We say in my family that I played shortstop for Joe Torre before Derek Jeter did.
That’s because as a 7-year-old living in Brooklyn, N.Y., my parents enrolled me in Joe Torre Little League, where I defended the hot spot between second and third base roughly six years before the famed New York Yankees shortstop did for the famed New York Yankees manager.
Spending the first 10 years of my life in New York, I remember watching both Yankees and Mets games sporadically. My parents took me to more Mets games, though, since my mother grew up with Johnny Franco, arguably one of the best left-handed relief pitchers in the history of the game.
However, my allegiance changed in 1996. My father was watching one of the playoff games of the Yankees, and I remember seeing a player at bat and saying out loud, “Who is he? He’s cute.”
I soon went to Spencer Gifts in the mall and purchased a poster of Jeter. He was so unknown at the time that my grandfather — a lifelong Yankees fan — asked me who he was when he saw the poster.
2014 Jeter’s anonymity did not last long.
After the Yankees won the World Series in 1996, his popularity exploded.
I was lucky enough to meet Jeter in 1997 during a Pepsi promotion at Toys R Us KidsWorld in Elizabeth. It seemed like thousands of fans, young and old, were corralled like cattle. Jeter went from person to person, graciously taking a picture with each fan. The moment is a blur, but I do remember him putting his arm around my back — and then my legs shaking and going numb about five minutes afterward. I was not able to speak a word to him.
I had the chance for a do-over a few weeks ago, and I was hoping for a more memorable interaction. I attended Steiner Sports’ “The Captain’s Farewell: A Tribute to Derek Jeter” in New York just days before Jeter’s final home game in the Bronx (which I also attended). I wanted to tell Jeter that the reason I got into journalism was so that I could interview him in the locker room (which never happened).
1997 I wanted to thank Jeter for signing the picture of him and me from 1997 the year after I met him.
I wanted to thank Jeter for the countless memories I have of going to Yankees games: my father purchasing scalped tickets so I could sit by third base and have a close look at my favorite shortstop; watching in disbelief as my father caught a ball that was fouled off of Jeter’s bat; waiting an hour or so after a game just to get a glimpse of Jeter as he left the stadium; and having the picture of him and me printed in Seventeen magazine in 1999 under the column “I met him!”
Most of all, I wanted to thank Jeter for being a class act. He gave us a hero — someone to believe in. He made an athlete seem downto earth, despite being larger than life. He embodied the word “Re2pect,” so much so that it became his logo toward the end of the season.
I wanted to thank him for not being shy about praying before each game. And to paraphrase Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay during a recent radio show, Jeter may just be touched by the hand of God.
Unfortunately, none of those words came out of my mouth when I met Jeter in New York. I was told by the person behind me in line that I did, in fact, shake his hand, but I can’t recall for certain. I know I tried to put my arm around him, but he didn’t budge. All I remember was blinking a few times and saying, “Thank you,” more so for the new picture than for all of the memories I wanted to share.
I’ll have to hope the third time’s the charm.
Jennifer Amato is a managing editor with Greater Media Newspapers. She may be reached at [email protected].