Derek Sanderson Jeter is born in Pequannock, N.J. He is the first child of
Dorothy, an Irish-American accountant, and Charles, an African-American
drug-and-alcohol-abuse counselor. Jeter has always credited his parents for his
success.
1979
At age five Derek moves to Kalamazoo, Mich. with his parents and his younger
sister, Sharlee. Maternal grandmother, Dorothy Connors, shares her love of the
Yankees with Derek and makes him a fan. He wears pinstripes and Yankees hats in
Michigan and returns to New Jersey in the summers to visit his relatives and
root for his beloved Bombers at Yankee Stadium. Outfielder Dave Winfield is his
idol. Jeter dreams of one day playing for the
Yanks.
1988
Jeter attends Kalamazoo Central High where he excels in both basketball and
baseball. In 11th grade when asked by his teacher to create a coat of arms
unique to his personality, Jeter includes a picture of a Yankee at bat in the
center.
June 1,
1992
Jeter calls being selected by the New York Yankees as the sixth pick overall in
the amateur draft "a dream come true". The 17-year-old Jeter was named
the 1992 High School Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches
Association, after hitting .508 as a
senior.
Fall
1992
Jeter enrolls at the University of Michigan where he spends one semester before
leaving school to pursue a career in professional baseball. His first year in
the minors, Derek makes stops at Class A Tampa and Greensboro, and struggles to
a combined .210 batting average. "I expected the competition to be as good
as it was," he said. "But I thought I'd do
better."
1994
At Triple A Columbus, Jeter hits .344 with five home runs, 68 RBIs and 50 stolen
bases and is named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, The
Sporting News, USA Today Baseball Weekly and Topps/NAPBL. While at an
Arizona Fall League camp, Derek meets Michael Jordan, who would later sign him
to represent his line of Nike sports apparel. Said Jeter of his meeting with the
athlete he would most like to be for a day, "He was very nice, very down to
Earth, I was very impressed with the way he treated
me."
May 29,
1995
After being called up from Columbus, Jeter goes 0-for-5 in his major league
debut as the Yankees lose 8-7 in Seattle. "I'll just try to go out and
have fun. And try to improve," said Jeter after his first appearance in The
Show. Derek's father, Charles, flies in from Michigan to attend the game and
afterwards has dinner with his son. "No place open," said the younger
Jeter. "We walked around awhile and ended up at McDonald's. I
treated."
May 30,
1995
Jeter collects the first two hits of his major league career and scores two runs
in another Yankees' loss to Seattle.
April 2,
1996
Derek becomes the first rookie shortstop to start for the Yankees on Opening Day
since 1962, when Tom Tresh subbed for Tony Kubek, who was in the military. In
his second at-bat of the day, Derek hits his first major league home run; a solo
shot off the Indians' Dennis
Martinez.
October 9,
1996
At home against Baltimore in the first game of the American League Championship
Series, Jeter hits a shot towards the short porch in rightfield. The ball, which
appears about to disappear into the glove of O's outfielder Tony Tarasco becomes
a controversial game-tying home run when a young fan reaches over the wall. Jeff
Maier, the 12-year-old from Old Tappan, N.J. becomes an instant celebrity. Later
that month -- thanks in large part to Derek's .361 postseason batting average --
the Yankees capture their 23rd World Series championship.
November
1996
Jeter wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. With his good looks
and stellar talent on the field, he attains rock-star status in the City that
Never Sleeps. "I really think I am getting all this attention because I'm
the youngest guy on the team," Jeter says. "I find it hard to believe.
I'm just an average guy who plays baseball for a
living."
