WORLD TOP SPORTS STARS: derek jetar baseball player

Derek Sanderson Jeter (pronounced /ˈdʒiːtər/; born June 26, 1974) is an American professional baseball player. He is a Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop who has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003.[1] Jeter's presence in the Yankees' lineup, highlighted by his hitting prowess, played an instrumental role in the team's late 1990s dynasty.[2]

Jeter debuted in the Major Leagues in 1995, and the following year he won the Rookie of the Year Award and helped the Yankees win the 1996 World Series. Jeter was also a member of championship-winning teams in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009. In 2000, Jeter became the only player in history to win both the All-Star Game MVP Award and the World Series MVP Award in the same year. He has been selected as an All-Star eleven times, and he has won the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards on four occasions. He is regarded as a consummate professional, by teammates and opponents alike,[3][4] and has a reputation as a reliable contributor in the postseason.[5]

Jeter is considered to be one of the best players of his generation.[6] He is the all-time hits leader among shortstops[7] and his .317 career batting average through the 2009 season ranks as the fifth-highest among active players. He has been among the American League (AL) leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years. He is the all-time Yankees hit leader, passing Hall of Fame member Lou Gehrig in 2009.[8]
Contents
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* 1 Early life
* 2 Baseball career
o 2.1 Minor leagues (1992–95)
o 2.2 Major League Baseball (since 1995)
+ 2.2.1 1995–98
+ 2.2.2 1999–2003
+ 2.2.3 2004–07
+ 2.2.4 2008–present
o 2.3 World Baseball Classic
o 2.4 Player profile
o 2.5 Equipment
+ 2.5.1 Baseball glove
* 3 Career highlights
o 3.1 Awards
* 4 Career statistics
o 4.1 Footnotes
* 5 Career statistical highlights
* 6 Milestones
* 7 Personal life
* 8 Appearances outside of baseball
o 8.1 Philanthropy
o 8.2 Endorsements
o 8.3 Other appearances
* 9 See also
* 10 References
* 11 External links

Early life

Jeter was born in Pequannock, New Jersey in 1974. His father, Dr. Anderson Charles Jeter, a substance abuse counselor, is African American; his mother, Dorothy, is Caucasian and of Irish/German descent. Charles and Dorothy met while serving in the United States Army[9] in Germany.[10] His father played shortstop at Fisk University in Tennessee.[11] Derek has one sister, Sharlee, who is five years younger and was a softball star in high school.[9]

The family lived in North Arlington, New Jersey, before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was four years old.[2] As a child, Jeter and his sister would spend summers with their grandparents in New Jersey, who took them to Yankees games, making him a passionate fan of his future team.[2][11]

derek jeter