‘…That’s How Society Is Going to View You’- Yankees Derek Jeter Gets Real on Struggling to Make Waves in the MLB With a Bi-racial Background

Derek Jeter was a dream player for every clubhouse in Major League Baseball. Apart from being a great ballplayer, Jeter was an excellent leader in the game. He always put the team above his records. And that was one of the many reasons fans adored him so much.

But it was never easy for Jeter to become the outstanding player that he was. Despite playing for a top MLB franchise, Jeter struggled a lot with his bi-racial background. Notably, his father is black, and his mother is white. And because of that, people always judged him whether he is a black player or white.

However, the former New York Yankees captain never let it become a reason to divert his attention from the game. And as one can see, he is one of the best to play the game in its history. But now, since he no more plays baseball, Derek Jeter opened up about his bi-racial background and the struggles he faced because of it.

Derek Jeter opens up about his bi-racial background in his docuseries ‘The Captain’

Earlier in July, ESPN release the much-awaited docuseries based on Derek Jeter’s personal life and baseball career. In one of the episodes of the docuseries, Jeter opened up about his struggle of being a bi-racial human being.

The clip first showed the video of a young Derek Jeter when he revealed that his race was the most asked question. 

“My father is black and my mother is white. And people think I am Spanish. So, they don’t know what to think… This is the most often question…,” a young Jeter said. 

Later, in the video, Jeter revealed that society always discriminated against him. “It was a matter of fact if you are black, you are black, right? How I was raised, you know, you are a black man. That’s how society is going to view you,” Jeter added. What is more surprising is that even baseball fans do not consider him a black MLB legend like Jackie Robinson, or Ken Griffey Jr.

General opinion on Derek Jeter’s background

Not only Derek Jeter but also a couple of renowned journalists weighed their opinion on the same topic.

Read More: ‘Bawdy Sense of Humor and Loves Beer!’- Derek Jeter’s Friends Once Revealed the True Strength Behind His Marriage to Supermodel Wife Hannah Jeter

“Derek Jeter’s media situation is super unique. Not in just that he played in New York, he played for the Yankees. But that he is bi-racial. He is from the Mid-west,” Shakeia Taylor of the Chicago Tribune said.

“I don’t think anybody ever asked him about growing up bi-racial,” said the Retired sportswriter Wallace Matthews. “It was never brought up in the clubhouse at all.”

WATCH THIS STORY: New York Yankees Legend Derek Jeter Scripted The Perfect End To His Career With This Iconic Walk-off Single

Notably, it is painful to learn that a player as big as Derek Jeter had to go through such things. And it was brave of him to discuss this publicly. He will always go down as one of the best in American sports.