Saturday, February 7, 2009

Derek Jeter

By Denise I Smithson

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

He quickly began to establish himself as one of the top players in his league. He was awarded Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Yankees. He continued to show improvement each year at the plate and delivered outstanding fielding in his shortstop position. He was the first rookie in 34 years to start with the Yankee as shortstop during the first season. Derek Jeter has become one of modern baseball's most recognized names.

Jeter helped propel the Yankees toward a World Series win against the Atlanta Braves in 1995. The following year, he had five hits and five runs scored during the 1996 World Series. Though the team did not make it to the World Series in 1997, Jeter batted .291 with 70 RBIs and 10 home runs. Jeter had achieved celebrity status by the 1998 season, which he ended with a .324 batting average, 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 203 hits. He was the leagues high scorer with a total of 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 continued to focus on his game. This focus paid off; he ended the 1999 season by breaking most of his personal records. He had 24 home runs, 134 scored runs, 9 triples, 102 RBI's and a .349 batting average. He was awarded All-Star for the second time.

In game four of the 2000 World Series match between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, Jeter kicked off the game with a home run on the very first pitch. In his second at-bat, Jeter hit a triple and scored, giving the Yankees a comfortable three-run lead. The Yankees went on to win the 2000 World Series in five games.

Even though Jeter has achieved superstar status, he spends time giving back to his community. With his father, Jeter founded the Turn 2 Foundation. The foundation supports high-risk kids and provides alternatives to drug abuse. It encourages academic success and healthy lifestyle choices. Turn 2 has branches in Jeters hometown of Kalamazoo, and in New York City, where he now lives.

Derek Jeter was the first player in history to be named both the World Series MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season; he received these awards in 2000. He has been is a seven time American League All-Star.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment