Steinbrenner and Torre like Jeter with the Marlins

CHICAGO » Derek Jeter won five World Series during a 20-year run with the New York Yankees. He piled up 3,465 hits and made the All-Star team 14 times while becoming one of baseball’s biggest stars.

Will that success continue in the front office of the Miami Marlins? Stay tuned.

Jeter is a limited partner in an ownership group led by venture capitalist Bruce Sherman that has a $1.2 billion agreement in place to buy the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria. Sherman met with the MLB ownership committee at the owners’ meetings on Wednesday, and the deal could be completed by the end of the season.

It’s a long road to the finish line, but Jeter, 43, would take over Miami’s business and baseball operations if the transaction is approved. The Marlins have finished under .500 every year since 2010, something that never happened to Jeter while he was wearing pinstripes.

“I had him for 12 years and he’s smart,” former Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “He’s got a feel for things. And he never was impressed with himself, you know? He was very secure with who he was. His first year, he was 21 years old. By August or September, the veterans were looking for him to do something. He never shirks responsibility. He’s a tough kid, a great upbringing.”

Torre was on the bench for four of Jeter’s five championships, including his World Series MVP performance in 2000. While the potential position with the Marlins is a completely new challenge for the shortstop, Torre thinks he has the skills to pull it off.

“He’s pretty well put together,” said Torre, now an MLB executive. “I don’t think he’s going into this thing blind. He’s pretty observant, came up in a tough organization in the city of New York. He’s been tested pretty much as far as consistently having to be responsible.”