Derek Jeter
Encyclopedia
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball
shortstop
who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball
(MLB) for the New York Yankees
. A twelve-time All-Star
and five-time World Series
champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central figure of the franchise during the Yankees' success of the 1990s and 2000s. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003.
The Yankees drafted Jeter out of high school by in 1992, and he debuted in the Major Leagues in 1995. The following year, he became the Yankees' starting shortstop and won the Rookie of the Year Award. In addition, Jeter's achievements include four Silver Slugger Awards, five Gold Glove
awards, All-Star Game MVP Award, World Series MVP Award, and membership in the 3,000 hit club. He is the all-time hits
leader among shortstops, and his .313 career batting average
through the 2011 season ranks as the eighth-highest among active players. He has been among the American League
(AL) leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years. Jeter passed Hall of Fame
member Lou Gehrig
as the all-time Yankees hit leader in 2009. Through 2011, Jeter is the Yankees' all-time career leader in games played (2,426), at bats (9,868), and hits (3,088). He is also third in runs (1,769) and tied for fifth in batting average (.313).
Throughout his career, Jeter has contributed reliably to the Yankees successes in the postseason
. He holds many postseason
records, and has a .351 batting average
in the World Series
. Jeter has earned the titles of "Captain Clutch", and "Mr. November" due to his postseason heroics.
Teammates and opponents alike regard Jeter as a consummate professional. Many players and coaches consider Jeter to be one of the best players of his generation. Sportswriters anticipate that Jeter will be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame following his playing career.
in Germany. His father played shortstop at Fisk University
in Tennessee. As a child, his parents had Derek sign a contract every year consisting of acceptable and unacceptable forms of behavior. Dorothy instilled a positive attitude in Derek, insisting that he not use the word "can't". Derek has one sister, Sharlee, who is five years younger and was a softball star in high school.
The Jeters lived in North Arlington, New Jersey
until Derek was four years old, at which point they moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan
. Jeter and his sister lived in Kalamazoo during the school year and spent their summers with their grandparents in New Jersey. His grandparents took him to Yankees games, which made Jeter a passionate fan of the team. Watching Dave Winfield
play for the Yankees inspired Jeter to play baseball.
Jeter attended Kalamazoo Central High School
, where he played baseball and basketball. As a baseball player, he was honored as an All-State honorable mention, recognizing him as one of the best high school baseball players in the state. Kalamazoo Central High School inducted Jeter into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 and renamed its baseball field in honor of Jeter in 2011.
Jeter batted
.557 as a sophomore
and .508 as a junior
. During his senior
season, he batted .508, had 23 runs batted in
, 21 walks, four home run
s, and 12 stolen base
s (in 12 attempts), and struck out
only once. Following his senior season, Jeter was honored with the Kalamazoo Area B'nai B'rith
Award for Scholar Athlete, the 1992 High School Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association
, the 1992 Gatorade
High School Player of the Year award
, and USA Today
s High School Player of the Year. Jeter received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Michigan
.
Hal Newhouser
, a scout
for the Houston Astros
, evaluated Jeter extensively. The Astros had the first pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft
, and Newhouser lobbied Astros' management to select Jeter, convinced he would anchor a winning team. However, the Astros feared that Jeter would insist on a salary bonus of $1 million or more to sign a professional contract, forgoing his college scholarship. Therefore, the Astros passed on Jeter in the draft, choosing Cal-State Fullerton
outfielder Phil Nevin
. The Astros signed Nevin for $700,000. Newhouser felt so strongly about Jeter's potential that he quit his job after the Astros passed on him.
Yankees scout Dick Groch also rated Jeter highly. Though Yankee officials were concerned Jeter might attend college, Groch convinced them to select Jeter, insisting "the only place Derek Jeter's going is to Cooperstown
," referencing the home city of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Jeter chose to turn professional, signing with the Yankees for $800,000.
, then known as the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL). Jeter began the 1992 season in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League
before advancing to the Class-A Greensboro Hornets. Jeter struggled in 1992, batting .202. Manager Gary Denbo
benched Jeter in the season's final game to ensure his average wouldn't drop below .200, known in baseball as the Mendoza Line
. Jeter was homesick and frustrated with his play, registering $400 per month phone bills with daily calls to his parents.
In 1993, playing in Greensboro, Jeter collected various awards, including Most Outstanding Major League Prospect of the South Atlantic League
. He was disappointed in himself for committing 56 errors
in 1993, a South Atlantic League record. Despite this, Jeter was also voted the South Atlantic League's Best Defensive Shortstop, Most Exciting Player, and Best Infield Arm by Baseball America.
Jeter spent the next offseason focusing on his fielding. Jeter played for the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees
, the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees, and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers
in 1994, hitting .344 with five home runs, 68 runs batted in, and 50 stolen bases combined. He was honored with the Minor League Player of the Year Award
by Baseball America
, The Sporting News
, USA Today
, and Topps
/NAPBL. He was also named the MVP of the Florida State League
.
The Yankees had projected Jeter as their starting shortstop for the 1995 season, but when he suffered a minor injury in the Arizona Fall League
, the Yankees signed Tony Fernández
to a two-year contract to play shortstop and kept Jeter in Triple-A. The Yankees reportedly offered Jeter the opportunity to work out with the replacement players in Spring Training prior to the 1995 season, but he declined to cross the picket line.
Despite the presence of Fernández on the roster, new Yankees manager Joe Torre
announced that Jeter would be the starting shortstop in 1996. He started on Opening Day
of the 1996 season as the starting shortstop, the first Yankee rookie since Tom Tresh
in 1962 to do so, and hit his first major-league home run on that day. Jeter played his way to a successful rookie season, hitting for a .314 batting average, with 10 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 78 runs batted in. He subsequently earned Rookie of the Year
honors. Jeter batted .361 in the playoffs, as the Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves
to win their first World Series
championship since 1978
.
During the 1996 American League Championship Series
, Jeter was involved in what has become a memorable moment in postseason history. During game one, with the Yankees trailing the Baltimore Orioles
4–3 in the 8th inning, Jeter hit a fly ball to right field. As right fielder
Tony Tarasco
moved to make a play on the ball near the fence, appearing to have a chance to catch the ball, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier
reached over the wall and caught the ball, pulling it back into the stands. Despite Tarasco's protest, the umpires convened and ruled the ball a home run. Replays conclusively showed that, had Maier not interfered, the ball would have fallen in front of the fence and potentially into Tarasco's glove for an out. The Yankees went on to win in 11 innings and eventually won the series, four games to one. The ruling made for the first home run of Jeter's postseason career.
Heading into the 1997 season, Jeter, Alex Rodriguez
and Nomar Garciaparra
were widely considered the "new crop" of shortstops, as the careers of Cal Ripken, Jr.
, Barry Larkin
, Ozzie Smith
and Alan Trammell
were concluding. Prior to the 1997 season, Jeter and the Yankees agreed on a $540,000 contract with performance bonuses. That year, Jeter batted .291, with 10 home runs, 70 runs batted in, 116 runs and 190 hits. Though Jeter hit two home runs during the 1997 American League Division Series
, the Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians
.
Jeter batted .324 during the 1998 season, with a league-leading 127 runs, 19 home runs, and 84 runs batted in, for a team that won 114 games during the regular season and is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time. In the playoffs, Jeter hit only .176 in the Division
and League Championship Series
, but he excelled in the World Series
, batting .353, as the Yankees went on to beat the San Diego Padres in four games.
in hits (219) in 1999, while finishing second in the league in batting average (.349) and runs scored (134). Jeter, who, for part of the year, batted third in the lineup, also drove in 102 runs, becoming only the second Yankee shortstop to do so, following Lyn Lary
, who drove in 107 runs in 1931. His season totals in batting average, runs
, hits
, runs batted in, doubles
(37), triples
(9), home runs (24), slugging percentage (.552), and on-base percentage (.438) are all personal bests. Jeter batted .455 in the 1999 American League Division Series
, .350 in the 1999 American League Championship Series
, and .353 in the 1999 World Series
, as the Yankees defeated the Braves to win another championship.
During the 1999–2000 offseason, the Yankees negotiated with Jeter, tentatively agreeing to a $118.5 million, seven-year contract. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner
did not want to set a salary record, delaying until the acceptance of a $143 million, eight-year contract extension between the Detroit Tigers
and Juan González. When that proposed deal fell through, Jeter's tentative deal fell through, and he agreed to a one-year deal for $10 million, avoiding arbitration.
Jeter batted .339, with 15 home runs, 73 runs batted in, 119 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases in 2000. He batted only .211 in the Division Series
but rebounded to bat .318 against the Seattle Mariners
in the Championship Series
and .409, with two home runs, a triple, and two doubles in a five-game series against the New York Mets
in the World Series
, the first Subway Series
since 1956
. Jeter hit a home run on the first pitch of Game 4 of the World Series, then tripled and scored in the third inning, extending his World Series hitting streak to 13. His home run in Game 5 tied the game, which the Yankees won on a Luis Sojo
single, and extended his World Series hitting streak to 14.
