‘It’s more than just the game’: Derek Jeter’s message to baseball as he enters Hall of Fame
For 17 minutes Wednesday in Cooperstown, New York, Derek Jeter reflected on his baseball career, two decades of success with one team.
He spoke of his parents for instilling in him the never-quit mentality that he carries to this day, of his wife and two daughters for being his support system, of meeting Rachel Robinson (wife of Jackie Robinson) in 1996 and Hank Aaron in 1999 for his first in-person moments with people who have ties to the Hall of Fame, of the teammates, managers, coaches and scouts from his New York Yankees career that helped him get to this point, of the fans for the support all these years, of the baseball writers — well, “all but one of you,” Jeter said — who made him an almost unanimous selection for this occasion.
It all converged on this moment, when Derek Jeter could finally, formally, officially say it: He is a Hall of Famer.
MLB commissioner Robert Manfred handed Jeter his Hall of Fame plaque, one that refers to him as the “heartbeat of a Yankees dynasty” who “defined a two-decade run of Bronx dominance.”
His message to those in the sport striving to get to this point: “The one common thread with all of us up here is that we understand there’s no one individual bigger than the game. The game goes on. Take care of it. Protect it. Don’t take the time you play for granted. It’s more than just the game.”
Ted Simmons, Larry Walker and the late Marvin Miller were also inducted into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday in a ceremony that was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chants of “Der-ek, Je-ter” came from the thousands in attendance for the induction ceremony, and he was met with a standing ovation before he began to speak.
“I forgot how good that feels,” Jeter said with a smile.
The source of Jeter’s nerves leading up to this day didn’t stem from making a speech or speaking about himself or making sure he adequately reflected on his career.
Instead, it came from doing so in front of 31 current members of the Hall of Fame.
“I wanted to make all of you behind me proud,” Jeter said of the motivating factor in his career. “Not with my statistics. With how I played the game, how I carried myself and how I respected the game for those before and after me.”
Jeter career is one of baseball’s best. His on-field accomplishments are countless and measured with statistics, though what he meant to the Yankees is immeasurable.
Nicknamed the Captain, Jeter was part of the “Core Four,” along with Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, pitcher Andy Pettite and catcher Jorge Posada, that created the last Yankees’ dynasty.
The Yankees won four World Series championships in five seasons, claiming titles in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.
In 2001, with the Yankees vying for a fourth straight championship, Jeter was given another nickname: Mr. November.
The al-Qaeda attack on Sept. 11, 2001, which included the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City, changed life in America. The baseball season was suspended briefly, causing the season to be pushed back a week.
That led to Jeter’s new nickname being born as Game 4 of the 2001 World Series crept into the early hours of November 1, the first time the World Series was being played in November.
Facing Arizona reliever Byung-Hyun Kim, Jeter smacked a walk-off home run to right field to win the game for the Yankees, who ultimately lost the series in seven games.
Jeter’s defense also was highlighted in his career with the flip play, where he saved a run in the 2001 ALDS by flipping an errant throw to Posada to tag out Oakland’s Jeremy Giambi.
Jeter hit .310 and collected 3,465 hits in his 20-year playing career that saw him selected to 14 All-Star games and win five World titles, five gold gloves, five silver sluggers and win one World Series and All-Star Game MVP.
Post-playing, Jeter became part-owner and CEO of the Miami Marlins.
Marlins players and coaches watched from loanDepot park during batting practice as Jeter presented his speech.
“Derek obviously has been a great player for a long time,” said Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who played the final season of his 14-year career with the Yankees during Jeter’s first big-league season in 1995. “What he was able to do over the years in New York has been amazing and I think his transition here has been great. He’s a guy that now has to lead the organization in the direction he wants, but obviously the Hall of Fame was a no doubter for him. It’s kind of stinks that he had to wait two years for this, but at least it’s here now and should be fun.”
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 4:12 PM.
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