Who Was Derek Jeter’s Baseball Idol? New York Yankees Legend Reveals Surprising Name

The New York Yankees are a legendary institution, mostly because of their outstanding record and maybe a little because of their players too. Recently, Derek Jeter appeared on a podcast to discuss his career and how he has progressed so far. Jeter also spoke about his heroes and made his inspirations pretty clear. The man that wore only pinstripes throughout his playing career, never wanted any other threads.

Derek Jeter made the #2 Yankees jersey iconic from shortstop, and for that, he deserves all the credit; but who inspired him to pick the ball up in the first place? How did he come up to the Bronx and how did he progress from there?

We take a sneak peek into his motivation to get in between second and third base donning the pinstripes. The way you hear Jeter tell the story, it really seems to have been his dream for a long time. It would have almost been unnatural to see him sport any other jersey from the league. But here’s why.

Watch Story: This collector caught 11,000 baseballs worth over $100,000- heres how

Who inspired Derek Jeter?

It’s as clear as day, right from the outset, that Jeter only ever had one team on his mind. Giving his answer to Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson on their podcast, Jeter qualifies his answer at the beginning by saying, “I was a Yankees fan.”

He apparently got the Yankee fever from his grandmother, with whom stayed every summer in New Jersey. He explains that due to his mother having 13 brothers and sisters, they would spend every summer in New Jersey with their grandmother who was a Yankees fan.

Explaining the origin behind his playing position, however, he was a bit more candid. He told the listeners that his father was a shortstop. “He went at Fisk University, Tennessee,” said Jeter; and that’s where the inspiration came from. Putting the two independents together, Jeter said that he wanted to field at shortstop for the Yankees.

Talking more about players that Jeter drew inspiration from, he says, “Dave Winfield was my guy”. Speaking more about how he was the only player drafted in all three sports (MLB, NBA, and NFL), Jeter mentions that he was the true inspiration on the diamond for the shortstop before he began his career.

Irrespective, we certainly know of several players from today’s generation that have taken up the mantle watching the iconic #2 at Yankee Stadium. Jeter can take pride in his legacy as a player that people look up to him the same way that he once looked up to other players.

Read More: Negotiating in Bad Faith – Player Union Star Slams MLB “Ploy” Amidst Lockout Meetings