Before the 2001 season, with one year remaining until he would become eligible for free agency, Jeter signed a $189 million, ten-year contract to remain with the Yankees, making him the second highest paid athlete, trailing only Rodriguez. Rodriguez signed his deal earlier than Jeter, setting a higher market for Jeter's negotiations.
During the season, Jeter batted .311, with 21 home runs, 74 runs batted in, 110 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases. Jeter made a notable defensive play in Game 3 of the 2001 American League Division Series
against the Oakland Athletics
. With Jeremy Giambi
on first base, Oakland right fielder Terrence Long
hit a double off Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina
into the right-field corner. As Giambi rounded third base and headed for home, Yankees right fielder Shane Spencer
retrieved the ball and made a wild throw that missed cutoff man Tino Martinez
and dribbled down the first-base line. Jeter came from shortstop to grab the ball and flipped it to catcher Jorge Posada
, who tagged Giambi on the leg just before he crossed home plate for the out. Facing elimination, the Yankees went on to win the game, as well as the series. The play, known as "The Flip," was later voted seventh in Baseball Weeklys 10 Most Amazing Plays of all time, and also won the 2002 Best Play ESPY Award
.
As a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the start of the playoffs was delayed, and Game 4 of the 2001 World Series
was played on October 31. The game went into the tenth inning tied at 3–3. At midnight, the scoreboard in center field read "Attention Fans, Welcome to NOVEMBER BASEBALL." This was the first time that any non-exhibition MLB game had been played in the month of November. Moments after this message was displayed on the board, Jeter hit a home run off of Byung-Hyun Kim
. The Yankees flashed the words "Mr. November," a reference to Reggie Jackson
's nickname, "Mr. October," on the scoreboard. However, Jeter slumped in the 2001 postseason; though he denied injuries were impacting him, a fall into a photographer's box trying to catch a foul ball may have aggravated an earlier hamstring injury. Jeter batted .148 in the 2001 World Series, as the Yankees lost in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
In 2002, Jeter batted .297, with 18 home runs, 75 runs batted in, 124 runs scored, 191 hits, and a career-best 32 stolen bases. He led the majors in stolen base percentage (91.4%), getting caught only three times.
at third base. Jeter, who had never played fewer than 148 games in the prior seven full seasons, was subsequently on the disabled list for six weeks, missing 36 games. Jeter returned to bat .324, finishing third in batting average to Bill Mueller
, who batted .326.
Steinbrenner named Jeter the 11th recognized captain in Yankees history on June 3, 2003, following eight seasons without a captain after the retirement of Don Mattingly
in 1995. Dispute over the true count has been noted.
The beginning of the 2004 season saw Jeter mired in a slump; on May 25, he was hitting only .189. This included a personal career record 0-for-32 skid in April. In June, Jeter broke out of his slump. He hit nearly .400 for the month and set a personal best with 9 home runs. He finished the season with a .292 average; 23 home runs, the second most of his career; 78 runs batted in; 111 runs scored; and a career-best 44 doubles, which broke a Yankee single-season record for doubles by a shortstop, besting Tony Kubek
's 38 in 1961.
During a July 1, 2004, game against the rival Boston Red Sox
, with the score tied at 3 in the top of the 12th inning, the Red Sox had runners on second and third with 2 outs and right fielder Trot Nixon
up at bat. Nixon hit a pop fly down the left field line. Jeter ran from his position at shortstop and made an over-the-shoulder catch. In dramatic fashion, he launched himself over the third-base side railing, landing three rows into the left-field seats, and lacerating his chin and bruising his face in the process. Jeter was later taken out of the game. This catch ended the inning, and later the Yankees went on to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning. For the play, Jeter was awarded Play Of The Year in the This Year In Baseball awards competition, as voted on by fans at MLB.com.
On June 18, 2005, against the Chicago Cubs
, Jeter hit his first and only grand slam
, after 10 years in the major leagues. At one point, Jeter had the most at bats of any active player not to have hit a grand slam. In 2005, Jeter was second in the AL in both runs scored (122) and batting average on balls in play
(.394), and was third in the league in both at bats (654) and hits (202). Jeter won his second consecutive Gold Glove in 2005, as his range factor
rose to 4.76 and ranked second among AL shortstops.
In 2006, Jeter was second in the AL in both batting average (.343) and runs scored (118); was third in hits (214), stolen base success percentage (87.2), and batting average with runners in scoring position (.381); and was fifth in infield hits (26). He finished second in American League Most Valuable Player Award voting to Justin Morneau
of the Minnesota Twins
(320 points to 306 points). Jeter finished in the top 10 in the MVP balloting 6 times in his 11 full seasons through 2006 (including also a third-place finish in 1998).
Jeter had his sixth overall and third consecutive season of 200 hits or more in 2007, finishing third in the AL with 203. He was also fourth in both at-bats (639) and plate appearances (714), sixth in times on base (276), and ninth in batting average (.322). In the field, he was involved in a career-high 104 double play
s.
In 2008, Jeter's slugging percentage (SLG) was .410, his lowest since 1997. One possible cause was a prolonged slump that he suffered after being hit by a pitch on his wrist. Before the injury, Jeter was hitting .324 with a .774 on-base plus slugging
(OPS). After the injury, his batting average
dipped to as low as .269 by the end of the month. His offense took an upward turn after May as he hit .322 with a .824 OPS after June 1. Jeter was elected to his ninth All-Star game
as the starting shortstop.
Jeter tied Lou Gehrig
for the most hits at Yankee Stadium (1,269) with a home run off Tampa Bay Rays
pitcher David Price
on September 14, 2008. On September 16, he went on to break the record off of Chicago White Sox
pitcher Gavin Floyd
. Following the final game in Yankee Stadium history, Jeter made an impromptu on-field speech, thanking the Yankees fans for their support and asking them to pass on their memories from the venue while making new memories at the new Yankee Stadium
.
For the 2009 season, Yankees manager
Joe Girardi
switched Jeter and Johnny Damon
in the batting order, with Damon moving to second and Jeter to the leadoff
role, based on the rationale that Jeter had a higher on base percentage
(OBP) than Damon, but grounded into double plays more often. Jeter batted .334 (third in the AL), with a .406 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, 30 stolen bases (caught only 5 times), 107 runs scored (in the top 10 in MLB), and 212 hits (second in MLB).
On August 16, 2009, against the Seattle Mariners
, Jeter doubled down the right-field line for his 2,675th hit as a shortstop, breaking Luis Aparicio
's previous record for the most hits by a shortstop in major league history. Jeter became the all-time hits leader as a member of the Yankees (2,722), passing Lou Gehrig
on September 11, 2009. The hit was a single off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman
in the third inning.
In the 2009 postseason, Jeter batted .355, including .407 in the 2009 World Series
, as he won his fifth World Series championship. He was named Sportsman of the Year
for 2009 by Sports Illustrated
. Jeter also finished third in the AL MVP voting, behind Minnesota's
Joe Mauer
and teammate Mark Teixeira
.
The 2010 season was statistically Jeter's worst in many respects. The Yankee captain batted .270 with a .340 OBP and .370 SLG and an Adjusted OPS of 90, his first full season with an OPS+ below 100. However, Jeter did bat .342 in his last 79 at-bats after making adjustments to his swing. Following the season, Jeter won his fifth Gold Glove award. He committed six errors during the season, his lowest total in 15 full seasons.
After the 2010 season, Jeter became a free agent for the first time in his career. He reached an agreement with the Yankees on a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. The deal was finalized on December 7. Jeter spent the offseason making adjustments in his swing.
Jeter broke Rickey Henderson
's franchise record for stolen bases when he stole his 327th base against the Mariners
on May 28, 2011. Jeter began the 2011 season batting .260 with a .649 OPS prior to suffering a calf injury that required his fifth career 15-day disabled list
stint, and his first since 2003. Following his activation from the DL, he hit .326 with an .806 OPS in his last 64 games of the season. Jeter finished the year with a .297 batting average, 6 home runs, 61 runs batted in, 84 runs, and 16 stolen bases.
Jeter recorded his 3,000th career hit, a home run in the third inning of an afternoon game against David Price
of the Tampa Bay Rays
on July 9, 2011. Jeter finished the day with five hits in five at bats, the second player to do so the day of achieving the 3,000th hit (the first was Craig Biggio
). The last of Jeter's five hits proved to be the game-winning hit. He is the only member of the 3,000 hit club to record all of his hits with the New York Yankees
, and one of only two players (the other being Wade Boggs
) to hit a home run for his 3,000th hit. Jeter is the second player to reach 3,000 hits as a shortstop
(the first was Honus Wagner
). Only Ty Cobb
, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount
were younger than Jeter on the day of their 3,000th hit. Major League Baseball and HBO produced Deter Jeter 3K, a documentary that profiles his path to 3,000 hits which originally aired on July 28, 2011.
