Doug Mientkiewicz credits legendary Yankees captain for creating enjoyable locker room culture: "Derek [Jeter] had a lot to do with that"

Former Gold Glover Doug Mientkiewicz has fond memories of his time with Derek Jeter.

Mientkiewicz spent the 2007 season with the New York Yankees and was part of the team that won 94 games that year. It may have been a little strange for a member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series winning team to shift to New York, but Mientkiewicz made the best of it.

The first baseman was fortunate to play alongside some of the game's great personalities including Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens. However, one player, in particular, caught Mientkiewicz's attention during his time with the Bronx.

According to a recent article in the New York Post, Jeter's attitude, sense of humor and conduct in the clubhouse stood out for Mientkiewicz:

"I couldn’t believe how much fun [it was] and Derek [Jeter] had a lot to do with that," said Mientkiewicz.

The former MLB player was speaking on a recent episode of the Foul Territory podcast. Mientkiewicz went on to say that he felt at home with the guys in the organization.

"That was probably the biggest surprise of my career, was seeing how Derek Jeter really was behind closed doors."

Doug Mientkiewicz on how the Yankees clubhouse was A LOT more fun than he'd imagined.

Legends Territory ▶️ youtu.be/DfuKaRo43XE https://t.co/FmZwcJ5Bni

Mientkiewicz played in 72 total games for the Yankees. He finished with five home runs, 24 RBIs and a .277 batting average.

Derek Jeter won five World Series with the New York Yankees over a 20-year career

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees poses for a photo with Derek Jeter after a press conference at Yankee Stadium

Jeter was known to be extremely professional and committed on the field, making Mientkiewicz's comments that much more surprising.

#OTD in 1995, Derek Jeter made his Major League debut.

Here's a friendly reminder of all the MLB records he holds... https://t.co/8XDM5MuDPu

The Hall of Fame shortstop won five championships with the New York Yankees over an illustrious 20-year career. He was a 14-time All-Star, won five Gold Gloves and two Hank Aaron Awards. He was also named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1996.

Overall, Jeter played in 2,905 games for the Yankees (regular season and postseason). He finished with 260 home runs and 1,311 RBIs over 2747 regular season games and lifetime .310 batting average.