"I was awful" - When Derek Jeter's early struggles against pitching raised doubts about Yankees' draft choice

New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter's biography, "The Captain," takes the reader through his journey from a high school student to a baseball legend. The term 'Captain' highlights his leadership within the Yankee clubhouse and he has used that to narrate his life.

Not many would know but Jeter was scouted by the Houston Astros and the Yankees. The Astros, who held the first overall pick in 1992, decided not to sign him, which led the Yankees to draft him sixth for an $800K signing bonus. Jeter, who had a scholarship to play college baseball at the University of Michigan, decided to turn pro instead.

However, playing at the professional level wasn't easy for Jeter at first, who narrated his feelings in his biography. He could not hit curveballs or fastballs, which led him to rethink his decision to turn pro.

"It was the lowest level of baseball and I was awful," Jeter wrote in his book.

Screenshot from Derek Jeter's The Captain. Credit: E-book 'The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter'

Jeter made his major league debut on May 29, 1995, in which he went hitless in five at-bats, including one strikeout. Before being reassigned to AAA, he batted .250 and made two defensive errors in his first 13 games.

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Derek Jeter's life post-retirement

Jeter announced that the 2014 season would be his last, putting an end to a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

The former Yankee was dating Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Hannah since 2012. He proposed to her in 2015 and tied the knot in 2016. The couple are parents to four kids: daughters Bella Raine, 6, Story Grey, 4, River Rose, 2, and Kaius.

Off the field, Derek Jeter took an interest in sports ownership. In August 2017, Jeter and Bruce Sherman purchased the Miami Marlins and the sale was completed in September 2017. Despite owning only 4% of the franchise, Jeter was designated chief executive officer (CEO), and Sherman, the dominant owner, tasked him with overseeing the team's day-to-day operations.

On February 20, 2022, Derek resigned from his position as CEO and sold his stake in the Miami Marlins.