Yankees legend gives real reason for Derek Jeter's success with Bronx Bombers

Former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter is regarded as one of the greatest players to have played in MLB. The Yankees icon's former teammate, Mark Teixeira, discussed what made the five-time World Series winner successful in the major leagues.

Jeter played his entire MLB career with the Bronx Bombers and led the team to five World Series titles during his tenure. Apart from his remarkable ability as a leader, Jeter was also a consistent hitter at the plate.

In a conversation with former baseball player Ryan Ripken on his YouTube channel on Monday, Teixeira shared what made Derek Jeter one of the most decorated players in MLB history.

When Ripken asked the former Yankees infielder if he ever saw Jeter waver under pressure or something that impressed him about the former captain, Teixeira replied (38:00 onwards):

"Derek is the most consistent player that I've ever been around, and I'm not talking about consistency and performance. I'm talking about consistency and character and attitude in the way he handled himself. I mean, Derek was so consistent.

"His consistency of preparation. He did the exact same thing every day. His batting stance never changed, and his swing path never changed. The way that he took ground balls before the game never changed. One of the greatest careers in the history of baseball and it was because he was consistent every single day. He knew who he was."

Derek Jeter, a 14-time All-Star, called time on his career after nearly two decades with the Yankees in 2014. He is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, earning his induction in 2020.

Yankees legend reveals advice he shared to young players playing alongside Derek Jeter

During the conversation with Ryan Ripken, Mark Teixeira also shared that he used to tell young players to watch Derek Jeter practice and go to the Yankees captain if they ever had any doubts. He said:

"I used to tell young players when they come in Spring Training, whether it was a guy that got traded or a young kid coming up, I'd be like, 'Just watch Derek.' Any questions, go and ask Jeter. And that was a piece of advice that Tino Martinez gave me."

Mark Teixeira won the World Series with the Yankees in his first season with the team in 2009. He led the AL in home runs and RBIs that year, finishing second in the AL MVP race behind Joe Mauer.

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