Derek Jeter

Background

Derek Sanderson, or Derek Jeter, was born in Pequannock, New Jersey, U.S. on June 26, 1974, to Sanderson Charles Jeter, a substance abuse counselor, and his wife, Dorothy, an accountant. His family relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was just four. Jeter played basketball at Kalamazoo Central High School and was set on becoming a Major League Baseball player — especially as the New York Yankees’ starting shortstop. During his last two years of high school baseball, he hit over .500, striking out only once as a senior. He received multiple national sports honors, including 1992 High School Player of the Year honors from the American High School Coaches Association; 1992 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year honors from Gatorade; and 1992 USA Today High School Player of the Year honors from “USA Today.”

After graduation, Jeter was drafted by the Yankees as the sixth overall choice in the June 1992 draft. He enrolled at the University of Michigan, although his tenure there was short due to his swift advancement through the Yankees’ farm system. He was named Minor League Player of the Year in 1994 after batting .344 with 50 stolen bases, according to various organizations, including The Sporting News and Baseball America. In 1995, he came close to realizing his ambition when Yankees shortstop, Tony Fernandez, was placed on the injured list. Jeter made his major league debut against the Seattle Mariners on May 29 of that year. He batted .314 with 10 home runs in his first full season as a Major League Baseball player the following year. The talented shortstop also excelled in the infield, contributing to the Yankees’ World Series victory against the Atlanta Braves. He was named the ‘American League Rookie of the Year’ in 1996 for his performance.

He eclipsed Lou Gehrig in September 2009 with his 2,722nd hit — the most in team history before winning his sixth world championship ring at the season’s conclusion. In July 2011, he homered for the 3,000th time in his career, becoming the 28th player in history to accomplish the feat. After being limited to only 17 games in 2013 due to a nagging ankle ailment, he announced his retirement following the 2014 season, his 20th in the majors. Although his stats fell well short of his normal high standards, he ignited an American League rally with a leadoff double in the All-Star Game and drove in the winning run in his last at-bat at Yankee Stadium in September. Along with his five world titles, he concluded his career with an impressive .310 batting average and 3,465 hits, which placed him sixth in major league history.