Derek Jeter: I want to own an MLB team to bring baseball back – CNBC

Former New York Yankees great Derek Jeter told CNBC on Wednesday his “ultimate goal” is to own a Major League Baseball team.

“In my mind, this is the greatest sport in the world,” Jeter told “Squawk Box,” saying a key motivation for owning a team would be help the game grow.

“I think baseball is taking somewhat of a back seat to some of the other sports,” said the ex-Yankees captain and shortstop, who retired in 2014 after a 20-year career with the team. “Some of the other sports are the sexy sports.”

“I think kids, nowadays they look at players playing in college and the next year they’re in the NFL or the NBA,” he said. “Baseball, you sort of get lost, because you have to play in the minor leagues for a little bit. Kids in this generation are into instant gratification.”

The five-time World Series champion said “instant gratification” is not the way life works, and baseball is a good example of what it takes to succeed.

“Baseball in my opinion mimics life,” Jeter said, citing the game’s grueling schedule. “It’s every day. It’s 162 games, plus 30 games in spring training, plus the post season. There’s a lot of work that goes into it.”

Over a two-decade career, Jeter was all about the work on the field and at the plate. With a batting average of .310, he retired with 3,465 career hits. Only five players in the history of the game had more.