The year 1992 was a busy one for Jeter too. He turned 18 on June 26, and after signing with the Yankees he began his pro career with the Tampa rookie team in the Gulf Coast League.
Jeter’s high school accomplishments were well known to Michigan baseball fans. He was one of the best high school ballplayers in Michigan and earned awards from the American Baseball Coaches Association and even the Kalamazoo area B’nai Brith Award for Scholar Athlete.
Besides high scholastic marks at Kalamazoo Central High School, Jeter earned rave reviews for the way he conducted himself away from school and the field. His parents, an African American father who earned a Ph.D. and worked as a substance abuse counselor and a white mother who earned an accounting degree, raised him with a respect for learning and for people. He more than met their high expectations.
Newhouser also had high expectations for Jeter. “I know greatness,” he said. “I pitched against Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, and Hank Greenberg was on my team. I played against great shortstops and I expect Jeter to be as good or better.”
Jeter made his big league debut on May 29, 1995, though he would have only 48 at-bats that year, compiling a .250 average. Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner was not impressed and lobbied for a trade sending Jeter and pitcher Mariano Rivera (yes, Mo) to Seattle for shortstop Felix Fermin. The trade, had it been made, would have ranked among the worst of all time.
Fortunately for Steinbrenner and Yankees fans, general manager Gene Michael and his assistant Brian Cashman convinced Steinbrenner to hang on to Jeter and make him the starting shortstop in 1996.
Jeter had the first of many sterling seasons in 1996, batting .314 with 10 home runs in 157 games. (By the way, 1996 was Felix Fermin’s last year in the majors.)
Jeter continued to star at bat and in the field. Newhouser closely followed his progress until his passing at age 77 after the 1998 season.
Today, Jeter, now 40 and in his final season, is adding to his record as the all-time Yankees leader in hits, stolen bases, games played, and at-bats. The Prince of Baseball has also collected many postseason records and has a .357 batting average in the World Series.
Jeter will close out his career with a regular-season lifetime batting average of around .310. Yankees fans can be grateful that Prince Hal Newhouser wasn’t listened to by his Houston bosses, and that Boss Steinbrenner’s wish to trade Jeter (and Mariano) never came to pass.
