Derek Jeter Takes Center Stage in Cooperstown
Derek Jeter spent the twilight of his teenage years flailing at the plate and committing defensive blunders.
He was 18 when he hit .210 in his first 58 games as a professional ballplayer. He was 19 when he made 56 errors for the Single-A Greensboro Hornets, setting a South Atlantic League record. He cried about his early struggles. He contemplated quitting over late-night calls with his parents. He looked nothing like a prospect worthy of the sixth overall selection that the Yankees used on him in the 1992 MLB Draft.
The frequent glory days that would follow were still a few years off as Jeter adjusted to minor league life.
Nearly 30 years later, however, the kid from Kalamazoo is a Hall of Famer. Jeter, after only playing for the team he grew up rooting for, was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday following multiple pandemic-related delays.
Once again, his moment of glory was delayed – but he rose to the occasion.
“I forgot how good that feels.” Jeter told the roaring crowd at Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York. He was inducted alongside Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and the late Marvin Miller, but it was clear that a large chunk of the audience turned out for No. 2. That included Jeter’s family, former Yankees teammates—Bernie Williams helped with the national anthem—and even NBA legends Patrick Ewing and Michael Jordan.
Every speech delivered was infused with emotion and baseball history, but Jeter, just as he had throughout his 20-year career in pinstripes, owned the big stage.
The 14-time All-Star drew laughs when he thanked the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters who elected him to Cooperstown. “All but one of you,” he added after falling a vote shy of unanimous selection, an honor that has only been bestowed upon fellow Core Four member Mariano Rivera.
Jeter also exuded confidence and pride when he reflected on his top priority as a player.
“I had one goal in my career,” the five-time World Series champion said, “and that was to win more than anyone else. And we did.”
But Jeter also expressed humbleness when he recalled those early-career doubts. He described the nerves that he felt speaking before Cooperstown’s previous inductees. He discussed his desire to make his peers, parents, Rachel Robinson and Hank Aaron proud.
“I wanted to make all of you behind me proud,” the former Yankees captain said. “Not of statistics, but proud of how I played the game, how I carried myself, and how I respected the game and those before and after me.”
Jeter’s speech focused heavily on his family. He thanked his parents, Charles and Dorothy, for not only believing in his childhood dream, but for pushing him to pursue it and instilling a work ethic that helped Jeter reach the game’s greatest heights. He reminisced about summers spent in West Milford, New Jersey, watching Yankees games with his grandmother, Dorothy Connors, who was in attendance Wednesday. “I played Wiffle ball in her yard in full Yankee pinstripes pretending to be Dave Winfield,” Jeter said. Windows were broken along the way.
“Ultimately, it boils down to you have a dream, you believe in that dream, you surround yourself with people who are going to encourage you, support you, challenge you and be honest with you and help nurture that dream,” Jeter said. “It started with my family, but it included so many more.”
Jeter couldn’t get to everyone, but he was sure to note Dick Groch, the scout who found Jeter and predicted he would end up in the Hall of Fame back in 1992. Brian Cashman, Joe Torre and Joe Girardi were among the Yankees decision makers who received acknowledgements. The list of teammates mentioned was too long to list here. The late George Steinbrenner and his family were also recognized for welcoming Jeter and his family with open arms.
And of course, Jeter heaped praise upon the fans that watched a skinny kid blossom into an icon and, eventually, a Hall of Famer.
“There was only one thing in my life I wanted to be, and that was the shortstop for the New York Yankees. Now, I’m a Yankee forever. Without question, you helped me get here today as much as any individual that I’ve mentioned,” Jeter told the Bronx faithful. “You can’t be fooled. You’re passionate, you’re loyal, knowledgeable, vocal, challenging and supporting. There’s huge responsibility that comes with wearing a Yankee uniform. Just cause you have it on, doesn’t guarantee you anything. You have to earn it. You demanded I earn it.”
Jeter then shouted out his two young daughters and his wife, Hannah, before ending his speech with a message for current MLB players and any young kids watching. He spoke of “sacrifice, dedication, discipline and focus.”
“It’s a game of failure. It teaches you teamwork. It teaches you humility,” Jeter said. “One common thread with all of us here on stage is that we understand that there’s no one individual bigger than the game. The game goes on. It goes on because of the great fans we have.
“So take care of it, protect it, respect it. Don’t take the time you have to play for granted.”
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