Derekjeter

Saturday, April 18, 2009 ·

By Denise I Smithson

Born in Pequannok, New Jersey in June of 1974, Derek Jeter and his family later moved to Michigan where Jeter played basketball and baseball at his Kalamazoo, Michigan high school. He was chosen by the New York Yankees as the sixth overall first round pick of the 1996 draft.

Jeter soon established himself as a one of the most qualified players in the league. He received the Rookie of the Year award in his first season with the Yankees, and continued to develop his game year by year. He consistently delivered at the plate and performed outstanding fielding as a shortstop. Jeter was the first rookie in 34 years to play the shortstop position during his first season. He has since become one of modern baseballs most recognizable stars.

Jeter was instrumental in the Yankees World Series sweep of the Atlanta Braves in 1995. In 1996, Jeter scored five runs in five hits. Though the Yankees didnt make it to the World Series in 1997, Jeter had impressive batting statistics that year, with a .291 batting average, 10 home runs, and 70 RBIs. By the end of his 1998 season, he had earned a .324 batting average, with 19 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 203 total hits. He was the leagues high scorer with 127 runs.

In 1999, Jeter and his agent were unable to come to any agreement with the Yankees on his new contract so they entered into arbitration with George Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees. The goal was to come up with an agreeable figure to be paid for his new contract. Jeter came out of arbitration a winner with one-year $5 million contract. This made Jeter the highest paid player in baseball history with just a few years of service.

Jeter kept improving his game. His focus and commitment paid off when he broke most of his personal records during the 1999 season. His impressive stats that year included a .349 batting average, including 9 triples, 102 RBIs, 24 home runs, and a total of 134 scored runs. After this outstanding season, he received the All-Star award for the second time in his career.

In 2000, the New York Yankees faced the New York Mets in World Series Play. Jeter started game four of the series with a home run hit off the first pitch of the game. In his next at-bat, Jeter hit a triple and scored, resulting in a three-run lead by the Yankees. The New York Yankees won the World Series in game five.

While Jeter retains his super-stardom on the field, he finds time to contribute to his community. He and his father founded the Turn 2 Foundation. This agency is geared toward high-risk kids and steers them away from drug use. It encourages academic achievement and a healthy lifestyle. Turn 2 operates in his hometown of Kalamazoo and in New York City, where he lives.

Derek Jeter has been an American League All-Star a total of seven times. In 2000, he was also the first player in baseball history to be named the World Series MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season.

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