Jeter finished the 2011 season with 162 hits, his 16th consecutive season with 150 hits, which tied him with Pete Rose
for the second most consecutive 150 hit seasons, one behind Hank Aaron for the MLB record.
in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
. He hit .450 (9-for-20) and scored five runs in six games. Only Ken Griffey, Jr.
(.524) and Yoandy Garlobo
(.480) had a higher batting average with a minimum of 20 at bats. Jeter's play earned him recognition as the shortstop selection on the All-Tournament Team.
Jeter started at shortstop for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
as well. At the start of the tournament, he was named captain of Team USA by manager Davey Johnson
. With Team USA, Jeter faced the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in an exhibition game, the first time he played against the Yankees.
, 118 runs scored and 23 stolen bases per year over the course of 152 games played.
Though Jeter is a right-handed hitter, his signature inside-out swing, also called the "Jeterian Swing", has driven a large portion of hits up the middle, to center and right field, a trend that has remained consistent throughout his career. He has more home runs to the opposite field (86) than to center or to left, using his swing to take advantage of the short right-field fences at both the old and new Yankee Stadiums. He is an aggressive hitter, swinging at most pitches in the strike zone, and many near it. His swing enables him to get hits even when he is slumping.
Jeter is also known for his professionalism. In an age where professional athletes often find themselves in personal scandals, Jeter has avoided major controversy in a high profile career in New York City
while maintaining a strong work ethic. A clubhouse leader, Jeter diffuses confrontations between teammates. Due to his style of play, opponents and teammates hold Jeter in high esteem.
(152), plate appearance
s (679), at-bats (559), hits (191), doubles (31), runs scored (107), total bases (290) and strikeouts (125). Jeter is also third in triples (4), third in home runs (20), fourth in runs batted in (59), and fifth in base on balls (64) and sixth stolen bases (18).
s, Jeter's defense has been the subject of criticism from a number of sabermetricians
, including Rob Neyer
and the publication Baseball Prospectus. The book The Fielding Bible by John Dewan contains an essay by Bill James
in which he concludes that Jeter "was probably the most ineffective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position." A 2008 study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania
found that, from 2002 through 2005, Jeter was the worst defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues. Jeter responded to this criticism by saying "I play in New York, man. Criticism is part of the game, you take criticism as a challenge." The controversy over Jeter's fielding has become a flash point for the debate over whether the analyses of statistics or subjective observation is the better method to assess a player's defensive ability, and for criticism of the Gold Glove award.
Jeter committed 18 errors in 2007, his highest total since finishing with 24 in 2000. After the season, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman
and his staff saw Jeter's defense as an area that needed to be addressed. At the Yankees' request, Jeter embarked on a rigorous training program to combat the effects of age, by focusing on lateral movement and first-step quickness. Jeter's ultimate zone rating
(UZR) improved from worst in the American League for shortstops in 2007 to close to league average in 2008.
Two sites that rely on advanced defensive statistics, FanGraphs.com and FieldingBible.com, rated Jeter below middle-of-the-pack status in 2010, despite his receiving his fifth Gold Glove Award that season. When asked about his defense, Jeter asserted that many defensive factors cannot be quantified.
Jeter maintains an apartment in Manhattan's Trump World Tower
and homes in Marlboro, New Jersey, Greenwood Lake, New York
, and the Davis Islands neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
.
Jeter's personal life has been a frequent topic in gossip columns and celebrity magazines since his rookie year in 1996. He had a well-publicized relationship with pop diva
Mariah Carey
from 1997 to 1998. Jeter also dated former Miss Universe
Lara Dutta
, singer Joy Enriquez
, and actress Jordana Brewster
. Jeter also had an on-and-off relationship with television personality
Vanessa Minillo from late 2003 until early 2006. From November 2006 to January 2007, Jeter was romantically involved with actress Jessica Biel
. Jeter dated Friday Night Lights
actress Minka Kelly
from May 2008 until August 2011.
In December 2002, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner criticized Jeter for staying out until 3 a.m. at a birthday party during the 2002 season, saying that his star shortstop "wasn't totally focused" and that "it didn't sit well" with him. In May 2003, the two appeared in a VISA
commercial together where they went club-hopping, mocking the incident in a fashion similar to how Steinbrenner and former Yankees manager Billy Martin
had mocked their feud in a Miller Lite
commercial during the 1970s.
In 2008, Jeter settled a tax dispute with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
. New York State alleged that Jeter should have paid state income tax
from 2001 to 2003, as Jeter bought a Manhattan apartment in 2001; Jeter established his residence in Tampa, Florida, in 1994 and claimed that he was still a resident of Florida at the time, where there is no state income tax.
Jeter is a close personal friend of Yankees catcher Jorge Posada
and served as best man at Posada's wedding. He has also renewed his close friendship with teammate Alex Rodriguez
after a rift between them developed several years ago.
Jeter began the Turn 2 Foundation
, a charity organization, in 1996. The Foundation was established to help children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction
, and to reward those who show high academic achievement. The organization's name derives from the baseball double play
(where "turning two" refers to making two outs on one play) and indicates the goal of the Foundation to give youths a place to "turn to" instead of drugs and alcohol.
During the 2009 season, Jeter and Mets star David Wright represented their foundations in a competition sponsored by Delta Air Lines
; the player with the highest batting average
received $100,000 for their foundation from Delta, while the runner-up's foundation received $50,000. Wright's group, the David Wright Foundation, focuses on multiple sclerosis
.
Jeter is also involved in Weplay, a website designed to encourage children to get involved in sports.
, Gatorade
, Fleet Bank
, Discover Card
, Florsheim
, Gillette Fusion, VISA
(with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
), Skippy, Ford
, and XM Satellite Radio
. He endorses a cologne named Driven, designed in collaboration with and distributed by Avon. Jeter has his own Jumpman
shoe.
In 2006, Jeter was the second-highest paid endorser in baseball, having earned $7 million in endorsements. He was ranked as the most marketable player in baseball according to the 2005 and 2010 Sports Business Surveys. A 2011 list by the marketing firm Nielsen ranked Jeter as the most marketable player in baseball, accounting for personal attributes such as sincerity, approachability, experience, and influence.
' MLB 2K5, MLB 2K6
, and MLB 2K7. He was also the cover athlete for Acclaim Entertainment
's All-Star Baseball
series of video games. Jeter is the cover athlete for Gameloft's
wireless phone baseball game, Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2008
.
He has appeared on television in Seinfeld
and as a host on Saturday Night Live
. Jeter had cameo appearances in the comedy films Anger Management
and The Other Guys
. Jeter's likeness was seen briefly on The Simpsons
during the eighth episode of season 19, titled "Funeral for a Fiend
", in which he was parodied as a guest starring on Sesame Street
. Jeter was the subject of a 2005 segment on the TV news magazine 60 Minutes
.
There is a wax figure
of Jeter at the Madame Tussauds
Wax Museum in New York, and a sculpture at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Kentucky
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. A twelve-time All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and five-time World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central figure of the franchise during the Yankees' success of the 1990s and 2000s. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003.
The Yankees drafted Jeter out of high school by in 1992, and he debuted in the Major Leagues in 1995. The following year, he became the Yankees' starting shortstop and won the Rookie of the Year Award. In addition, Jeter's achievements include four Silver Slugger Awards, five Gold Glove
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
awards, All-Star Game MVP Award, World Series MVP Award, and membership in the 3,000 hit club. He is the all-time hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
leader among shortstops, and his .313 career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
through the 2011 season ranks as the eighth-highest among active players. He has been among the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years. Jeter passed Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
member Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
as the all-time Yankees hit leader in 2009. Through 2011, Jeter is the Yankees' all-time career leader in games played (2,426), at bats (9,868), and hits (3,088). He is also third in runs (1,769) and tied for fifth in batting average (.313).
Throughout his career, Jeter has contributed reliably to the Yankees successes in the postseason
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
. He holds many postseason
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
records, and has a .351 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. Jeter has earned the titles of "Captain Clutch", and "Mr. November" due to his postseason heroics.
Teammates and opponents alike regard Jeter as a consummate professional. Many players and coaches consider Jeter to be one of the best players of his generation. Sportswriters anticipate that Jeter will be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame following his playing career.
Early life
Jeter was born in Pequannock, New Jersey in 1974. His father, Sanderson Charles Jeter, Ph.D., a substance abuse counselor, is African American; his mother, Dorothy, an accountant, is Caucasian and of Irish/German descent. Charles and Dorothy met while serving in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in Germany. His father played shortstop at Fisk University
Fisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
in Tennessee. As a child, his parents had Derek sign a contract every year consisting of acceptable and unacceptable forms of behavior. Dorothy instilled a positive attitude in Derek, insisting that he not use the word "can't". Derek has one sister, Sharlee, who is five years younger and was a softball star in high school.
