No matter what you may think about him, Derek Jeter is truly one of the last of his kind. He is a hard-nosed baseball player who gives it everything he has. No wonder he’s the Yankees’ captain! Here’s a brief biography about this future Hall of Famer that will help you learn a little bit more about this amazing New York Yankees star. (Some biographical data about Derek Jeter were obtained from the New Yankees official MLB website page about Derek Jeter, /http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/.)
Full Name: Derek Sanderson Jeter.
Birth date: 06-26-74.
Birthplace: Pequannock, NJ.
Height: 6’3″.
Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats: Right.
Throws: Right.
How Acquired: Selected 6thoverall in the 1992 amateur draft by the Yankees.
MLB Debut: 05/29/95 vs. the Seattle Mariners.
Current positions: starting shortstop and team captain for the New York Yankees.
Notable Career Awards:
Ten-time A.L All-Star: 1998-2002, 2004, 2006-2009.
Three-time A.L Gold Glove winner at shortstop: 2004-2006.
Four-time NY Yankees team Player of the Year award: 1998-2000, 2006.
All-Star Game MVP winner: 2000.
World Series MVP winner: 2000.
The Sporting News “Good Guy in Sports” award: 2002.
American League Rookie of the Year award: 1996.
(These biographical data are by courtesy of Wikpedia’s biographical page about Derek Jeter at http://en.wikipedia.org/.)
Claim to fame: Derek Jeter is best known for his all-out hustle, his clutch hitting in the post-season and all around leadership skills. He is also known for his positive attitude, his charitable work and his fun-loving lifestyle. When he finally retires, he will be most famous for leading the NY Yankees to four world titles and for being one of the best hitting shortstops of all time.
Championships: Four World Series championships: 1996,1998,1999,2000.
Career Highlights: Jeter made his major league debut against the Seattle Mariners on May 29th, 1995 in the Kingdome. He would start 13 games before heading back to the minors.
Jeter won the 1996 A.L Rookie of the Year award after hitting .314 and scoring 114 times (cite this).
He would win the first of four World Series titles with the Yankees in 1996, defeating the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 2.
In 2000, he becomes the only player in major league history to win both the All-Star game and World Series MVP awards in the same year.
In 2001, his “flip play” at the plate startles both Jason Giambi and the Oakland A’s in a legendary 2001 AL divisional playoff series. The play would help the Yankees win that series with the A’s.
In 2009, Jeter passes Lou Gehrig for first on the Yankees all-time hit list with a single to right field vs. the Baltimore Orioles.
Other Notable Achievements: Jeter is one of six players in baseball history to record at least 2,700 hits, 1,500 runs, 220 homers, 300 steals and 1,000 RBI’s. The other six players are Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Willie Mays and Paul Molitor.
Jeter is also the sixth youngest player in the Modern Era to record at least 2,700 hits for the same team.
Charitable Work: Finally, Derek Jeter is also well-known for his charitable work. As a result, he’s considered one of baseball’s true ambassadors. Here are some of his notable charitable achievements:
In 1996, Derek began the “Turn 2” program that helps children and teenagers avoid the dangers of alcohol and drug use. The program also awards youngsters for their academic achievements.
His foundation also works with the New York Yankees helping area kids with special events throughout the year.
Derek also hosts a yearly charity golf tournament that brings together athletes from the NBA and the NFL as well as major league baseball players. Last year, the tournament raised almost $1,000,000 for his charitable work.
Additonal source:
“The 2001 ALDS Flip Play Story”. The Wikpedia Foundation. Last edited August 15th, 2009. Retrieved online September 15th, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.
