Braylan Bigler English 10 Mr. Lopez May 5, 2023 Derek Jeter: an icon There have been many iconic figures in the history of sports: Jordan, Brady, and Ruth. Still, maybe none of them were as iconic of a figure as Derek Jeter. Jeter played for the most historic franchise in the most iconic city in the world. He won five World Series titles and became a baseball legend. Jeter grew up in humble Kalamazoo Michigan with his loving parents and little sister Sharlee. He grew up a Yankee fan because of his grandma who he would stay with every summer. She would take him to games and his fandom grew from there. He became the Yankees' #1 pick in 1992 and became a five-time World Series champ, fourteen-time All-Star, 2000 World Series MVP, and a Hall Of …show more content…
He was clutch when it mattered most. He won five championships tied for sixth all-time. He is the all-time leader in hits, doubles, runs scored, and total bases in playoff history. He was the 2000 World Series MVP and hit multiple walk-off home runs in the postseason. Many say the hardest time to hit is when it matters most and Derek Jeter paved right through that. In the playoffs, everything is magnified as bats become bigger and it all matters more. Winners come through when the moment is big and Derek Jeter owns the moment. His performance in the playoffs year in and year out propelled the Yankees to win all five of their titles. Furthermore: He made clutch plays in the field that led to the Yankees winning. In 2001 the Yankees trailed the Oakland A’s 2-0 in the series and in a best of five one more loss and they would be eliminated. In game three up by just a run with a runner on first for the A’s in the bottom of the seventh, the A’s left fielder smoked a ball to the right field corner, and the Yankees right fielder overthrew both cut-off men leaving the ball in no man's land, but Jeter raced over to the ball picked up and flipped to home to tag …show more content…
Jeter’s parents instilled early that his character and morals would always matter more than his playing ability. He was raised right and it always showed when he would talk to reporters or sign things for fans. He was always respectful and did things the right way. His humble beginnings made him the humble person he was his entire life. He made sure that the team always was put before himself and winning championships was always put before his individual stats. To continue Derek Jeter was the best team captain you could have. He brought different people and personalities and put them together to all have the goal of winning a championship. To ensure they all had the same goals he would often schedule players-only meetings to make sure that everyone’s opinion was heard. Jeter was always great at bringing teammates together and creating the best atmosphere to win. He was named captain of the Yankees after the 2002 season. He became the eleventh captain in the 110+ year history of the Yankees. His great leadership as captain led them to another World Series title in 2009. To conclude this paragraph, No season showed Jeter’s ability to lead more than the 2009 season. The Yankees signed five new players in the offseason leading to many new faces in the lineup every day each with their own unique personality. Jeter did a great job ironing out all the kinks and creating one of the best Yankee teams of all time. This 2009 Yankee