The Jeters lived in North Arlington, New Jersey
North Arlington, New Jersey
North Arlington is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 15,392...
until Derek was four years old, at which point they moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. Jeter and his sister lived in Kalamazoo during the school year and spent their summers with their grandparents in New Jersey. His grandparents took him to Yankees games, which made Jeter a passionate fan of the team. Watching Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
play for the Yankees inspired Jeter to play baseball.
Jeter attended Kalamazoo Central High School
Kalamazoo Central High School
Kalamazoo Central High School is a public high school in Kalamazoo, Michigan serving students from ninth through twelfth grades. It was the first public high school in Michigan. It began operating in 1858 and graduated its first class of five men and three women in 1859. It moved to its current...
, where he played baseball and basketball. As a baseball player, he was honored as an All-State honorable mention, recognizing him as one of the best high school baseball players in the state. Kalamazoo Central High School inducted Jeter into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003 and renamed its baseball field in honor of Jeter in 2011.
Jeter batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.557 as a sophomore
Tenth grade
In majority of the world,Tenth grade is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten. The variants of "10th grade" in various nations is described below.-Australia:...
and .508 as a junior
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
. During his senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
season, he batted .508, had 23 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 21 walks, four home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, and 12 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s (in 12 attempts), and struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
only once. Following his senior season, Jeter was honored with the Kalamazoo Area B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith International |Covenant]]" is the oldest continually operating Jewish service organization in the world. It was initially founded as the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith in New York City, on , 1843, by Henry Jones and 11 others....
Award for Scholar Athlete, the 1992 High School Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association
American Baseball Coaches Association
The American Baseball Coaches Association is a baseball coaching organization formed in 1945. It is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level.-History:...
, the 1992 Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
High School Player of the Year award
Player of the year award
Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award...
, and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s High School Player of the Year. Jeter received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser
Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
, a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, evaluated Jeter extensively. The Astros had the first pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft
1992 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1992 Major League Baseball draft.-Other notable players:*Raúl Ibáñez, 36th round, Seattle Mariners...
, and Newhouser lobbied Astros' management to select Jeter, convinced he would anchor a winning team. However, the Astros feared that Jeter would insist on a salary bonus of $1 million or more to sign a professional contract, forgoing his college scholarship. Therefore, the Astros passed on Jeter in the draft, choosing Cal-State Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
outfielder Phil Nevin
Phil Nevin
Phillip Joseph Nevin is a retired American professional baseball player who spent twelve seasons in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros , Detroit Tigers , Anaheim Angels , San Diego Padres , Texas Rangers , Chicago Cubs and Minnesota Twins...
. The Astros signed Nevin for $700,000. Newhouser felt so strongly about Jeter's potential that he quit his job after the Astros passed on him.
Yankees scout Dick Groch also rated Jeter highly. Though Yankee officials were concerned Jeter might attend college, Groch convinced them to select Jeter, insisting "the only place Derek Jeter's going is to Cooperstown
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
," referencing the home city of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Jeter chose to turn professional, signing with the Yankees for $800,000.
Minor leagues (1992–1995)
Jeter spent four years in the minor leaguesMinor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, then known as the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL). Jeter began the 1992 season in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
before advancing to the Class-A Greensboro Hornets. Jeter struggled in 1992, batting .202. Manager Gary Denbo
Gary Denbo
Gary Brian Denbo is currently a Major League Professional Scout for the New York Yankees professional baseball organization.-Playing career:...
benched Jeter in the season's final game to ensure his average wouldn't drop below .200, known in baseball as the Mendoza Line
Mendoza Line
The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball in the United States, deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting...
. Jeter was homesick and frustrated with his play, registering $400 per month phone bills with daily calls to his parents.
In 1993, playing in Greensboro, Jeter collected various awards, including Most Outstanding Major League Prospect of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. He was disappointed in himself for committing 56 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in 1993, a South Atlantic League record. Despite this, Jeter was also voted the South Atlantic League's Best Defensive Shortstop, Most Exciting Player, and Best Infield Arm by Baseball America.
Jeter spent the next offseason focusing on his fielding. Jeter played for the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees
Tampa Yankees
The Tampa Yankees are a minor league baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. They are currently members of the Florida State League and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball team. Home games are played at George M. Steinbrenner Field, a miniature replica of...
, the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees, and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
in 1994, hitting .344 with five home runs, 68 runs batted in, and 50 stolen bases combined. He was honored with the Minor League Player of the Year Award
Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
Listed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by Baseball America as recipients of the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award...
by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
, The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
, USA Today
USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award
Listed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by USA Today as recipients of the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Award...
, and Topps
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
/NAPBL. He was also named the MVP of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
.
The Yankees had projected Jeter as their starting shortstop for the 1995 season, but when he suffered a minor injury in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
, the Yankees signed Tony Fernández
Tony Fernández
Octavio Antonio Fernández Castro , better known as Tony Fernández, is a former Major League Baseball player most noted for his defensive skills setting a record for shortstops with a .992 fielding percentage in 1989.-Career:...
to a two-year contract to play shortstop and kept Jeter in Triple-A. The Yankees reportedly offered Jeter the opportunity to work out with the replacement players in Spring Training prior to the 1995 season, but he declined to cross the picket line.
1995–1998
Jeter made his debut in the major leagues on May 29, 1995, due to injuries to Fernández and Pat Kelly. Jeter batted .234 and committed two errors in 13 games before being demoted to Columbus.Despite the presence of Fernández on the roster, new Yankees manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
announced that Jeter would be the starting shortstop in 1996. He started on Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
of the 1996 season as the starting shortstop, the first Yankee rookie since Tom Tresh
Tom Tresh
Thomas Michael Tresh was a Major League Baseball infielder and outfielder who played for the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers . Tresh was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
in 1962 to do so, and hit his first major-league home run on that day. Jeter played his way to a successful rookie season, hitting for a .314 batting average, with 10 home runs, 104 runs scored, and 78 runs batted in. He subsequently earned Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
honors. Jeter batted .361 in the playoffs, as the Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
to win their first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship since 1978
1978 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...
.
During the 1996 American League Championship Series
1996 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe first game of the series is most notable for the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Incident." With the Yankees trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Orioles reliever...
, Jeter was involved in what has become a memorable moment in postseason history. During game one, with the Yankees trailing the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
4–3 in the 8th inning, Jeter hit a fly ball to right field. As right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Tony Tarasco
Tony Tarasco
Anthony Giacinto Tarasco is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, and New York Mets from 1993 to 2002....
moved to make a play on the ball near the fence, appearing to have a chance to catch the ball, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier
Jeffrey Maier
Jeffrey Maier is an American baseball fan best known for an incident in which he was involved as a twelve-year-old at a baseball game, when he deflected a batted ball in-play into the stands during Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the...
reached over the wall and caught the ball, pulling it back into the stands. Despite Tarasco's protest, the umpires convened and ruled the ball a home run. Replays conclusively showed that, had Maier not interfered, the ball would have fallen in front of the fence and potentially into Tarasco's glove for an out. The Yankees went on to win in 11 innings and eventually won the series, four games to one. The ruling made for the first home run of Jeter's postseason career.
Heading into the 1997 season, Jeter, Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
and Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
were widely considered the "new crop" of shortstops, as the careers of Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
, Barry Larkin
Barry Larkin
Barry Louis Larkin is a retired Major League Baseball player. Larkin played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 to 2004 and was one of the pivotal players on the 1990 Reds' World Series championship team...
, Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
and Alan Trammell
Alan Trammell
Alan Stuart Trammell is a retired American baseball shortstop of the Detroit Tigers from to . Trammell, nicknamed "Tram", played his entire career with the Tigers, highlighted by a World Series championship in and an American League East division championship in . Although his arm was not...
were concluding. Prior to the 1997 season, Jeter and the Yankees agreed on a $540,000 contract with performance bonuses. That year, Jeter batted .291, with 10 home runs, 70 runs batted in, 116 runs and 190 hits. Though Jeter hit two home runs during the 1997 American League Division Series
1997 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, October 1:Kingdome in Seattle, WashingtonThe Orioles had gone wire-to-wire and the Mariners had won the AL West for the second time in the decade. In Game 1, both teams had their best on the mound: Mike Mussina for the Orioles and Randy Johnson for...
, the Yankees lost to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
Jeter batted .324 during the 1998 season, with a league-leading 127 runs, 19 home runs, and 84 runs batted in, for a team that won 114 games during the regular season and is widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time. In the playoffs, Jeter hit only .176 in the Division
1998 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, September 29:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkScott Brosius was the hero of Game 1, as Todd Stottlemyre faced David Wells. In the bottom of the second, Stottlemyre yielded two runs when Brosius singled in Jorge Posada after Chad Curtis doubled and...
and League Championship Series
1998 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 6, 1998 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkCleveland came in as heavy underdogs, but also were the defending American League Champions. In Game 1, the Yankees got off to a good start, by hitting four straight singles in the bottom of the first to score two runs...
