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From 1992 until 2014, Derek Jeter was with the New York Yankees.
Not including spring training, Jeter totaled 3,210 games at all levels of the Yankees organization. Growing up, it was the only team he wanted to play for.
But there was a time when he did wear another jersey, and he even wore it against his beloved pinstripes.
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Derek Jeter at bat against the New York Yankees during an exhibition game between the New York Yankees and the USA Baseball team at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida on March 3, 2009. (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)
For one game and one game only, Jeter was in the visitors’ clubhouse in front of Yankees fans, as he was the shortstop for the United States’ 2009 World Baseball Classic squad.
It was Jeter’s second time representing the Stars and Stripes, and Team USA that year played an exhibition against the Yankees during spring training.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Jeter made sure to note that he got two hits that afternoon.
“When I came up, they didn’t have all these USA teams. It was either the Olympic team or that was it. So it was an honor for me. I really, really enjoyed it. Played with a lot of top players in the game and really enjoyed it,” Jeter said of his stint on Team USA.
During those times, Jeter shared a dugout with some of his archrivals in Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets legend David Wright while simultaneously playing against Bernie Williams and Robinson Cano. Even during that USA-Yankees game, he went up against Jorge Posada, despite the two being by one another’s side throughout their careers.
Derek Jeter plays defense against the New York Yankees in an exhibition game on March 3, 2009. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
DEREK JETER DEFENDS YANKEES OWNER HAL STEINBRENNER AMID GROWING FAN CRITICISM OF TEAM’S TITLE DROUGHT
This year, the event figures to be the best one yet, as Team USA is stacked with the two-time reigning American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge, and each of the reigning Cy Young Award winners in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
It used to be a pain to get some of the biggest stars to play, but the 2023 version saw Mike Trout go up against Shohei Ohtani for the final out of the championship game — at the time, they were Los Angeles Angels teammates. Perhaps that convinced many stars today that the WBC was not just some exhibition.
For Jeter, having the best players on the diamond is what’s most important for baseball.
“It’s important. I think if you talk about the growth of the game, then you need the top players to participate, and they’re doing it,” Jeter said.
Derek Jeter of Team USA celebrates the win with teammates after the 2009 World Baseball Classic Pool C match on March 8, 2009, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Elsa/Getty Images)
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Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, Mason Miller, Logan Webb, Bobby Witt Jr., Will Smith, and Kyle Schwarber also will represent Team USA. Japan is bringing back 15 members of its 2023 title-winning team, including Ohtani and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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