Saturday, January 3, 2009

Derekjeter

By Denise I Smithson

Derek Jeter

Born in Pequannok, New Jersey in June of 1974, Derek Jeter and his family later moved to Michigan where Jeter played basketball and baseball at his Kalamazoo, Michigan high school. He was chosen by the New York Yankees as the sixth overall first round pick of the 1996 draft.

Jeter soon became established as one of the best players in the American League. He received the Rookie of Year award in his first season with the Yankees. With each passing year, he continued to improve at the plate and he was outstanding as an infielder in his shortstop position. Jeter was the first rookie in 34 years to be given a starting position as a shortstop. Derek Jeter has since become one of modern baseballs most recognized stars.

Jeter helped propel the Yankees toward a World Series win against the Atlanta Braves in 1995. The following year, he had five hits and five runs scored during the 1996 World Series. Though the team did not make it to the World Series in 1997, Jeter batted .291 with 70 RBIs and 10 home runs. Jeter had achieved celebrity status by the 1998 season, which he ended with a .324 batting average, 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 203 hits. He was the leagues high scorer with a total of 127 runs.

Jeter hit a snag in 1999 when he and his agent couldnt reach agreement with the Yankees about the terms of his new contract. Jeter went to arbitration with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in order to reach a mutually agreeable figure for payment of Jeters new contract. Jeter won the arbitration with a one-year $5 million dollar contract deal. This made him the highest paid player in history among those with just a few years of service.

Jeter kept improving his game. His focus and commitment paid off when he broke most of his personal records during the 1999 season. His impressive stats that year included a .349 batting average, including 9 triples, 102 RBIs, 24 home runs, and a total of 134 scored runs. After this outstanding season, he received the All-Star award for the second time in his career.

In game four of the 2000 World Series match between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, Jeter kicked off the game with a home run on the very first pitch. In his second at-bat, Jeter hit a triple and scored, giving the Yankees a comfortable three-run lead. The Yankees went on to win the 2000 World Series in five games.

Even though Jeter has achieved superstar status, he spends time giving back to his community. With his father, Jeter founded the Turn 2 Foundation. The foundation supports high-risk kids and provides alternatives to drug abuse. It encourages academic success and healthy lifestyle choices. Turn 2 has branches in Jeters hometown of Kalamazoo, and in New York City, where he now lives.

Derek Jeter has been an American League All-Star a total of seven times. In 2000, he was also the first player in baseball history to be named the World Series MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season.

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