, but he excelled in the World Series
1998 World Series
The 1998 World Series, the 94th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, matched the New York Yankees against the San Diego Padres . The Yankees swept the Series in four games to capture their second championship in three years, and their 24th overall...
, batting .353, as the Yankees went on to beat the San Diego Padres in four games.
1999–2002
Jeter led the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in hits (219) in 1999, while finishing second in the league in batting average (.349) and runs scored (134). Jeter, who, for part of the year, batted third in the lineup, also drove in 102 runs, becoming only the second Yankee shortstop to do so, following Lyn Lary
Lyn Lary
Lynford Hobart Lary was a shortstop in Major League Baseball from through , primarily for the New York Yankees. Lary batted and threw right-handed...
, who drove in 107 runs in 1931. His season totals in batting average, runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, runs batted in, doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(37), triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(9), home runs (24), slugging percentage (.552), and on-base percentage (.438) are all personal bests. Jeter batted .455 in the 1999 American League Division Series
1999 American League Division Series
-Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox:-Game 1, October 5:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe Yankees once again swept the Rangers and held them to one run through three games. In Game 1, Aaron Sele went against Orlando Hernández...
, .350 in the 1999 American League Championship Series
1999 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 13, 1999 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 was a matchup between Kent Mercker and Orlando Hernández. The soon-to-be-named 1999 ALCS MVP got into trouble in the first two innings. After a leadoff single by Jose Offerman, John Valentin would reach on an error by...
, and .353 in the 1999 World Series
1999 World Series
The 1999 World Series, the 95th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, featured a rematch between the defending champions New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves during the month of October, with the Yankees sweeping the Series in four games for their second title in a row,...
, as the Yankees defeated the Braves to win another championship.
During the 1999–2000 offseason, the Yankees negotiated with Jeter, tentatively agreeing to a $118.5 million, seven-year contract. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
did not want to set a salary record, delaying until the acceptance of a $143 million, eight-year contract extension between the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Juan González. When that proposed deal fell through, Jeter's tentative deal fell through, and he agreed to a one-year deal for $10 million, avoiding arbitration.
Jeter batted .339, with 15 home runs, 73 runs batted in, 119 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases in 2000. He batted only .211 in the Division Series
2000 American League Division Series
-Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees:-Chicago vs. Seattle:The Seattle Mariners returned to the postseason to avenge two postseason failures in the 1990s. The Chicago White Sox returned to the postseason for the first time since 1993...
but rebounded to bat .318 against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in the Championship Series
2000 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 at Yankee Stadium started as a pitchers' duel between Mariners' Freddy García and Yankees' Denny Neagle. Neither team would score until the top of the fifth when Mark McLemore hit a two-out ground rule double off Neagle...
and .409, with two home runs, a triple, and two doubles in a five-game series against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
, the first Subway Series
Subway Series
The Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City. The term's historic usage has been in reference to World Series games played between New York teams...
since 1956
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
. Jeter hit a home run on the first pitch of Game 4 of the World Series, then tripled and scored in the third inning, extending his World Series hitting streak to 13. His home run in Game 5 tied the game, which the Yankees won on a Luis Sojo
Luis Sojo
Luis Beltrán Sojo Sojo is a former Major League Baseball infielder and right-handed batter who played with the Toronto Blue Jays , California Angels , Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates...
single, and extended his World Series hitting streak to 14.
Before the 2001 season, with one year remaining until he would become eligible for free agency, Jeter signed a $189 million, ten-year contract to remain with the Yankees, making him the second highest paid athlete, trailing only Rodriguez. Rodriguez signed his deal earlier than Jeter, setting a higher market for Jeter's negotiations.
During the season, Jeter batted .311, with 21 home runs, 74 runs batted in, 110 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases. Jeter made a notable defensive play in Game 3 of the 2001 American League Division Series
2001 American League Division Series
-New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics:-Game 1, October 9:Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington-Game 2, October 11:Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington-Game 3, October 13:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio-Game 4, October 14:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio...
against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. With Jeremy Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jeremy Dean Giambi is a left-handed, former Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox. He also played in the minors for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. He is the younger brother of Colorado Rockies first...
on first base, Oakland right fielder Terrence Long
Terrence Long
Terrence Deon Long is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball. Long batted and threw left-handed....
hit a double off Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina
Mike Mussina
Michael Cole Mussina , nicknamed Moose, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played for the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees ....
into the right-field corner. As Giambi rounded third base and headed for home, Yankees right fielder Shane Spencer
Shane Spencer
Michael Shane Spencer is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. In Major League Baseball, he played a total of 538 games for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets, compiling 438 hits, 59 home runs, and 242 RBI...
retrieved the ball and made a wild throw that missed cutoff man Tino Martinez
Tino Martinez
Constantino "Tino" Martinez is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in out of the University of Tampa where he starred during his time on campus. He began his Major League career in and has played for the Mariners, New...
and dribbled down the first-base line. Jeter came from shortstop to grab the ball and flipped it to catcher Jorge Posada
Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
, who tagged Giambi on the leg just before he crossed home plate for the out. Facing elimination, the Yankees went on to win the game, as well as the series. The play, known as "The Flip," was later voted seventh in Baseball Weeklys 10 Most Amazing Plays of all time, and also won the 2002 Best Play ESPY Award
Best Play ESPY Award
The Best Play ESPY Award has been conferred annually since 2002 on the play in a single regular season or playoff game contested professionally under the auspices of one of the four major North American leagues or collegiately under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
As a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the start of the playoffs was delayed, and Game 4 of the 2001 World Series
2001 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
was played on October 31. The game went into the tenth inning tied at 3–3. At midnight, the scoreboard in center field read "Attention Fans, Welcome to NOVEMBER BASEBALL." This was the first time that any non-exhibition MLB game had been played in the month of November. Moments after this message was displayed on the board, Jeter hit a home run off of Byung-Hyun Kim
Byung-Hyun Kim
Byung-Hyun Kim is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. He is best known for his years with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Boston Red Sox. In 2001, Kim took over mid-season as the Diamondbacks' closer and saved 19...
. The Yankees flashed the words "Mr. November," a reference to Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
's nickname, "Mr. October," on the scoreboard. However, Jeter slumped in the 2001 postseason; though he denied injuries were impacting him, a fall into a photographer's box trying to catch a foul ball may have aggravated an earlier hamstring injury. Jeter batted .148 in the 2001 World Series, as the Yankees lost in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.
In 2002, Jeter batted .297, with 18 home runs, 75 runs batted in, 124 runs scored, 191 hits, and a career-best 32 stolen bases. He led the majors in stolen base percentage (91.4%), getting caught only three times.
2003–2008
In 2003, Jeter dislocated his left shoulder on Opening Day when he collided with Blue Jays catcher Ken HuckabyKen Huckaby
Kenneth Paul Huckaby is a retired catcher in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Through , Huckaby is a .222 hitter with three home runs and 31 RBI in 161 games played....
at third base. Jeter, who had never played fewer than 148 games in the prior seven full seasons, was subsequently on the disabled list for six weeks, missing 36 games. Jeter returned to bat .324, finishing third in batting average to Bill Mueller
Bill Mueller
William Richard Mueller is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. Mueller's playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox , and Los Angeles Dodgers . He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series...
, who batted .326.
Steinbrenner named Jeter the 11th recognized captain in Yankees history on June 3, 2003, following eight seasons without a captain after the retirement of Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly
Donald Arthur "Don" Mattingly is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Hit Man" and "Donnie Baseball", he played his entire 14-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
in 1995. Dispute over the true count has been noted.
The beginning of the 2004 season saw Jeter mired in a slump; on May 25, he was hitting only .189. This included a personal career record 0-for-32 skid in April. In June, Jeter broke out of his slump. He hit nearly .400 for the month and set a personal best with 9 home runs. He finished the season with a .292 average; 23 home runs, the second most of his career; 78 runs batted in; 111 runs scored; and a career-best 44 doubles, which broke a Yankee single-season record for doubles by a shortstop, besting Tony Kubek
Tony Kubek
Anthony Christopher "Tony" Kubek is a retired American professional baseball player and television broadcaster....
's 38 in 1961.
During a July 1, 2004, game against the rival Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, with the score tied at 3 in the top of the 12th inning, the Red Sox had runners on second and third with 2 outs and right fielder Trot Nixon
Trot Nixon
Christopher Trotman Nixon is an American retired professional baseball right fielder. He played from 1996-2008 for three different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Boston Red Sox...
up at bat. Nixon hit a pop fly down the left field line. Jeter ran from his position at shortstop and made an over-the-shoulder catch. In dramatic fashion, he launched himself over the third-base side railing, landing three rows into the left-field seats, and lacerating his chin and bruising his face in the process. Jeter was later taken out of the game. This catch ended the inning, and later the Yankees went on to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning. For the play, Jeter was awarded Play Of The Year in the This Year In Baseball awards competition, as voted on by fans at MLB.com.
