Little Known Facts About Derek Jeter

If you haven't heard of Derek Jeter, it's likely that you have been living underneath a rock. If that's the case, let me introduce Mr. Derek Sanderson Jeter to you. Derek Jeter is one of the most talked about baseball players in the league. Not only does he play the shortstop position for the New York Yankees, but he is also their captain. Among his baseball achievements, Derek has won the American League Rookie of the Year award, the All-Star and World Series MVP awards and two Gold Glove awards. He was also recently awarded the Hank Aaron award for being the best offensive player in the American League. He has was ranked the "most marketable player in baseball" in a 2005 Sports Business Journal article. Becoming a superstar doesn't happen overnight. Here's a brief history of the man inside the #2 pinstriped jersey.

Derek was born in Pequannock, New Jersey, but his family moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, five years later. Derek attended Kalamazoo Central High School where he played both baseball and basketball. Jeter was accepted to the University of Michigan to play baseball, but he was drafted in 1992 and decided to play professional baseball instead. Derek worked his way through the minor leagues and made his professional debut on May 29, 1995 against the Seattle Mariners. On June 3, 2003, the New York Yankees named Derek the 11th captain in Yankees history. The Yankees did not have a captain for 10 years before Jeter. Mr. Jeter has been nicknamed "Mr. November" due to a walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series. The nickname comes from Reggie Jackson's nickname, "Mr. October," because Jackson achieved great things in the month of October. Although Derek was rated the most overrated player in Major League Baseball in a 2006 Sports Illustrated survey, he continues to have amazing plays and hits each year. Derek had his first grand slam on June 18, 2005, after 155 base appearances. He also got his 2,000th hit on May 26, 2006. On August 22, 2006, he became the all-time Yankee leader for hitting single. On October 3, 2006, Jeter was the sixth player in MLB history to have five hits in a post-season game. He went 5 for 5 in game 1 against the Detroit Tigers. Derek is one of four current Yankees players who came up through the organization and has played only for the Yankees. The other players are Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada.

Other than making an appearance on Major League Baseball fields around the nation, Derek has plenty of exposure through national ad campaigns. In the past, Derek has been in commercials for XM radio, VISA, Ford Motors and Gatorade. He also endorses a cologne, Driven, which was recently released by Avon. Due to all of this, Derek is considered the highest paid endorser in baseball.

With that bit of information under your belt, let's turn to the more interesting facts about this award-winning shortstop. Derek's father, Charles is a drug counselor and his mother, Dorothy, is an accountant. Derek also has a sister, Sharlee. Derek has never been married, but has always been in the spotlight for dating famous women. He dated songstress Mariah Carey from 1997-98 and former Miss Universe Laura Dutta.

Aside from being a ladies' man and a baseball player, Derek also gives back to the world. Derek created the Turn 2 Foundation in 1996. The foundation helps children avoid alcohol and drug addiction and also praises those teenagers who excel in school. The foundation is named the Turn 2 Foundation for Derek's number and a reference to a double play. The foundation has service areas in West Michigan, New York and Tampa, Florida. Since it's creation in 1996, the foundation has raised over $6 million. Derek's parents and sister are on the Board of Directors.

Finally, here are a few random, but fun facts about Derek Jeter. When he was 12, he got Dave Winfield's autograph in the Tiger Stadium parking lot. He also played AAU basketball against Chris Webber and Jalen Rose. Derek's favorite snack is chocolate chip cookies, his favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate and his favorite food is chicken parmesan. His first job was mowing lawns. If he could be anyone for a day, he would be Michael Jordan. Derek is 6'3", weighs 196 lbs. and his shoe size is 11 ½.