"I cried I failed I didn't think I was gonna make it" - Derek Jeter opens up about struggles, parents' support and staying true to his decisions
After his retirement, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees has become more emotionally open to his fans. Jeter, now the father of four young children, recently opened up about his connection with his own parents.
On an episode of sportscaster Joe Buck's show Undeniable, the iconic New York Yankees shortstop was asked about the relationship between him and his own parents. According to Jeter, they were absolutely vital instruments in inspiring him not to give up.
In the interview with Buck, Derek Jeter admitted that being an 18-year-old away from home was difficult and that he cried every night. Without the emotional support of his parents, Jeter admitted that giving up would have been a much more realistic possibility.
"I cried I failed I didn't think I was gonna make it, I told my parents I'd made the wrong decision"
Derek Jeter claimed that chief among his concerns was the fact that he chose baseball over education. However, he also credits the fact that he took offseason classes at the University of Michigan in his home state as a positive impact of his parents.
After being selected in the first round of the 1992 draft by the Yankees, Jeter was assigned to the GCL Yankees of the Gulf Coast League.
Fortunately for Jeter, everything worked out. After winning the 1996 AL Rookie of the Year Award, Jeter became one of the best hitters on the New York Yankees. He would go on to win five World Series rings and be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
As a child, Jeter's parents, Sanderson and Dorothy, made him sign a contract enforcing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. It was the influence of his paternal grandparents that first sparked Jeter's interest in baseball.
"Derek Jeter: I think I have the greatest parents in the world." - YES Network
Jeter has been busy since his retirement in 2014. Since 2016, he has been married to model Hannah Jeter, with whom he has three girls and a son. In addition to appearing as an occasional MLB analyst on FOX, Jeter also acquired a minority stake in the Miami Marlins in 2017.
Derek Jeter's parents should be very proud of the way their son turned out
Unlike former teammates like Alex Rodriguez, Jeter stayed humble throughout his career. This is likely due to the strong impact that his parents had on him. Now, several decades after he made his MLB debut, Jeter enjoys an incredible life, thanks in no small part to Sanderson and Dorothy.