When former Yankees captain Derek Jeter showed he is the perfect skipper for New York with classy message

Back in 2003, when the New York Yankees management appointed Derek Jeter as captain, he gave a rousing message showing to the media and fans why he was the rightful choice. Jeter captained the team from 2003 until his retirement in 2014.

Jeter had been with the Yankees since 1996. He was part of the dynasty that ruled over the sport, winning four World Series titles in five years and having made the Fall Classic two more times before 2003. During this time, Derek Jeter led from the front and built an aura matched by no one else in the New York Yankees locker room.

On June 3, 2003. George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, named Jeter the Captain of the New York Yankees. He became the first person to take that post since Don Mattingly was appointed in 1985 and held on to it till his retirement. He was only the 11th captain in the franchise's rich history, alongside names like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Thurman Munson.

On the day he was appointed captain, Derek Jeter said:

“This is a great honor. Captain of the New York Yankees is not a title that is thrown around lightly. It is a huge responsibility and one that I take very seriously. I thank Mr. Steinbrenner for having such confidence in me.”

Jeter led by example as he completed a solid season with the bat. He would put up a .324 average, hitting 10 homers and scoring 52 runs in the 119 games he played in a season with injuries.

---

That time when captain Derek Jeter thanked the spirits in the Yankees stadium

After he was named captain, the Bronx Bombers sailed into the 2003 World Series. But the road wasn't easy as the Yanks had to face their arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox, who were desperately looking to break the Bambino curse in the ALCS. In game seven, with the Red Sox leading 5-2 and needing just five defensive outs to win, Jeter took to the plate.

Derek Jeter struck a double, and the Yankees rallied to take the game past the ninth inning. The Yankees won 6-5. After the game, Jeter and his teammates thanked the divine intervention they received as they went over to thank the Babe Ruth statue outside the stadium.

“I believe in ghosts,” Jeter had said to the press. “We have some ghosts in this Stadium!”

The Yankees would lose to the Florida Marlins in the World Series. The Boston Red Sox, on the other hand, would break the Curse of the Bambino the following year and exact revenge on their New York rivals by rallying from a 3-0 deficit to win the ALCS and the World Series subsequently.