On June 18, 2005, against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Jeter hit his first and only grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
, after 10 years in the major leagues. At one point, Jeter had the most at bats of any active player not to have hit a grand slam. In 2005, Jeter was second in the AL in both runs scored (122) and batting average on balls in play
Batting average on balls in play
In baseball statistics, Batting average on balls in play is a statistic measuring the percentage of plate appearances ending with a batted ball in play for which the batter is credited with a hit...
(.394), and was third in the league in both at bats (654) and hits (202). Jeter won his second consecutive Gold Glove in 2005, as his range factor
Range Factor
Range Factor is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. It is calculated by dividing putouts and assists by number of innings or games played at a given defense position...
rose to 4.76 and ranked second among AL shortstops.
In 2006, Jeter was second in the AL in both batting average (.343) and runs scored (118); was third in hits (214), stolen base success percentage (87.2), and batting average with runners in scoring position (.381); and was fifth in infield hits (26). He finished second in American League Most Valuable Player Award voting to Justin Morneau
Justin Morneau
Justin Ernest George Morneau is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 lbs, Morneau was originally drafted as a catcher by the Twins in 1999. He converted to first base in the minor leagues and made his MLB debut in 2003...
of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(320 points to 306 points). Jeter finished in the top 10 in the MVP balloting 6 times in his 11 full seasons through 2006 (including also a third-place finish in 1998).
Jeter had his sixth overall and third consecutive season of 200 hits or more in 2007, finishing third in the AL with 203. He was also fourth in both at-bats (639) and plate appearances (714), sixth in times on base (276), and ninth in batting average (.322). In the field, he was involved in a career-high 104 double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
s.
In 2008, Jeter's slugging percentage (SLG) was .410, his lowest since 1997. One possible cause was a prolonged slump that he suffered after being hit by a pitch on his wrist. Before the injury, Jeter was hitting .324 with a .774 on-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
(OPS). After the injury, his batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
dipped to as low as .269 by the end of the month. His offense took an upward turn after May as he hit .322 with a .824 OPS after June 1. Jeter was elected to his ninth All-Star game
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
as the starting shortstop.
Jeter tied Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
for the most hits at Yankee Stadium (1,269) with a home run off Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
pitcher David Price
David Price (baseball)
David Taylor Price is an American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Rays and made his major league debut in September 2008.Price pitched out of the bullpen during the Rays' run...
on September 14, 2008. On September 16, he went on to break the record off of Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
pitcher Gavin Floyd
Gavin Floyd
Gavin Christopher Floyd is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. He stands 6' 5" tall, weighs 220 pounds, and throws and bats right-handed.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
. Following the final game in Yankee Stadium history, Jeter made an impromptu on-field speech, thanking the Yankees fans for their support and asking them to pass on their memories from the venue while making new memories at the new Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
.
2009–present
In 2009, Jeter was named eighth on the Sporting News list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball by a panel of 100 baseball people, composed of members of the Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of major baseball awards.For the 2009 season, Yankees manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
switched Jeter and Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
in the batting order, with Damon moving to second and Jeter to the leadoff
Leadoff hitter
In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in an inning.- Strategy :...
role, based on the rationale that Jeter had a higher on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
(OBP) than Damon, but grounded into double plays more often. Jeter batted .334 (third in the AL), with a .406 on-base percentage, 18 home runs, 30 stolen bases (caught only 5 times), 107 runs scored (in the top 10 in MLB), and 212 hits (second in MLB).
On August 16, 2009, against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, Jeter doubled down the right-field line for his 2,675th hit as a shortstop, breaking Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
's previous record for the most hits by a shortstop in major league history. Jeter became the all-time hits leader as a member of the Yankees (2,722), passing Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
on September 11, 2009. The hit was a single off Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman
Chris Tillman
Christopher Steven Tillman is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. According to Baseball America, he was Baltimore's second best prospect, behind only Matt Wieters....
in the third inning.
In the 2009 postseason, Jeter batted .355, including .407 in the 2009 World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
, as he won his fifth World Series championship. He was named Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
for 2009 by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Jeter also finished third in the AL MVP voting, behind Minnesota's
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins. He is the only catcher in Major League history to win three batting titles...
and teammate Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
.
The 2010 season was statistically Jeter's worst in many respects. The Yankee captain batted .270 with a .340 OBP and .370 SLG and an Adjusted OPS of 90, his first full season with an OPS+ below 100. However, Jeter did bat .342 in his last 79 at-bats after making adjustments to his swing. Following the season, Jeter won his fifth Gold Glove award. He committed six errors during the season, his lowest total in 15 full seasons.
After the 2010 season, Jeter became a free agent for the first time in his career. He reached an agreement with the Yankees on a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. The deal was finalized on December 7. Jeter spent the offseason making adjustments in his swing.
Jeter broke Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
's franchise record for stolen bases when he stole his 327th base against the Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
on May 28, 2011. Jeter began the 2011 season batting .260 with a .649 OPS prior to suffering a calf injury that required his fifth career 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
stint, and his first since 2003. Following his activation from the DL, he hit .326 with an .806 OPS in his last 64 games of the season. Jeter finished the year with a .297 batting average, 6 home runs, 61 runs batted in, 84 runs, and 16 stolen bases.
Jeter recorded his 3,000th career hit, a home run in the third inning of an afternoon game against David Price
David Price (baseball)
David Taylor Price is an American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Rays and made his major league debut in September 2008.Price pitched out of the bullpen during the Rays' run...
of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
on July 9, 2011. Jeter finished the day with five hits in five at bats, the second player to do so the day of achieving the 3,000th hit (the first was Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, catcher, and outfielder. He played his entire 20-year baseball career with the Houston Astros . He ranks 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits, and is the ninth player in the 3000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team. He...
). The last of Jeter's five hits proved to be the game-winning hit. He is the only member of the 3,000 hit club to record all of his hits with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, and one of only two players (the other being Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
) to hit a home run for his 3,000th hit. Jeter is the second player to reach 3,000 hits as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
(the first was Honus Wagner
Honus Wagner
-Louisville Colonels:Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games....
). Only Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
were younger than Jeter on the day of their 3,000th hit. Major League Baseball and HBO produced Deter Jeter 3K, a documentary that profiles his path to 3,000 hits which originally aired on July 28, 2011.
Jeter finished the 2011 season with 162 hits, his 16th consecutive season with 150 hits, which tied him with Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
for the second most consecutive 150 hit seasons, one behind Hank Aaron for the MLB record.
World Baseball Classic
Jeter was the starting shortstop for Team USAUnited States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
. He hit .450 (9-for-20) and scored five runs in six games. Only Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
(.524) and Yoandy Garlobo
Yoandy Garlobo
Yoandy Garlobo Romay is a baseball player who starred for Cuba at the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Garlobo was the designated hitter for Cuba at the tournament, where he had a .480 batting average—second only to Ken Griffey, Jr...
(.480) had a higher batting average with a minimum of 20 at bats. Jeter's play earned him recognition as the shortstop selection on the All-Tournament Team.
Jeter started at shortstop for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
as well. At the start of the tournament, he was named captain of Team USA by manager Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
. With Team USA, Jeter faced the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in an exhibition game, the first time he played against the Yankees.
Player profile
Jeter is considered to be one of the most consistent baseball players of all time. Jeter has only played fewer than 148 games a season once in his career, when he dislocated his left shoulder on Opening Day, 2003. He has an average of 194 hitsHit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 118 runs scored and 23 stolen bases per year over the course of 152 games played.
Though Jeter is a right-handed hitter, his signature inside-out swing, also called the "Jeterian Swing", has driven a large portion of hits up the middle, to center and right field, a trend that has remained consistent throughout his career. He has more home runs to the opposite field (86) than to center or to left, using his swing to take advantage of the short right-field fences at both the old and new Yankee Stadiums. He is an aggressive hitter, swinging at most pitches in the strike zone, and many near it. His swing enables him to get hits even when he is slumping.
Jeter is also known for his professionalism. In an age where professional athletes often find themselves in personal scandals, Jeter has avoided major controversy in a high profile career in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
while maintaining a strong work ethic. A clubhouse leader, Jeter diffuses confrontations between teammates. Due to his style of play, opponents and teammates hold Jeter in high esteem.
Postseason performance
Jeter is noted for his postseason performances, and has earned the titles of "Captain Clutch", and "Mr. November" due to his postseason heroics. He has a career .309 postseason batting average, and a .351 batting average in the World Series. Except for 2008, the Yankees have been to the postseason every year since Jeter joined the team. Jeter owns MLB postseason records for games playedGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
(152), plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s (679), at-bats (559), hits (191), doubles (31), runs scored (107), total bases (290) and strikeouts (125). Jeter is also third in triples (4), third in home runs (20), fourth in runs batted in (59), and fifth in base on balls (64) and sixth stolen bases (18).
