Thursday was perhaps one of the most important days in baseball history. After decades of waiting MLB had finally recognized the Negro Leagues. Yesterday the oldest baseball ballpark Rickwood Field witnessed a star-studded event for the game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. Naturally, Derek Jeter was a part of this historic event but he brought with him a special guest. 

The New York Yankees captain brought with him his father, Sanderson Charles Jeter. The father-son duo took part in a cathartic event where they honored the lives of some of the greatest Negro League players to have ever lived. Jeter has revealed before that because his dad’s from Montgomery, Alabama, he has continuously heard stories about the Negro Leagues. That made it all the more important for Jeter to attend this event. 

Naturally, Derek Jeter wanted to celebrate this significant occasion with his father. The father-son duo seemingly had a great time, as seen from the pictures posted on Jeter’s social media accounts. Jeter had his arm wrapped around his father, and the two looked immensely proud of the league’s respect for the Negro Leagues.

It’s to be noted that one of the biggest reasons why Derek Jeter became a baseball player was his father. Sanderson had been a shortstop in his university days and that inspired Jeter to follow in his father’s footsteps. Certainly, that explains why the Hall-of-Famer always finds ways to include his father in such events. 

But while Jeter honored the history, he also had some fun time in the Rickwood Field. The legend was in awe of the ballpark and explained how he would’ve fared if he spent his career playing there.

Derek Jeter loved feeling the history in Rickwood Field

Rickwood Field also witnessed the Barnstorm Birmingham softball game where Derek Jeter captained one team. However, before the game Jeter joined in on MLB Network’s team to talk about Rickwood Field and how it affected him. “It’s just amazing,” Jeter said about the field. “You feel the history running through your body.” However, the interesting thing came after he walked around the field.

Other than being the oldest baseball ballpark, Rickwood Field also has a rather deep field. As a result, it was always difficult to hit homers there. So when Jeter noticed it, he was astounded. “Have you noticed how deep behind the field the fences are?” Jeter said. “Hey, man! I would’ve finished my career with 26 home runs!” 

That was one of the biggest reasons why the New York Yankees legend had such deep respect for older players. It’s mind-boggling how the Negro League legends played and excelled under such difficult conditions.