Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeteris an American former professional baseball shortstop who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseballfor the New York Yankees. A five-time World Series champion, Jeter is regarded as a central figure of the Yankees' success of the late 1990s and early 2000s for his hitting, baserunning, fielding, and leadership. He is the Yankees' all-time career leader in hits, doubles, games played, stolen bases, times on base, plate appearancesand at bats. His accolades include 14 All-Star selections, five Gold...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth26 June 1974
CityPequannock, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
I've been playing baseball since I was 5 or 6 years old. I've been on a schedule, pretty much, since I was in eighth, ninth grade. I look forward to not doing that.
I've never been an actor on Broadway, but it feels like you're on a stage when you play at Yankee Stadium. And that's the feeling I've always had.
I think, a lot of times, players get in trouble when they're asked questions and they think they have to find a way to answer it. If you ask me a question and I say, 'I don't know,' there's really no follow-up.
I wish I trusted people more. But when I meet someone, the first thing is, 'What does this person want?' And I put up a defense mechanism. But I've always been that way.
I always have tried to treat people with respect, the way I want to be treated.
Any player that says they don't want to go to an All-Star Game is lying to you. It's something everyone wants to be a part of.
You're a person a lot longer before and after you're a professional athlete. People always say to me, 'Your image is this, your image is that.' Your image isn't your character. Character is what you are as a person. That's what I worry about.
You have to keep the demand out there for them. You can't just give them up right away. It's like when you go to a club and there's a long line out front, then you get inside and there's nobody inside. The wait is the best part.
You have an understanding and an education of two races,
You have to have a short memory. You have to forget. You can't say you're embarrassed because they are major-league players. They've played better than us in every area this year.
You feel bad because Moose did an outstanding job and we wasted his performance.
Even in the minors or at the All-Star game, you're still part of the Yankees. It's going to seem weird to put on another uniform and play for another team. It's a new situation for me but I'm looking forward to it.
Everybody talks about our offense, but that doesn't win games. Pitching and defense does.
Every game you lose is a missed opportunity, every one of them. At this point, we have 20-something games, and every single game is important, whether we're playing Tampa or playing Boston, Toronto or Baltimore.