Derek Jeter’s Locker Mate Once Gave an Insight into His Journey From a Skinny Minor League Player to a 5 Time World Series Winner

Through a 20-year-long MLB career, alongside his long list of accolades, Derek Jeter stood at the pinnacle of loyalty, competitiveness, and an unperishable attitude, featuring charisma and charm. The shortstop always dreamed of playing for the New York Yankees, and his dream achieved partial fulfillment in 1992 when the Pinstripes picked him sixth with a whopping bonus of $800,000.

However, at first sight, people failed to understand the logic behind the large bag of money given to Jeter. Eventually, though, that opinion changed. In an interview from 2020 with Jeter’s first locker mate, Chris Heaps, spoke about the shock on his face when he saw Jeter for the first time and pondered the splurge of money for someone so lean and young.

Derek Jeter is at the receiving end of praises, again!

During the minor league season, Heaps spoke about Jeter’s physique, and how it surprised him when the shortstop would convert his double plays. He also spoke about the Pinstripes, knowing that they had to put some weight on him or enroll him in a lifting program if they wanted to utilize the bonus baby to his maximum potential.

Heaps said, “And one thing that surprised us all was, as skinny as he was, you know? That was the biggest thing. The Yankees knew that we got to put some weight on him. We gotta get this guy on a weight-lifting program, and they did. But he had some pop. But, he’s 6-foot-3 and 160 (pounds), that’s not very thick.”

He added, “And turning double plays with him — I would say that that’s probably one of my greatest moments as a player.”

Read More: “I Was Completely Over-Matched”- Derek Jeter Opens Up on a Tough Period Long Before Becoming a New York Yankees Legend

Finally, Heaps spoke about the pride that he stood behind while associating himself with someone who played alongside the legend. He said, “Being out there and just being one of the guys and say, ‘Hey, man, I used to be on the field with him.’”

Will Jeter make one final appearance in Pinstripes?

After playing in the Pinstripes for 20 years, Jeter retired from the MLB in 2014. After a short break from baseball, Jeter returned with a bid to buy a stake in the Miami Marlins ownership. The deal was finalized, and Jeter became a minority stakeholder in the company.

Eventually, the Marlins ownership appointed Jeter as their CEO. Under Jeter, the Marlins broke their 18-year-long postseason absence. However, the Jeter-Marlin relationship didn’t last too long. And earlier this year, the shortstop resigned and sold his stake in the franchise.

Now, amidst chatter involving Aaron Boone receiving a potential boot from the Yanks, fans want to see Jeter return in a managerial role. Do you think that’s possible?

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Would you want to see Derek Jeter as the new Yankees manager? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.