“All I Did Was Go Like That [Tipping His Cap] and Went Back to the City” – Former Third Base Coach of Yankees Recalled Being in Derek Jeter’s Tip-Of-The-Hat Nike Ad

To say that life does come full circle is an understatement. Many believe it, but many do not. But it surely did happen for Rob Thomson, the interim manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. And the baseball legend, Derek Jeter, played a huge role in making that circle complete for Thomson.

Ahead of Tuesday’s game of the Yankees with the Cincinnati Reds, Thomson recalled a small part that he played in one of the memorable commercials of the shortstop’s life.

Nike’s July 2014 Derek Jeter ‘Re2pect’ ad, was one of the classic honors for a legend. 

How did Thomson get the chance to play a role in the Derek Jeter commercial?

In 2014, when the commercial was shot, Thomson was the third base coach for the New York Yankees. And therefore, along with many others, he played a small role in the prominent commercial.

Recalling the moment, Thomson said, “I remember going to the Staten Island ballpark at 7 a.m. and didn’t do my thing until 4 p.m… All I did was go like that [tipping his cap] and went back to the city.”

From the start to the end of Jeter’s career, somehow, Thomson was a part of it all.

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He got to be there when Jeter started out, and he was there the moment Jeter won his fifth and final world series with the New York Yankees.

How was Thomson a part of Jeter’s career?

The baseball player got selected in the first draft of MLB by the Yankees in 1993. At the time, Jeter played in Greensboro. This was the same year when the shortstop made 56 errors in 126, and got heavily criticized for that.

Thomson was his coach during that time. Rob was there when Derek Jeter started his career. Seven years later, Thomson returned to Jeter’s career as a third base coach for the Yankees. He was still there when Jeter won his fifth championship. 

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And then, he was also there when Jeter was about to retire from the game. Thomson was there in Nike’s celebration ad for Jeter. For him, life did come full circle. From start to the end, he saw the baseball legend’s career with a seat in the front row.