Derek Jeter steps down as CEO of the Miami Marlins : NPR

Derek Jeter, CEO of the Miami Marlins, speaks with the news media before a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies last year in Miami. Jeter announced a surprise departure from the Miami Marlins on Monday.

Lynne Sladky/AP

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Lynne Sladky/AP

Derek Jeter, CEO of the Miami Marlins, speaks with the news media before a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies last year in Miami. Jeter announced a surprise departure from the Miami Marlins on Monday.

Lynne Sladky/AP

Derek Jeter announced he is stepping down as CEO of the Miami Marlins, effective immediately.

Jeter said Monday that the current vision of the franchise and its future is “different than the one [he] signed up to lead.”

“Today I am announcing that the Miami Marlins and I are officially ending our relationship and I will no longer serve as CEO nor as a shareholder in the Club,” Jeter said in his statement.

“We had a vision five years ago to turn the Marlins franchise around, and as CEO, I have been proud to put my name and reputation on the line to make our plan a reality. Through hard work, trust and accountability, we transformed every aspect of the franchise, reshaping the workforce, and developing a long-term strategic plan for success,” he added.

Jeter thanked the Marlins staff, players, fans and the Miami community, saying the organization is “stronger today than it was five years ago.”

Jeter joined the Marlins as a minority owner in September 2017 as a part of the ownership group led by Bruce Sherman that acquired the team. He became the Major League Baseball’s first Black CEO, according to The Associated Press.

Under Jeter’s leadership, the Marlins went 218-327 during his four seasons, finishing with a record of 31-29 during the 2020 shortened season brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, AP reported. In full seasons, the Marlins finished 63-98, 57-105 and 67-95.

Sherman, Marlins chairman and majority owner, thanked Jeter for his time with the team.

“The Miami Marlins and Derek Jeter announced today that they have agreed to officially end their relationship. The Marlins thank Derek for his many contributions and wish him luck in his future endeavors,” said Sherman in a statement, according to CBS Sports.

“We have a deep bench of talent that will oversee both business and baseball decisions while we work to identify a new CEO to lead our franchise. The ownership group is committed to keep investing in the future of the franchise — and we are determined to build a team that will return to the postseason and excite Marlins fans and the local community,” Sherman added.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, Jr., also thanked Jeter. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank Derek for his service to the Marlins, the communities of Miami and the game. Derek is a winner on and off the field,” Manfred said. “Derek is a pillar of our game and we look forward to his future contributions to Baseball,” he said in a statement.

Before Jeter stepped into leadership with the Marlins,he won the World Series five times while playing his entire 20-year MLB career with the New York Yankees, eventually retiring from the league in 2014. Jeter was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Since his major league debut in May 1995, Jeter’s accolades include being named Rookie of the Year and the MVP of both a World Series and an All-Star Game.