MLB analyst suggests Derek Jeter need not copy other talking heads to succeed as a broadcaster
Derek Jeter is a renowned athlete with all the credentials one could ask for. Not only is he a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a five-time World Series champion and a Yankees captain with Madison Avenue appeal, but he was also just a top Marlins executive. Thus, he ought to be familiar with the current trends in the game.
Jeter will make his Fox Sports commentry debut on Saturday during the pregame from London before the Cardinals-Cubs game, sitting next to his all-time frenemy, Alex Rodriguez. As funny as it might sound, Jeter never expressed any interest in becoming a sportscaster while he was a player. He even made the amusing admission that he didn't watch baseball.
MLB analyst Andrew Marchand thinks to be successful as a Fox Sports commentator, Jeter needs to be fun:
"Jeter does not need to be a cross between Chris Russo and Stephen A. Smith. He just needs to be insightful and fun".
Brad Zager, the executive producer of Fox Sports who hired Jeter, told The Post that Jeter is dedicated to his new position despite turning 49 on Monday:
"We’re not asking Derek to carry the conversation. We’re asking for Derek’s perspective on an already high-level baseball conversation. We loved our conversations with Alex, Kevin and Frank before. Adding Derek Jeter to the type of show we do, elevates it more."
Fox is a fan of hiring famous people. While Tom Brady signed a contract for $375 million, Jeter did not. Fox asked Rodriguez's permission before moving, which is not unusual when adding a new commentator to a team. It was notable due to the A-Rod-Jeter history that Jeter discussed in his ESPN documentary.
Derek Jeter wants his children to value hard work
Derek Jeter is known to be a hardworking player who gave everything to the game. He wants his kids to have the same dedication and hard work he had for his career and passion. As a good father, Jeter wants to instill the value of hard work in his children so they wouldn't take anything for granted.
In an interview with Brett Martin of GQ, Jeter discussed his readiness to teach his three daughters the value of perseverance and how he doesn't want them to believe that success comes easily:
“You don’t ever want your kids to think that achieving something is easy. People say winning feels good, but why does it feel good? Because it’s hard!”
Derek Jeter put in a lot of effort throughout the course of his MLB career with the New York Yankees to get where he is now. He has avoided controversy to remain totally committed to his line of work.