Former Yankees' SS Derek Jeter - Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
When you ask many MLB fans, especially New York Yankees fans, who they think one the greatest players of all time is, one player would have to be Derek Jeter, “The Captain.”
The Hall of Fame shortstop enjoyed a successful career in the Bronx (1996-2014), winning five World Series titles.
Jeter became known to everyone as, “The Captain”, as he led the team through its dynasty run in the mid to late 1990s-early 2000s.
Let’s take a look at how the superstar became the player he was during his time.
Growing up Jeter
Jeter was born in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, to parents Sanderson Charles and Dorothy Jeter. Sanderson analyzed medical data for substance abusers while Dorothy was an accountant. He is of Irish, African-American, and German heritage and has a younger sister, Sharlee. The Jeter family then moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Derek aspired to play the great American pastime of baseball. Little did he know what a fantastic choice he had made for himself and his family.
Jeter attended Kalamazoo Central High School, where he studied academics and was a two-sport athlete in baseball and basketball. As a sophomore, Jeter batted an exceptional .557, and in his junior and senior seasons, he hit .508. Throughout his school days, he was a player on the rise. The team recognized Jeter with numerous awards and superlatives.
His baseball talent was so impressive that the University of Michigan offered him a baseball scholarship to play for the Michigan Wolverines during his college baseball days.
Career Start
While it looked like Jeter was headed to the University of Michigan, another big opportunity came for the young and talented slugger. Therefore, while participating in an all-star camp, a Yankees scout picked out Jeter and offered him the chance to play pro ball instead of college.
After going through the decisions of playing for the University of Michigan in college or with the Yankees in the pros, Jeter decided to forgo college and head straight to the big leagues. He signed his first contract with the Bombers organization for $700,000.
Minor Leagues (1992-95)
Jeter played in the minor leagues for four years, beginning in 1992. His inaugural seasons were a work in progress, batting a mere .202 in 47 games. He was then called up to the South Atlantic League Yankee Affiliate Greensboro Hornets to earn more batting reps.
The young shortstop stumbled in his first 11 contests and made nine sloppy errors in 48 opportunities. It looked like his window of being a pro baseball player was closing. But Jeter refused to listen to any outside noise.
Jeter concentrated on improving during the next off-season. Therefore, his 1993 campaign was a breakout year for him. He tallied five home runs while hitting .295, with 18 stolen bases and 71 RBIs. As a result, the South Atlantic League managers voted him the “Most Outstanding Major League Prospect.”
In 1994, Jeter climbed up the Yankees Organization and played for the Tampa Yankees, the Albany-Colonie Yankees, and the Columbus Clippers. He accomplished all this with 68 RBIs, 50 stolen bases, and a skyrocketing batting average of .344. At the time, he became noticed as one of the ‘Most Valuable Players of the FSL.’
Call up to the Yankees (1995)
In 1995, he greatly branded himself the “starting shortstop” by the Yankees and was called up to Class AAA. On May 29th of that year, Jeter made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees. A day later, he made two big hits and scored his first career runs.
New York Yankees (1996-2014)
In 1996, Jeter made the opening-day roster as the Yankees starting shortstop and put on an offensive showcase. His first Major League home run came in the bottom of the fifth inning during a Yankees 7-1 win. He finished his first MLB season batting .314 and stealing 14 bags. During the same year, he formed the “Turn 2 Foundation” to encourage young adults to be healthy and steer them away from ‘drugs’ and ‘alcohol.’
1996 was also momentous for Jeter as he and the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978. He played a significant role in batting a fantastic .361 for his first full MLB season. Additionally, 1997 saw Jeter and the Yankees work out a contract extension of $540,000 with bonuses. On the field, he became the leadoff hitter for the Yanks. In the 1997 ALDS, the Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians 3-2.
In 1998, “The Captain” attended his first All-Star game and earned $750,000. He posted a .324 regular-season batting average and an astounding .353 World Series batting average, sweeping the San Diego Padres in all four games. From 1999 to 2002, Jeter made his second All-Star game. In 1999, the talented athlete batted .353 in the World Series against the Atlanta Braves, winning back-to-back world championships. In addition, Jeter signed a one-year extension for a lucrative $10 million.
After participating in the Division Series, the All-Star Series, the Championship Series, and the World Series, Jeter was eligible to test “free agency.” Because of deep-pocketed owner George Steinbrenner and the Yankees’ mastery at the luxury tax, the Yankees extended Jeter to a whopping $189 million. However, he ended up being the second-highest-paid player behind Alex Rodriguez.
After the 9/11 attacks, he participated in his seventh MLB season in 2002. Jeter was the fourth player in Major League history to score 100 runs in his first seven full seasons. In 2003, the Yankees named Jeter the team captain. That same year, Jeter batted .324 in the ALDS series and then against the Red Sox in the ALCS series. Nevertheless, despite Jeter’s batting average, it became .314 at the end of the season. The Yankees lost to the Flordia Marlins in the World Series 4 games to 2.
In 2004, the Captain had an unprecedented career high with 44 doubles, helping the Yankees reach their 10th straight postseason and winning 101 games. In 2005, he placed second in the American League and won another division title with the team. Before 2006, Jeter played in the inaugural “World Baseball Classic” for Team USA. Despite an underwhelming 2008 season, he made numerous important milestones. The outstanding shortstop became the third youngest player ever to collect 2,500 hits. From 1999 to 2008, Jeter accumulated almost 1,947 hits, the most when he played for the Majors.
The Yankees 2009 season saw them bounce back from their 2008 struggles. Jeter and the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2 to win their 27th Fall Classic. Once again, Jeter collected numerous awards after that season. From 2010-2012, Jeter hit more milestones. He went to his fifth straight MLB All-Star game and achieved 2,874 career hits. In 2011, Jeter joined the 3,000th hit club, becoming the fourth-youngest player to accomplish this.
Awards and Accolades
- In 1992, Jeter earned his first award, winning the “Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year”
- In 1994, he was credited with Baseball America’s “Minor League Player of the Year”
- He was selected as New York Yankees “Player of the Year” in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2009
- In 2000, Jeter captured the “World Series Most Valuable Player” Award
- He conquered the prominent “Golden Glove” Award in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010
- He won the “Silver Slugger” Award in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2012
Conclusion
After all is said and done and all the awards have been given out, Jeter said this about his former team.
“The thing that means the most to me is being remembered as a Yankee,” he said. “I have to thank the Steinbrenner family for giving me the opportunity to live my dream.”
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