When Derek Jeter spoke about the differences in attitude between Latin-American and Japanese players in World Baseball Classic
In the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Derek Jeter led the United States team as captain.
Jeter gave a 2009 interview with The New York Times that was conducted right before an exhibition match between team USA and team Dominican Republic. Jeter was the only Yankees player on the USA team.
Derek Jeter was asked for his opinion on various things. One of them was the different cultures that different countries had surrounding baseball. Jeter remembered the 2006 WBC tournament and the teams he faced. The former Yankees captain did end up elaborating on the differing cultures surrounding the various teams. He said:
“There’s subtle differences. Some of the Latin-American countries, I think they’re a lot more energetic while they’re playing, a lot more vocal".
Jeter added:
"The Japanese teams pay a lot more attention to fundamentals. But it’s still the same game.”
The shortstop was also asked how it would feel to go up against former teammates that were then on a different team. He said:
“I haven’t really thought about it that way. It will probably feel like an intrasquad game.”
Derek Jeter at the inaugural #WorldBaseballClassic in 2006 https://t.co/H36S4YU4Cf
Unfortunately, for Derek Jeter and the USA team fans, the team didn't manage to win the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
However, the United States team did manage to bring the WBC trophy home in 2017. They will be defending their title in the 2023 tournament.
When Derek Jeter talked about wearing the Team USA jersey in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
In the 2009 WBC series, Jeter was the only Yankees member of the USA team. He faced his Yankees teammates as opponents in the series. However, he held pride in being part of the United States team.
Jeter was born in New Jersey to parents who both served in the army. His mother, Dorothy, was an accountant and his father, Sanderson, was a substance abuse counselor. In an interview, when he was asked how he felt about wearing the United States jersey in comparison to his Yankees one, he said:
“No question, you definitely have a sense of pride when you’re wearing the uniform of your country and you go out on the field and listen to the national anthem."
The former shortstop added:
"It is something I wish everyone got the chance to experience.”
Derek Jeter holds the MLB postseason record for most career hits with 200.
#Yankees #RepBX https://t.co/8ChaKD3fox
Derek Jeter is a 14-time All-Star and is a five-time World Champion. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.