Me Talking to My Mentor
Lets just start by saying that Derek Jeter is more than a baseball player. He is more than an icon. He is more than a legend. In fact, I think that the only way to describe Derek Jeter is Derek Jeter.
When I was around the age of six, my family had the great honor of meeting the one and only Derek Jeter. When looking at the caliber of a player he is, it blows my mind that someone like him can take so much time with everyone he meets. Members of the Yankee organization have told my dad that Derek is just as nice to Mike Trout, as he is to a stadium vendor.
He makes sure that he leaves an impression on everyone one he meets.Joe Torre and IWhen he was coming up to the big leagues, he had so much respect for his manager, Joe Torre, he would only call him Mr. Torre as opposed to all of the other team members who called him “Joe.”
Just the little things like this is what set him apart from the rest. The other night, Bob Costas noted that Derek Jeter has, “No ink on his body, and is a classy ballplayer.”Derek With My Family
If you have ever watched Derek in an interview, he is an incredibly gifted speaker, as he gives the audience what they want to hear, without putting anyone down or sounding cocky. He always has a perfect answer for almost any question asked of him. In his latest Gatorade commercial, Derek went into a sports bar and the manager said, “We’ve been waiting for you to come in here since 1999.” Derek quickly replied, “You never invited me.” It is things like this that make Jeter like no one else. The New York media can eat players up, which is why some players have New York on their list of teams they don’t want to go to. But, miraculously, after every interview for over 20 years, Derek never has said anything disrespectful or offensive to anyone.
In my opinion, there will always be the greats such as Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera, there will always be hall of famers such as Wade Boggs and Mickey Mantle, there will always be legends such as Ted Williams and Babe Ruth, but there will never be another Derek Jeter.
