MLB Legacies: Derek Jeter
The Life And Career Of G.O.A.T Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter is one of the most successful baseball players of all time. He spent 20 years playing for the New York Yankees, was their captain for 11 years, and won the World Series 5 times.
Jeter played as a Shortstop for the Yankees and holds 7 franchise records for the team. He is the Yankees’ all-time career leader in hits (3,465), doubles (544), hits (3,465), stolen bases (358), games played (2,747), plate appearances (12,602), times on base (4,716), and at bats (11,195).
Jeter was called up to the All-Stars on 14 different occasions. He was awarded the Golden Glove 5 times and was named the World Series MVP once.
Today, we are going to take a closer look at the life and career so far of Derek Jeter.
Before The MLB
Early Life
Jeter was born in New Jersey to mixed raced parents who met in the army. His father played college baseball for Fisk University in Tennessee. Jeter’s sister was also a Softball star.
Jeter used to spend summers with his grandparents who would take him to see New
York Yankees games. He most enjoyed watching his hero, Dave Winfield.
Jeter ended up attending the University of Michigan on a baseball scholarship.
Minor League Baseball
In 1992, Jeter ended the Draft – he was almost picked by the Houston Astros but eventually ended up not getting picked by any team so he joined the Minor Leagues for 4 years.
He played for the Gulf Coast Yankees, the Greensboro Hornets, and the Tampa Yankees, before joining the New York Yankees in 1996.
Jeter was a huge success in the Minor Leagues and caught the eye of many MLB teams – he chose the Yankees because of his personal connection to the team.
The MLB Years
World Series Titles – 1996, 1998–2000, 2009
World Series MVP – 2000
Golden Glove Award – 2004–2006, 2009–2010
All-Stars Years – 1998–2002, 2004, 2006–2012, 2014
Jeter was called up to the Yankees in 1995 after Tony Fernández and Pat Kelly were injured. However, Jeter had an awful couple of first games and was replaced by Fernadez as soon as he came back from injury.
However, at the start of the 1996 season, the coaches decided to give Jeter another chance and he took it. That year he hit for .314 with 10 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 78 RBIs. He even scored a home run in his first game of the season.
Jeter was an important part of the post-season team that went on to win the World Series. This would be the first of five for Jeter.
In 1997, he batted .291, with 10 home runs, 70 RBIs, 116 runs, and 190 hits.
Because he batted .324 with a league-leading 127 runs, 19 home runs, and 84 RBIs, Jeter was called up to the All-Stars for the first time in 1998. The Yankees went on to win the World Series that year too.
The Yankees actually did the triple and won the World Series for 3 years in a row between 1998 and 2000. In the 2000 final, Jeter was named MVP. He was also named the All-Star MVP that year – he is still the only player to have won both awards in one year.
In 2003, Jeter dislocated his shoulder in the first game and missed 36 games. When he returned, Jeter was named Captain of the Yankees. The team had not had a captain since Don Mattingly retired in 1995.
In 2005, Jeter finished second in the league for runs (122), and third in the league for both bats (654) and hits (202). He was not called up to the All-Stars that year.
He was awarded the Golden Glove for three consecutive years from 2004 to 2006. He was also given the same award in 2009 and 2010.
Jeter won his final World Series title in 2009. That year they beat the Phillies.
You can find this season’s MLB spreads here.
Jeter announced that he would retire at the end of the 2014 season. At his last game there, each opposing city gave Jeter a gift.
His final game was at Fenway Park – he was given a standing ovation by both the New York and the Boston fans.
Outside The MLB
One thing you may not know about Derek Jeter is he co-wrote the best-selling single “The Roof (Back In Time) with his former girlfriend, Mariah Carey. The song was about their first kiss.
Jeter owns a publishing house, which is a part of Simon & Schuster called Jeter Publishing.
Until 2022, Jeter had owned a 4% stake in the Miami Martins and was the CEO of the team. However, at the start of this year, he stepped down and sold his shares.
Jeter started the Turn 2 Foundation with the aim of keeping young people away from drugs and alcohol abuse. This was inspired by his father’s work as a substance abuse support worker. The foundation provides support and scholarships for kids all over the country.
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