Defense
Despite winning five Gold Glove AwardGold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s, Jeter's defense has been the subject of criticism from a number of sabermetricians
Sabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
, including Rob Neyer
Rob Neyer
Rob Neyer is a baseball author and writer for SB Nation. He started his career working for Bill James and STATS, and then joined ESPN.com as a columnist from 1996 to January 2011 before becoming SB Nation's National Baseball Editor...
and the publication Baseball Prospectus. The book The Fielding Bible by John Dewan contains an essay by Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
in which he concludes that Jeter "was probably the most ineffective defensive player in the major leagues, at any position." A 2008 study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
found that, from 2002 through 2005, Jeter was the worst defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues. Jeter responded to this criticism by saying "I play in New York, man. Criticism is part of the game, you take criticism as a challenge." The controversy over Jeter's fielding has become a flash point for the debate over whether the analyses of statistics or subjective observation is the better method to assess a player's defensive ability, and for criticism of the Gold Glove award.
Jeter committed 18 errors in 2007, his highest total since finishing with 24 in 2000. After the season, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman
Brian Cashman
Brian McGuire Cashman is an American Major League Baseball executive for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Cashman was born in Rockville Centre, New York and raised in Washingtonville, New York. He was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky, where his...
and his staff saw Jeter's defense as an area that needed to be addressed. At the Yankees' request, Jeter embarked on a rigorous training program to combat the effects of age, by focusing on lateral movement and first-step quickness. Jeter's ultimate zone rating
Ultimate zone rating
Ultimate zone rating is a sabermetric statistic used to measure fielding. It compares the event that actually happened to data on similarly hit balls in the past to determine how much better or worse the fielder did than the "average" player...
(UZR) improved from worst in the American League for shortstops in 2007 to close to league average in 2008.
Two sites that rely on advanced defensive statistics, FanGraphs.com and FieldingBible.com, rated Jeter below middle-of-the-pack status in 2010, despite his receiving his fifth Gold Glove Award that season. When asked about his defense, Jeter asserted that many defensive factors cannot be quantified.
Awards
| Award / Honor | Time(s) | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| American League All-Star Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers... |
12 | 1998 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 69th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 7, 1998 at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, the home of the... , 1999 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 70th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball... , 2000 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 71st playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball... , 2001 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 72nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2001 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington, home of the... , 2002 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 73rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the home of... , 2004 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 75th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 2004 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas,... , 2006 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,... , 2007 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants... , 2008 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on... , 2009 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the... , 2010 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball... , 2011 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the... |
| New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division... Player of the Year |
5 | 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2009 |
| American League Gold Glove Award Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the... (SS) |
5 | 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 |
| American League Silver Slugger Award (SS) | 4 | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| This Year in Baseball Awards This Year in Baseball Awards This Year in Baseball Awards, initiated by Major League Baseball in , are honors given annually to the most extraordinary baseball performances, players, and managers. Baseball fans select the nominees for and winners of the awards, via the online voting system on MLB.com, the official website of... Moment Of The Year |
2 | 2008, 2009 |
| Hank Aaron Award Hank Aaron Award The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark... |
2 | 2006, 2009 |
| Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Lou Gehrig Memorial Award The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was created by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity in honor of the former Major League Baseball player Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the fraternity at Columbia University. It is given to players who best exemplify his character and integrity both on and off the field... |
1 | 2010 |
| Roberto Clemente Award Roberto Clemente Award The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame... |
1 | 2009 |
| Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the... Sportsman of the Year Sportsman of the Year Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the... |
1 | 2009 |
| ESPY Awards ESPY Awards An ESPY Award is an accolade presented by the American cable television network ESPN to recognize individual and team athletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony. The first ESPYs were awarded in 1993... Best MLB Player Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award The Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Baseball Player ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the Major League Baseball player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, typically most significantly in the MLB season in progress... |
1 | 2007 |
| Inductee in Kalamazoo Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame | 1 | 2007 |
| Baseball Digest Baseball Digest Baseball Digest is a baseball magazine resource, published in Evanston, Illinois by Lakeside Publishing Company. It is the oldest and longest-running baseball magazine in the United States.... Player of the Year |
1 | 2006 |
| Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star (SS) | 1 | 2006 |
| This Year in Baseball Awards This Year in Baseball Awards This Year in Baseball Awards, initiated by Major League Baseball in , are honors given annually to the most extraordinary baseball performances, players, and managers. Baseball fans select the nominees for and winners of the awards, via the online voting system on MLB.com, the official website of... Play Of The Year |
1 | 2004 |
| The Sporting News The Sporting News Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"... "Good Guy in Sports" Award |
1 | 2002 |
| Babe Ruth Award Babe Ruth Award The Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one... |
1 | 2000 |
| All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award | 1 | 2000 |
| World Series Most Valuable Player Award | 1 | 2000 |
| Joan Payson Award for Community Service | 1 | 1997 |
| American League Rookie of the Year | 1 | 1996 |
| Players Choice Award Players Choice Award The Players Choice Awards are annual Major League Baseball awards, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association .The Players Choice Awards are given following a secret ballot by players. Four awards go to a player in each league, while two awards each go to one player in all of Major... Rookie Of The Year |
1 | 2004 |
| International League All-Star | 1 | 1995 |
| Florida State League All-Star | 1 | 1994 |
| Florida State League Most Valuable Player | 1 | 1994 |
| Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year | 1 | 1994 |
| The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year | 1 | 1994 |
| Topps/NAPBL Minor League Player of the Year | 1 | 1994 |
| New York Yankees Minor League Player of the Year | 1 | 1994 |
| South Atlantic League All-Star | 1 | 1993 |
| South Atlantic League's Best Defensive Shortstop, Most Exciting Player, Best Infield Arm | 1 | 1993 |
| American Baseball Coaches Association High School Player of the Year | 1 | 1992 |
| USA Today High School Player of the Year | 1 | 1992 |
| Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year | 1 | 1992 |
Statistical highlights
- Led League
- Led AL in plate appearances (1997, 1998, 2005)
- Led AL in singles (1997, 1998)
- Led AL in runs created (1999)
- Led AL in runs scored (1998)
- Led AL in hits (1999)
- League Top–Ten
- 11–time Top 10 AL in hits (1997–2002, 2004–2007, 2009)
- 10–time Top 10 AL in runs scored (1997–2006,2009)
- 9–time Top 10 AL in batting average (1998–2001, 2003–2007, 2009)
- 1–time Top 10 AL in total basesTotal basesIn baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(1999) - 8–time Top 10 AL MVP (1997–2001, 2003–2009)
- 5–time Top 10 AL hitters (1997, 1999–2000, 2003, 2009)
- 6–time Top 10 AL in times on baseTimes on baseIn baseball statistics, the term times on base, also abbreviated as TOB, is the cumulative total number of times a batter has been awarded for reaching base as a result of hits, walks and hit by pitches. This stat does not include times reaching first by way of error, dropped 3rd strike, fielders...
(1997, 1999, 2005–2009)
Milestones
- Jeter recorded his 2,000th career hit with an infield single on May 26, 2006, off Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
pitcher Scott ElartonScott ElartonVincent Scott Elarton is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently a free agent...
, becoming the eighth Yankee to reach the milestone. - On June 27, 2008, Jeter hit his 400th double.
- On July 12, 2008, Jeter hit his 200th home run.
- On September 14, 2008, Jeter tied Lou GehrigLou GehrigHenry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
for most hits at Yankee Stadium. He passed Gehrig on September 16, 2008. - On August 2, 2009, Jeter played in his 2,084th game, tying Babe Ruth for 4th in Yankees history.
- On August 16, 2009, Jeter recorded his 2,673rd and 2,674th hits, tying and passing Luis AparicioLuis AparicioLuis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
for most hits by a shortstop in Major League history. - On September 11, 2009, Jeter became the Yankees' all-time hits leader, surpassing Lou Gehrig with his 2,722nd hit, a single to right field off of Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
pitcher Chris TillmanChris TillmanChristopher Steven Tillman is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. According to Baseball America, he was Baltimore's second best prospect, behind only Matt Wieters....
in the third inning. - On April 6, 2010, Jeter, along with PosadaJorge PosadaJorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
and Mariano RiveraMariano RiveraMariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
, became the first teammates in any of the four major league sports in North America (MLB, NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, or NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) to play in at least 16 seasons on the same team as teammates. - On June 12, 2010, Jeter compiled his 3,000th hit (including the postseason) with a solo home run in the first inning against the Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. The hit also tied him with Rickey HendersonRickey HendersonRickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
as the all-time Yankees leader in leadoff home runs. - On May 28, 2011, Jeter stole his 327th base, breaking Henderson's franchise record for stolen bases.
