Derek Jeter returns to Yankee Stadium. Will he be around more in the future?
NEW YORK – On Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame Induction Tribute Night, the forever Yankees’ captain concluded his on-field address with something of a promise.
Jeter said he was “looking forward to hopefully seeing a lot more of you in the near future’’ at Yankee Stadium, now that he’s a free agent again.
And after Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner was loudly booed by the capacity crowd before presenting a large check for Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, Jeter essentially told the crowd to ease up.
“You better cheer,” Jeter said. “Trust me.”
Does that mean a position with the Yankees is on the horizon?
“I wouldn’t read too much into it,’’ Jeter said Friday, in just his third on-field appearance since his retirement as a player.
Among the things Jeter addressed…
Aaron Judge’s pursuit of 61 home runs
“I keep saying this, but I don’t have the YES Network at home, so I haven’t watched all the games,” Jeter said. “I see the highlights and I’m well aware what he’s doing … and I can’t relate to it. It’s hard enough to get a hit, I don’t know how you go up there and hit as many home runs as he’s hit.
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“To be fair, you find out that answer by talking to his teammates,’’ Jeter said. “I watch from afar and he’s a very impressive individual. Just talking to him, he’s impressive.
“But to get a fair assessment of that, you just talk to his teammates. And saying that, everyone speaks glowing of him.’’
Another job in baseball
Jeter stepped down as Miami Marlins CEO in late February, after four seasons that included a 4% ownership stake, which he relinquished.
“I love this game and I’m interested in seeing it grow,’’ Jeter said of returning to the game in any capacity. “I gained a lot of knowledge’’ on the management side. “Time will tell.’’
Jeter’s tenure with Miami ended when he disagreed with ownership’s direction.
Fans booing Hal Steinbrenner
“Yeah, I was surprised,’’ Jeter said. “Yankees fans, we’ve all been spoiled, right?’’
Jeter referenced the success the franchise has enjoyed since, essentially, the 1995 season, before his rookie year.
Former championship teammates CC Sabathia, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Tino Martinez were on hand, along with manager Joe Torre, for Jeter’s ceremonies.
“Yankees fans expect excellence,’’ Jeter said. “They’re never satisfied, which is a good thing. They boo because they want to cheer, that’s the way I look at it.”
Being at the Stadium more frequently
“I had my head down in Miami. It was a full-time position, with three kids,’’ said Jeter, adding he felt bad for missing Paul O’Neill’s number retirement ceremony a few weeks ago.
“But I will have some more time’’ to be at the Stadium, said Jeter, who still resides in Miami with his wife and three young daughters.
“It was great to be back, I hadn’t been here in a while,’’ said Jeter, who heard his name chanted around the ballpark again. “It feels like forever since I’ve been (here). I did miss the place.’’
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Yankees Museum
At the Stadium, the Yankees Museum now features a Hall of Fame tribute to Jeter, with several exhibits from his pinstriped career.
Among the items…
Jeter’s home uniform jerseys from the 1998 and 1999 championship seasons, including his 1999 World Series uniform and cap.
Jeter’s 2000 World Series MVP Award.
First base, from his franchise record-tying 2,721st career hit on Sept. 9, 2009.
Jeter’s batting helmet from the 1996 AL Championship Series (worn during the controversial ‘Jeffrey Maier’ home run game) and World Series.
A game-used bat from Jeter’s 1996 Rookie of the Year season and his bat from the 2001 All-Star Game, where he hit his only home run in 14 All-Star appearances.