When Derek Jeter's All-Star game absence was defended by Yankees manager Joe Girardi

Over the course of his 20-year MLB career with the New York Yankees, superstar Derek Jeter left a lasting mark on everyone he came into contact with. This includes former Yankees manager Joe Girardi. He was Jeter’s teammate when he was a rookie and his manager at the end of Jeter’s career.

Girardi defended Jeter multiple times and once when he was criticized by the players for being absent from the All-Star game. In a 2011 show called "The Joe Girardi Show,” Girardi said:

"It's unfair. If players had an issue they should've called Derek and really found out what's really going on with this instead of saying, 'You should be here (in Arizona).'"

For the first time in five years, Jeter received a commendation for his two-year-old Hall of Fame entry. He was chosen on 396 out of 397 ballots and entered the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.

Joe Girardi was all praise for Derek Jeter after his induction

Joe Girardi expanded on his relationship and respect for Derek Jeter. He said:

“Playing with him, you always wanted him up in big situations and having the ball hit to him in big situations. The greatest compliment you can give a player is you never have to worry about them. And with Derek, you never had to worry about anything."

He continued:

"He was always relaxed. I saw that as a rookie. Even in tough situations, he never changed who he was. He was never worried about who might take his job or if he had a bad day, having it turn into two or three bad days.”

Jeter had a great time at Yankee Stadium.

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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

Jeter played for the Yankees for the duration of his 20-year MLB career. He garnered 396 out of 397 votes to enter the Hall of Fame (99.75%). This was the second-highest percentage in MLB history (behind his teammate Mariano Rivera), and the highest by a position player.

Can’t believe it’s been 8 years since my last game at Yankee Stadium! - Derek Jeter

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2020. From September 2017 to February 2022, he served as both the Miami Marlins' league president and CEO.

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