Derek Jeters

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.

He quickly began to establish himself as one of the top players in his league. He was awarded Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Yankees. He continued to show improvement each year at the plate and delivered outstanding fielding in his shortstop position. He was the first rookie in 34 years to start with the Yankee as shortstop during the first season. Derek Jeter has become one of modern baseball's most recognized names.

Jeter was instrumental in the Yankees World Series sweep of the Atlanta Braves in 1995. In 1996, Jeter scored five runs in five hits. Though the Yankees didnt make it to the World Series in 1997, Jeter had impressive batting statistics that year, with a .291 batting average, 10 home runs, and 70 RBIs. By the end of his 1998 season, he had earned a .324 batting average, with 19 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 203 total hits. He was the leagues high scorer with 127 runs.

In 1999, Jeter and his agent were unable to come to any agreement with the Yankees on his new contract so they entered into arbitration with George Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees. The goal was to come up with an agreeable figure to be paid for his new contract. Jeter came out of arbitration a winner with one-year $5 million contract. This made Jeter the highest paid player in baseball history with just a few years of service.

Jeter kept his drive and focus, and that paid off for him again in 1999. He ended that season breaking most of his personal records. His impressive statistics included 24 home runs, 134 runs scored, 9 triples, 102 RBIs and an incredible .349 batting average. He received the All-Star award for a second time that season.

The New York Yankees and New York Mets faced off in World Series play in 2000. Jeter jump-started game four of the series with a home run hit on the games first pitch. In his second at-bat, Jeter hit a triple and subsequently scored, garnering a three-run lead for the Yankees. The Yankees went on to win the series in game five.

While Jeter retains his super-stardom on the field, he finds time to contribute to his community. He and his father founded the Turn 2 Foundation. This agency is geared toward high-risk kids and steers them away from drug use. It encourages academic achievement and a healthy lifestyle. Turn 2 operates in his hometown of Kalamazoo and in New York City, where he lives.

Jeter has the distinction of being the first player in history to receive both the World Series MVP and All-Star Game MVP awards in a single season. He won both awards in 2000. He has been an American League All-Star seven times.

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