20 seasons. 3240 games. 5 World Series championships. 12 All-Star games. These are just some of Derek Jeter’s impressive career stats as a New York Yankee. Not only did the Yankee captain become a baseball legend, but also a hero to so many people around the globe. But where did Derek start? What got him to where he is today? Derek was born on June 26th, 1974. He was born and raised in Pequannock, New Jersey and always had a love for the game of baseball. He quickly jumped into being a baseball phenom and received the High School Player of The Year Award and the Gatorade High School Athlete Award. Following Derek’s graduation, Derek was selected by the Yankees in the June 1992 draft. On May 29th, 1995, Derek made his MLB debut. The following season, (his first full season) Derek had a batting average of .314 with 10 home runs and 78 runs batted in. Not only did these impressive stats prove he had the talent, but it proved he was there to stay. Throughout his 20 seasons, Derek took the league by storm and broke several records. For example, he broke the New York Yankees franchise hit record on September 11, 2009. Derek singled to get hit number 2,722 and make history. Even though Derek played his last game this past Sunday, you will still see plenty of Jeter jerseys walking down the street. Given the fact that he sold the most jerseys out of the MLB this past year, it will be along time before you can get rid of seeing the Jeter jerseys. Even though Derek won’t be an MLB player anymore, he will still remain in our hearts for a very long time. Kids will grow up and talk about how Derek Jeter had a walk off single in his last game at Yankee Stadium. The stories can really never go away with how much he has accomplished. But even though he is still hated by many, everyone across the globe respects what he brought to the table. The excitement, the personality, the skill. The Yankee Captain will always be respected.

I am a Mets fan. I grew up hating Derek Jeter. But as I have gotten older I know now all that he has done for the MLB and people around the world. Many kids look up to Jeter as inspiration. Many adults grew up watching Jeter play and also thinking of him as a role model. I now feel the same way. Now, as his final game is finished, I feel bad that I never saw him play in person. As you walk down the hallways at school, you see at least 2 or 3 Jeter jerseys everyday. Derek Jeter was a role model to so many kids and adults. We all have stories to tell about him to our children or even grandchildren in the future. Not only will his story and all his accomplishments live with us, but they have a place in our heart too. Derek Jeter was so respected and loved that even Boston Red Sox fans were honoring him by flipping their hats in his direction. The Derek Jeter baseball life will never die and I am so happy to at least watch his final games on TV before he retired. I will definitely share the story with my children and grandchildren when I become older and be happy to do so. The Yankee Captain will always be respected and he definitely deserves to be.

~Matt