When Derek Jeter looked back upon his journey to Cooperstown in his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter had an illustrious MLB career. The World Series champion, who made his debut in 1995, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
The former shortstop once reflected on his journey on ESPN:
"It's surreal to think about. I don't know. I'm trying not to think about it. I just want to get there and sort of soak it all in and see how I feel. I don't want to go in there with any preconceived notions of what may happen. I just want to enjoy it.
"But, you know, you have a dream to play professional baseball. You have a dream to play shortstop, and the dream to play shortstop for the Yankees. To have your number retired is – was never a part of that dream."
Other legendary athletes like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, as well as some of Jeter's former teammates attended his enshrinement in Cooperstown, New York.
Your Hall of Fame Class of 2020. https://t.co/b6A62CHIuL
Jeter played 20 seasons for the Yankees after being selected sixth in the 1992 draft. Jeter finished with a batting average of.310 after collecting 3,465 hits, 1,923 runs and 1,311 RBIs.
"Great to be back home at Yankee Stadium! Thanks to everyone for making it such a special night for me and my family. The girls had a blast and finally got their ice cream," Derek Jeter posted.
Jeter was a 14-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove winner and had, at the time of his induction, the sixth-most hits in MLB history.
Jeter made his MLB debut in 1995 at the age of 20. The following season, he was named the Yankees' starting shortstop, took home the Rookie of the Year Award, and assisted his club in defeating the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 World Series.