New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter once reminisced about his childhood admiration for Dave Winfield

In a 2017 interview with ESPN, Derek Jeter recalled his childhood memories of being a fan of the Yankees.

Interviewer Karl Ravech from ESPN asked Jeter about the beginning of his passion for baseball. Jeter recalled that it started with his grandma, who was the one who shared his passion for the Yankees with him.

While on that topic, they began talking about Jeter's childhood as a Little League player. The former Yankees captain surprised the interviewer by revealing that he previously played for the Tigers. But, given that Jeter's Little League didn't have the Yankees as a team, it was understandable.

On the topic of childhood, Karl Ravech asked him the following question:

"What do you remember about watching the Yankees then? Who were the big guys? What did you like about it?"

To this question, Jeter reminisced about his childhood and replied this:

"Obviously, the pinstripes stood out first and foremost. I think when you're young, it's a visual love affair. And it was [Dave] Winfield. Big Dave was my guy, you know. I thought he was larger than life"

Derek Jeter also continued by saying how there were many others he looked up to like Don Mattingly and Willie Randolph.

This Derek Jeter commercial will forever give me chills ⚾️💯 https://t.co/5gZXGuezb8

The former shortstop said that he used to learn from these legends, especially Winfield. These were the people who have made the core of the Yankees in the past. They were some of the people that made Jeter want to play for the team.

When Derek Jeter talked about what he admired the most about Dave Winfield.

It's a fact known by every Jeter or Yankees fan that Derek Jeter has always been a huge Yankees fan since childhood.

During the same interview with ESPN, Karl Ravech asked Jeter what it was that made him like Winfield the most.

Ravech made the assumption on his own and said:

"When you say Winfield, was it his physical size? I mean, you're a little guy. He's a giant. But was it the way he played, the way he carried himself?"

Hearing this, Jeter was quick to ask Ravech what he meant when he called Jeter 'little'. Ravech retracted the statement and told him that what he meant to ask was when Jeter was a child.

To this, Derek Jeter had said:

"I think so, you know, it's -- and the more I learned about him, you know, you see he's drafted in all three sports. He was just the ultimate athlete and, you know, to this day, he's just the only athlete to be drafted in all three".

Derek Jeter had told the interviewer that it was Winfield's size that made him stand out among the Yankees.

Yankees Flashback:

Derek Jeter hits his first postseason home run at the new Yankee Stadium in 2009 https://t.co/0pfnHzXysY

The former Yankees captain used to watch and admire Winfield when he was just 4-5 years old. Jeter was inspired by the Yankees and aspired to be a baseball player.