Derek Jeter: A New York Yankees Legend

In every generation, there is one professional athlete who stands above the rest. In the modern era, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter has become the face of Major League Baseball for nearly two decades. In Derek Jeter: A New York Yankees Legend, Newsday columnists and photographers chronicle the most compelling moments of the Yankee shortstop’s storied career from the day he was drafted in 1992. Born in New Jersey and raised in Michigan, Jeter’s fate was sealed when he boldly announced to his fourth-grade class that he would one day become shortstop for the New York Yankees. Showing early promise, the New York Yankees drafted Jeter right out of high school in 1992 and he made his debut in the Majors in 1995. During his first full season in 1996, Jeter was named Rookie of the Year and helped the Yankees win the World Series for the first time in 18 years. He would go on to win World Series championships in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009.  A 12-time All-Star with five Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers, Jeter is the all-time postseason leader in hits, games played, extra-base hits and runs scored. In 2011, the man nicknamed “Captain Clutch” for his stellar post-season performances broke records again by becoming the 23rd member of the 3,000 hits club and the first to get 3,000 hits with the Yankees. Throughout his career in baseball, Derek Jeter has remained a model leader for his team, an ambassador of the game, and a sports icon for the ages.