“My Belly Button Popped Out”: Derek Jeter’s ‘Clown’ Ways Once Caused a Brutal Injury Which Ended Up Humoring His Close Friends

Derek Jeter was the force to reckon with in the ballparks. On the field, or even off the field for that matter, the idea of getting on the wrong side of the fearless Jeter was a thought that a long list of people avoided. But did you know that the same bold, confident, and competitive Derek Jeter, who never even flinched on the field, had an extremely foolish and amusing side to him?

In his docu-series called ‘The Captain‘, Captain Clutch’s friends, Mike Evans, and Gerald Williams narrated a story from New Year’s Eve of 1999, when the “foolish” Jeter’s prank went very wrong, and almost led to a fatal injury.

Jeter’s foolishness once went blatantly wrong and almost translated into a career-ending injury

The eventual 14-time All-Star’s close friend, Mike Evans, started narrating the story in 1999, after Jeter’s third World Championship victory. He said, “One New Year’s Eve, it was myself, Gerald Williams, and Derek. Derek was always playing tricks trying to make you fall, and just foolishness. He’s the biggest clown. He loves to joke. We got out of a cab. He just says to us, ‘guys be careful, I almost slipped earlier.'”

However, despite Jeter’s warning to Mike and Gerald, as hilariously recounted by Evans, “So what happens is he slips and hits the ground.”

As Jeter went down, he screamed “Oh God,” in a hilarious tone, before everyone burst into laughter watching the graceful and charismatic Yankee covered in ice and slushie. But that wasn’t all. The future Yankees captain managed to rupture something as he reached the grown.

Read More: Rare Moment Of a Teenage Anthony Volpe Fawning Over Priceless Derek Jeter Item Resurfaces as He Makes New York Yankees History

Gerald Williams, who recently lost the World Championship to the Yanks, said, “It was funny. But he actually sustained an injury. His belly button was deformed, he ruptured something. And Mike couldn’t stop laughing. And I love to laugh, so that didn’t help.”

Finally, when Jeter spoke about the hilarious prank gone wrong, he said, “Then we get back to the hotel and I had an umbilical hernia. My belly button popped out. True story…”

How did Derek Jeter and his clutching help the Pinstripes win their second consecutive World Series?

Eventually, being dubbed as Captain Clutch for his postseason-clutching ability, Jeter was excessively instrumental in carrying the Yanks to their 25th World Series Championship in 1999 and his third World Championship ring. Through the postseason, Jeter batted 0.455 in the Division Series, 0.350 in the Championship Series, and finally, 0.353 in the World Series with the Yanks sweeping the Braves in the World Series.

Dating back to Jeter’s storied career, which moment do you reminisce about the most today? Let us know in the comments below!

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