MLB fans react to Houston Astros passing on drafting Derek Jeter, resulting in scout Hal Newhouser quitting: "Quitting was the only option"
Derek Jeter caught the attention of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hal Newhouser as he worked with the Houston Astros as a scout. Newhouser worked in the scouting department in the early 1990s. When he scouted Jeter in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he knew he had found a star.
Newhouser brought to the team's attention that Jeter was the guy to take with their number-one overall pick in the 1992 MLB Draft. When Houston ignored him and took Phil Nevin with the first pick, Newhouser was furious. He ended up quitting the day after the draft and retired.
Jeter was then selected with the sixth-overall pick by the New York Yankees, and the rest was history. He went on to win five World Series rings and was a 14-time All-Star.
"Quitting was the only option. They hired him to scout and advise on who to draft. When he gave then Jeter on a silver platter and they ignored his advice it was time to move on or quit." one Redditor posted.
"Respect" said another.
MLB fans can't believe the Astros passed up on Derek Jeter. They stand with Hal Newhouser's decision to quit the day after the draft.
Fans were thinking about just how great that Houston field would have been. Jeter would have lined up nicely next to Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio.
Houston Astros missed out by not drafting Derek Jeter
The Houston Astros missed out on drafting an all-time player in Derek Jeter. He went on to have a fantastic career with the New York Yankees.
Aside from his five World Series rings and 14 All-Star appearances, Jeter started tearing up the league as a rookie. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1996.
Jeter won the World Series MVP in 2000. He also is a five-time Gold Glove Award winner, a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and a two-time AL Hank Aaron Award winner.
At the end of his career, he had his number retired by the Yankees. Jeter is also a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. He received 99.75% of the votes in 2020. Two years later, his rival, David Ortiz, was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee as well.
Looking back, it's easy to say that the Houston Astros made a mistake by not drafting Derek Jeter. It could have changed baseball history. The Yankees may not have been good as they hadn't had the opportunity to draft him.