- On July 9, 2011, Jeter became the 28th member of the 3,000 hit club when he homered off David PriceDavid Price (baseball)David Taylor Price is an American Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Rays and made his major league debut in September 2008.Price pitched out of the bullpen during the Rays' run...
of the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay RaysThe Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the third inning at Yankee Stadium. He is also the first player in Yankees history to achieve the feat. - On July 14, 2011, Jeter and Posada played their 1,660th game together, breaking the previous franchise record of 1,659 by Gehrig and Tony LazzeriTony LazzeriAnthony Michael "Tony" Lazzeri was an American Major League Baseball player during the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly with the New York Yankees. He was part of the famed "Murderers' Row" Yankee batting lineup of the late 1920s , along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Bob Meusel...
. - On August 29, 2011, Jeter played his 2,402nd game with the Yankees, breaking Mickey MantleMickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
's record for most games playedGames playedGames played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
as a Yankee.
Personal life
Trump World Tower
Trump World Tower is a residential skyscraper at 845 United Nations Plaza in Manhattan, New York City. Construction began in 1999 and concluded in 2001...
and homes in Marlboro, New Jersey, Greenwood Lake, New York
Greenwood Lake, New York
Greenwood Lake is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 3,411. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New...
, and the Davis Islands neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
.
Jeter's personal life has been a frequent topic in gossip columns and celebrity magazines since his rookie year in 1996. He had a well-publicized relationship with pop diva
Diva
A diva is a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and, by extension, in theatre, cinema and popular music. The meaning of diva is closely related to that of "prima donna"....
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
from 1997 to 1998. Jeter also dated former Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.-Early life:Dutta was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and her mother is Jennifer Dutta...
, singer Joy Enriquez
Joy Enriquez
Joy Charity Enriquez is an American singer and actress who has appeared on the television series 7th Heaven and also starred in films such as Chasing Papi and Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure...
, and actress Jordana Brewster
Jordana Brewster
Jordana Brewster is an American actress. She began her acting career in her late teens, with a 1995 one-episode role in the soap opera All My Children. She followed that appearance with the recurring role as Nikki Munson in As the World Turns, for which Brewster was nominated for Outstanding Teen...
. Jeter also had an on-and-off relationship with television personality
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
Vanessa Minillo from late 2003 until early 2006. From November 2006 to January 2007, Jeter was romantically involved with actress Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
. Jeter dated Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
actress Minka Kelly
Minka Kelly
Minka Dumont Kelly is an American actress. She starred in the NBC series Friday Night Lights as Lyla Garrity from 2006 to 2009 and has also had roles in The Roommate and the reboot series Charlie's Angels.-Early life:Kelly was born in Los Angeles...
from May 2008 until August 2011.
In December 2002, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner criticized Jeter for staying out until 3 a.m. at a birthday party during the 2002 season, saying that his star shortstop "wasn't totally focused" and that "it didn't sit well" with him. In May 2003, the two appeared in a VISA
Visa
Visa or VISA may refer to:* Visa , a document issued by a country's government allowing the holder to enter or to leave that country...
commercial together where they went club-hopping, mocking the incident in a fashion similar to how Steinbrenner and former Yankees manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
had mocked their feud in a Miller Lite
Miller Lite
Miller Lite is a 4.2% abv pale lager brand sold by MillerCoors of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Sibling beers include Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life.-History:...
commercial during the 1970s.
In 2008, Jeter settled a tax dispute with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is a core agency of the US state of New York. It is headquartered in Building 8/8A at the W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus in Albany....
. New York State alleged that Jeter should have paid state income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
from 2001 to 2003, as Jeter bought a Manhattan apartment in 2001; Jeter established his residence in Tampa, Florida, in 1994 and claimed that he was still a resident of Florida at the time, where there is no state income tax.
Jeter is a close personal friend of Yankees catcher Jorge Posada
Jorge Posada
Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
and served as best man at Posada's wedding. He has also renewed his close friendship with teammate Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
after a rift between them developed several years ago.
Philanthropy
Turn 2 Foundation
The Turn 2 Foundation is a charity organization founded by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter in 1996. The Foundation was established to help children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction, and to reward those who show high academic achievement and adopt healthier lifestyles.Members of...
, a charity organization, in 1996. The Foundation was established to help children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and to reward those who show high academic achievement. The organization's name derives from the baseball double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
(where "turning two" refers to making two outs on one play) and indicates the goal of the Foundation to give youths a place to "turn to" instead of drugs and alcohol.
During the 2009 season, Jeter and Mets star David Wright represented their foundations in a competition sponsored by Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
; the player with the highest batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
received $100,000 for their foundation from Delta, while the runner-up's foundation received $50,000. Wright's group, the David Wright Foundation, focuses on multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
Jeter is also involved in Weplay, a website designed to encourage children to get involved in sports.
Endorsements
Jeter has appeared in national ad campaigns for NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
, Fleet Bank
FleetBoston Financial
FleetBoston Financial was a Boston, Massachusetts–based bank created in 1999 by the merger of Fleet Financial Group and BankBoston. In 2004 it merged with Bank of America; all of its banks and branches were given the Bank of America logo.-History:...
, Discover Card
Discover Card
The Discover Card is a major credit card, issued primarily in the United States. It was originally introduced by Sears in 1985, and was part of Dean Witter, and then Morgan Stanley, until 2007, when Discover Financial Services became an independent company. Novus, a major processing center, used to...
, Florsheim
Florsheim Shoe
-History:It was founded in 1892 by Milton S. Florsheim and his father Sigmund.Until the mid-1990s, almost every mall in the United States had a Florsheim store. However, with the rise of such shoe stores as Journeys and Finish Line, and the de-emphasis of shoe stores in American malls, most...
, Gillette Fusion, VISA
VISA (credit card)
Visa Inc. is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered on 595 Market Street, Financial District in San Francisco, California, United States, although much of the company's staff is based in Foster City, California. It facilitates electronic funds transfers throughout...
(with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
), Skippy, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, and XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
. He endorses a cologne named Driven, designed in collaboration with and distributed by Avon. Jeter has his own Jumpman
Jumpman (logo)
The "Jumpman" logo is used by Nike to promote its Michael Jordan-related merchandise, including the famous and successful Air Jordan brand of basketball shoes....
shoe.
In 2006, Jeter was the second-highest paid endorser in baseball, having earned $7 million in endorsements. He was ranked as the most marketable player in baseball according to the 2005 and 2010 Sports Business Surveys. A 2011 list by the marketing firm Nielsen ranked Jeter as the most marketable player in baseball, accounting for personal attributes such as sincerity, approachability, experience, and influence.
Other appearances
Jeter was the cover athlete for 2K Sports2K Sports
2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. It comprises a single development studio, Visual Concepts, which was purchased from Sega in the year 2005. 2K Sports mainly develops and publishes American sports video games such as NBA 2K series...
' MLB 2K5, MLB 2K6
Major League Baseball 2K6
Major League Baseball 2K6, simply known as MLB 2K6, is a Major League Baseball licensed baseball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It is the only 2006 MLB licensed game available for the Xbox 360 and Nintendo GameCube along with the original Xbox...
, and MLB 2K7. He was also the cover athlete for Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
's All-Star Baseball
All-Star Baseball
All-Star Baseball is a baseball video game series developed and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The series began in 1998 with the release of All-Star Baseball '99. The announcers John Sterling and Michael Kay have been added during the ballgame from 1998-2000 for N64...
series of video games. Jeter is the cover athlete for Gameloft's
Gameloft
Gameloft SA is a major French computer and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, France. The company also has subsidiaries in 31 countries around the world....
wireless phone baseball game, Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2008
Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2008
Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2008 is the fourth in a series of baseball video games developed and published by Gameloft for mobile phones, and the first version licensed by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter...
.
He has appeared on television in Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
and as a host on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. Jeter had cameo appearances in the comedy films Anger Management
Anger Management
Anger Management is a 2003 slapstick comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman...
and The Other Guys
The Other Guys
The Other Guys is a 2010 American action comedy film directed and co-written by Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and featuring Dwayne Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Steve Coogan, and Ray Stevenson...
. Jeter's likeness was seen briefly on The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
during the eighth episode of season 19, titled "Funeral for a Fiend
Funeral for a Fiend
"Funeral for a Fiend" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and first aired on November 25, 2007. It was written by Michael Price and was directed by Rob Oliver. It features Kelsey Grammer in his tenth appearance as Sideshow Bob, as well as David Hyde Pierce in his second...
", in which he was parodied as a guest starring on Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. Jeter was the subject of a 2005 segment on the TV news magazine 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
.
There is a wax figure
Wax figure
A wax sculpture is a sculpture made in wax. Often these are effigies, usually of a notable individual, but there are also death masks and scenes with many figures, mostly in relief....
of Jeter at the Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used...
Wax Museum in New York, and a sculpture at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1,000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1,000 runs batted in
- List of Major League Baseball players with 300 stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball players with 4,000 total bases
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball hit records
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions