Even though Derek Jeter’s identity is more of a captain of the New York Yankees rather than a player, the former shortstop may never have become the captain of the Bronx Bombers. The former slugger had a tenacity to overcome any problem hurled his way. Reluctant to let the limitation of his human body hold him back, Jeter gave it his all to whatever he put his mind to. For most of his life, it has been baseball. And it led him to some sticky situations more than a few times.

His qualities are what made him a great leader, one of the greatest in baseball, and earned him an almost unanimous induction into the Hall of Fame. But once upon a time, a high school game had him thinking he would never get to go pro at all.

Derek Jeter Had a Terrible Injury Scare in High School

Potential can be molded into anything if given the right tools. But when a loss occurs, it’s a terrible feeling, especially when it never even got the chance to be molded. That’s how Derek Jeter probably felt in his high school days when he played shortstop for Kalamazoo Central.

In his book The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, Ian O’Connor delves deep into the kid from Michigan who became a Yankees superstar. On page 33, he describes a game where various MLB scouts are present to measure future potential. One of them was, of course, Derek Jeter.

But during a game, he hurts his ankle in his haste to outrun a timer to reach base. It was as disastrous as a night of high school baseball can get. Why? There’s no guarantee the injury won’t affect an athlete later. “But as soon as Jeter crossed the bag it was clear he was in distress. In his zeal to reach base safely and post a blazing time for the scouts, Jeter extended his final stride, caught his spikes on the outfield side of the soaked bag, rolled over his ankle, and began hopping on one leg,” writes O’Connor.

“A hush swept over the entire field, leaving Johnson to think, “Oh, no, what just happened?” Portage was going to defeat Central whether or not Jeter was in the lineup, only this moment was not about winning and losing on a high school scoreboard.” 

It was fortunately a minor injury, and the youngster handled it like a pro. Of course, injuries occurred in his MLB career too, but he never let them hold him back for long.

The Future Captain Clutch Had Early Beginnings in High School

Popular as Mr. November, the former shortstop was valuable for his performance in the clutch. That ability started to develop in his high school days. O’Connor goes on to describe the aftermath of the injury in his book. Jeter deals with it in his own way, strapping a brace to his ankle and returning to a Kalamazoo Central that lost more than won.

READ MORE – “Crying in My Hotel Room” – Derek Jeter Once Detailed the Emotional Journey to Fulfilling His Lifelong Yankee Dream

Scouts were convinced he was going to develop into one of the best MLB had ever seen. As the sport is witness today, the predictions came true, with Jeter just one vote behind in his Hall of Fame induction.

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