When Derek Jeter's dad influenced his famed sportsmanship and grace after a lesson in teamwork
Derek Jeter's Baseball Hall of Fame induction in 2020 was the culmination of a career that most baseball players could only ever hope to dream of.
Over the course of his twenty seasons in the MLB, all of them as a shortstop for the New York Yankees, Jeter treated fans to some pretty special moments. In addition to five World Series rings, the New Jersey-born Jeter also collected five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers.
Like many stars who made it to the top of their game, Derek Jeter credits his dad, Charles, as a major driving influence on his road to the show. Although he was born in New Jersey, Jeter moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan with Charles and his mother Dorothy as a five-year old.
"Derek Jeter becomes the 28th player to join the 3,000-hit club." - Baseball's Greatest Moments
Although Jeter went on to serve as a bedrock of several New York Yankees World Series-winning teams, his teamwork and leadership skills were not as developed when he first began to play baseball.
In his 2011 biography of Jeter, writer Ian O'Connor shed some light on the relationship between Jeter and his old man. In reference to Jeter's Little League days, O'Connor claims that Charles had a rather profound affect on him. According to the writers, five-year old Derek Jeter was not a fan of losing, and would refuse to shake hands with the winning team on more than one occasion. To this, Charles Jeter's reply was simple:
"It's time to grab a tennis racket, because you obviously don't know how to play a team sport" - Charles Jeter
Charles Jeter is a former baseball player in his own right. A former shortstop at Fisk University in Tennessee, Jeter also holds a PhD and met Dorothy while serving in the US Army.
The elder Jeter's words evidently found purpose with his son, who was selected 6th overal by the Yankees in 1992. Four years later, Jeter would hit .314/.370/.430 with 10 home runs and 78 RBIs to capture the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
While Derek maintained an interesting dating life, he was always happy to give teammates more of the limelight. Apart from a few high-profile beefs with teammate and long-time friend Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter never had any sportsmanship issues again.
Derek Jeter might have Charles to thank for career excellence
In retirement, Derek has gone on to feature in several broadcasting roles, and even acquired a minority stake in the Miami Marlins. Respected as one of the best modern baseball players ever, perhaps without Charles, nothing would have been possible.