"When you’re down here, you realize you can’t go back" - When Yankees legend Derek Jeter recalled yearning for home during grueling road to MLB
New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter knows a thing or two about how grueling sports can be. The former Yankee had first-hand experience and shared his side of the story in his 2011 biography, "The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter."
Despite earning a scholarship from the University of Michigan to play college baseball, Jeter opted to turn pro after the Yankees selected him sixth overall in the 1992 MLB draft.
Jeter recalled playing in the Gulf Coast League and felt hellish about it. He mentioned that every time he stepped in the batter's box, he used to think about how long before he could go home.
"When you're in high school," Jeter said. "You can't wait to get out of the house, be on your own and away from your parents telling you what to do. When you're down here, you realize you just can't go back."
Author Ian O'Connor went into more detail:
"Jeter would step into the batter’s box and think about how many more hellish weeks he had to endure before he could go home.
"For once in his life, Jeter yearned for the sleet and snow of a Kalamazoo spring. Gulf Coast League scores and standings were not printed in the paper. Jeter was stuck in a forgotten time and place, and he wanted his parents to save him."
Jeter shared a similar sentiment with every high school outgoing youngster who has the rush to live away and freely, ending in the reality of life where you have to do everything by yourself. However, those early grinds played a major role in setting up Jeter for incredible success.
Derek Jeter's early struggles helped produce a Hall of Fame player
After grinding his way through and making his debut in 1995 for the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter remained a prominent member of the clubhouse until 2014, when he hung up his cleats.
Over the years, Jeter has seen incredible success, winning five World Series, 14 All-Star selections, and five Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He also won AL Rookie of the Year in 1996 and was crowned World Series MVP in the team's 2000 championship campaign.
In honor of his services, the Yankees retired his No. 2 jersey. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020 with 99.7% of the votes in favor. While people may focus on his accolades and success with the Yankees, the groundwork for his rise to superstardom was laid before his MLB debut.
Now retired, Derek Jeter is a family man, married to former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Hannah Davis, with whom he has four children.