Alex Rodriguez applauds Yankees legend's major milestone outside MLB

New York Yankees greats Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter played together for several years in the Bronx, winning numerous accolades. Despite their playing careers being over, they applaud each other's milestones outside the diamond.

Derek Jeter called time on his career more than a decade ago and his stellar stint in MLB earned him a first-ballot induction into Cooperstown in 2020. However, the MLB icon has another milestone to celebrate now as he was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Michigan.

Jeter, who enrolled in the university in 1992, never got to finish college as he was drafted by the Yankees in 1993. The iconic captain was honored during the spring graduation ceremony in Ann Arbor on Saturday

The five-time World Series winner shared pictures from the event in an Instagram post. He was accompanied by his parents and his wife, Hannah Jeter, at Michigan Stadium.

Alex Rodriguez reacted to his former captain's milestone, commenting with clapping emojis.

Although Derek Jeter is adored by the New York faithful for his distinguished contribution to the Bronx Bombers' legacy, the Hall of Famer has also maintained a close relationship with the university. He has often been seen cheering for the Michigan Wolverines from the sidelines.

Yankees legend Derek Jeter inspires Michigan University graduates

During the annual spring commencement ceremony at The Big House, Derek Jeter shared insights for the graduating class.

“But since I’ve had a head start on life, I’ll share insights into what’s to come,” Jeter said. “How you approached today, and every day, is a choice — your choice. Your life will ultimately be framed by the choices you make.”

Jeter attended one semester at Michigan University before joining the Yankees in 1993. However, the former Yankees revealed that he returned to complete his classes.

"Obviously I didn't graduate from Michigan," Jeter told reporters. "I signed here to play baseball but was then drafted by New York, but in the offseason, I came and attended classes here."

During his speech, Derek Jeter shared his baseball story and urged the students to follow their passion and think about the choices that would shape their future.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash