Fifteen seasons into his major league career, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a New York institution. Not only does he have five World Series rings, but he’ll most certainly enter the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Jeter joined Mike Francesa of WFAN in New York to talk about getting older and the upcoming baseball season.
To listen to Derek Jeter on WFAN, go to Sports Radio Interviews.
Derek Jeter says he takes each baseball season as it comes.
What does he do in preparation for the season?
Jeter: I worked real hard at moving around a lot better and strengthening my legs. My whole thing is, I just want to healthy. Last year I felt pretty good the entire season. If you work hard and make adjustments from year-to-year, it pays off.
How was last year different from years past?
Jeter: We pitched. Bottom line. I’ve been saying it for years. Everyone looks at me like they are tired of what I am saying. If you have guys that go out there and throw the ball well you have a chance to win every day — especially in the post-season because there are not a lot of high scoring games. Our pitching staff was unbelievable. We scored a lot of runs. We hit well. But bottom line is that our pitching carried us.
Can Jeter be the an elite offensive shortstop and spend his entire career at the position?
Jeter: My goal is to play this season. I don’t sit around and think about where I’m going to be playing or what I am going to be doing six, seven, eight years from now. If you say no one has ever done it, then it’s about time someone does… I never sit here and try to project what is going to happen. My entire career I have gone one year at a time and try to help the team win that particular year. I’m not a fortune teller.
Some people thought his defense last season was better than it’s ever been. Is there a reason for that?
Jeter: You work hard. You have to make adjustments. If anyone has any advice [to help me] improve, then I’ll try to do it because the better I play, the better the team is. I’ve never shied away from trying to make adjustments, and I’m sure I’ll have to make more throughout the years.
Did Jeter like playing in the new Yankee Stadium? Jeter: I loved it. At the beginning of the season, players and fans, everyone came to see the stadium.
Maybe a month or two into the season, the fans started to come to watch the team and the team went out there to focus on playing. It’s almost like if you build a new house. It takes a little while to get adjusted to it, but I don’t have any complaints… They did a good job of replicating the old Stadium into the new one.
More from SRI
Taylor Mays says he doesn’t believe eight other players ran faster than him at the combine
David Ortiz says he wants to continue playing for the Red Sox
Fifteen seasons into his major league career, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a New York institution. Not only does he have five World Series rings, but he’ll most certainly enter the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Jeter joined Mike Francesa of WFAN in New York to talk about getting older and the upcoming baseball season.
To listen to Derek Jeter on WFAN, go to Sports Radio Interviews.
Derek Jeter says he takes each baseball season as it comes.
What does he do in preparation for the season?
Jeter: I worked real hard at moving around a lot better and strengthening my legs. My whole thing is, I just want to healthy. Last year I felt pretty good the entire season. If you work hard and make adjustments from year-to-year, it pays off.
How was last year different from years past?
Jeter: We pitched. Bottom line. I’ve been saying it for years. Everyone looks at me like they are tired of what I am saying. If you have guys that go out there and throw the ball well you have a chance to win every day — especially in the post-season because there are not a lot of high scoring games. Our pitching staff was unbelievable. We scored a lot of runs. We hit well. But bottom line is that our pitching carried us.
Can Jeter be the an elite offensive shortstop and spend his entire career at the position?
Jeter: My goal is to play this season. I don’t sit around and think about where I’m going to be playing or what I am going to be doing six, seven, eight years from now. If you say no one has ever done it, then it’s about time someone does… I never sit here and try to project what is going to happen. My entire career I have gone one year at a time and try to help the team win that particular year. I’m not a fortune teller.
Some people thought his defense last season was better than it’s ever been. Is there a reason for that?
Jeter: You work hard. You have to make adjustments. If anyone has any advice [to help me] improve, then I’ll try to do it because the better I play, the better the team is. I’ve never shied away from trying to make adjustments, and I’m sure I’ll have to make more throughout the years.
Did Jeter like playing in the new Yankee Stadium? Jeter: I loved it. At the beginning of the season, players and fans, everyone came to see the stadium.
Maybe a month or two into the season, the fans started to come to watch the team and the team went out there to focus on playing. It’s almost like if you build a new house. It takes a little while to get adjusted to it, but I don’t have any complaints… They did a good job of replicating the old Stadium into the new one.
More from SRI
Taylor Mays says he doesn’t believe eight other players ran faster than him at the combine
David Ortiz says he wants to continue playing for the Red Sox
