an anniversary dinner for his foundation “The thing that I think is frustrating, this whole rhetoric that is going back and forth. People lose sight of the fact of why someone was kneeling…” Jeter’s brow-raising stance on the matter has been a breathe of fresh air for protest supporters.
They are focused so much on the fact that they are kneeling as opposed to what they are kneeling for. Peaceful protests are fine. You have your right to voice your opinion. As long as it’s a peaceful protest everyone should be fine with that.
With that being said, Jeter has set the tone for how his team will operate and be managed in the forthcoming seasons.
All the more ironic, apace with several other small investors including Michael Jordan, Jeter is technically still considered a minority owner as he only put up an estimated $25 million of his own money towards the purchase. However, Bruce Sherman the largest stakeholder, has expressed he’s more than happy to allow Jeter to use his unmatched star power as an athlete and world-renowned brand to handle the business and baseball operations. A perfect testament of taking dominion over what is yours and no one else’s!
