Playboy Interview: Derek Jeter

In a sport oddly denuded of household names and true superstars, Derek Jeter stands tall. The New York Yankee is more than just one of the game's best players; for years he's been a media darling in the world's most fickle city. The 29-year-old shortstop turns up in gossip columns almost as frequently as he does in the sports pages. He has been linked to scores of beautiful and high-profile women. The New York Post recently ranked Jeter number one on its year-end list of the city's 34 most eligible guys. For denizens of the Big Apple, Jeter has been Mr. Baseball, pure and simple. Life's been good.

And then A-Rod came into town. In February, when the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez, widely touted as the game's best player, sportswriters wondered what it would mean--to Jeter. Complicating the issue, the former Texas Ranger is a shortstop with two Gold Gloves (Jeter has none) who had to move to third base when he signed with the Yankees. More drama? The two men had once been the closest of friends, but they had a falling-out three years ago. For gossip-crazed New Yorkers, theirs has become one of the most closely watched relationships in town.

While A-Rod was voted last year's American League Most Valuable Player, Jeter is no slouch. Now in the fourth year of a 10-year,$189 million contract, Jeter owns a .317 career batting average. He has played in the postseason in every one of his eight seasons and often saves his best for October. In 2000, when the Yankees beat the crosstown Mets in the World Series in five games, he was named series MVP. And although the Anaheim Angels wiped out the Yanks in the first round of the 2002 postseason, Jeter hit .500. Last spring Yankees owner George Steinbrenner named him team captain, only the 11th in franchise history.

Off the field Jeter is also a player, known for his dalliances with Mariah Carey, a former Miss Universe and a bevy of models and actresses. As Yankees broadcaster Charley Steiner put it, "If the Yankees are the Beatles, Derek's the cute one."

The son of a racially mixed couple, Jeter grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and put on his first Yankees uniform when he was six. In 1992 he was named high school player of the year and was chosen sixth by the Yankees in the June free agent baseball draft. He was voted the American League Rookie of the Year in 1996, his first full season in the majors, and quickly established himself as one of baseball's best all-around players. Jeter's seasonal averages of 207 hits and 124 runs are extraordinary. Long considered the Yankees'leader, he also has a knack for elevating the play of his teammates.

While he's one of baseball's most accessible players, he's one of the most private as well. Like a seasoned politician, Jeter carefully crafts his courteous statements--and sticks to them. Rarely does he lose his composure. "He's kind of vanilla," notes his agent, Casey Close. Conscious of commanding center stage, Jeter admits that he rarely lets down his guard.

We sent journalist Diane K. Shah to Jeter's winter home in Tampa, Florida, where she had to get past the guards posted at his gated community before tackling the more formidable guards in his head.

[Q] Playboy: A lot has been made of your relationship with Alex Rodriguez. Until 2001 you referred to him as your best friend. Then, after he signed his $252 million deal with Texas, he said some unflattering things about you through the media--that you never had to serve as a leader and that since you bat second, teams don't worry that you'll beat them. When reporters informed you of this, you said you'd call Alex and talk to him. What happened?

[A] Jeter: It was spring training, and he actually came over here the night that came out. Just came by. We talked about it, and that was basically the end of it.

[Q] Playboy: We heard that he drove 95 miles from the Rangers' spring-training camp to your house and left phone messages you didn't return. Is that true?

[A] Jeter: No. When that stuff went public, I guess it was in the afternoon when I found out about it. We had a game that night, and he drove over while we were playing. So I didn't get the messages that he was at my house until after the game.

[Q] Playboy: He was chilling in your driveway?

[A] Jeter: He was in the area, but he wasn't in the driveway.

[Q] Playboy: Still, you were hurt.

[A] Jeter: Sure, it hurts anytime someone you're close to says something you question. But Alex was coming from Seattle and had signed this megadeal. He was on a platform that maybe he'd never been on before. I think he found himself having to defend the reason he got paid so much. Or he was asked, "If you get this, what's Derek going to get?" So he was comparing us, which I told him shouldn't even be an issue. I said, "You didn't pay yourself. You shouldn't have to answer that question. Let them ask the owner." I think he was saying things that maybe other people had said to him.

[Q] Playboy: After that it appeared you two weren't close.

[A] Jeter: We weren't as close as we had been. We were still friends. The younger you are, the more time you have when the season is over. Now it seems you do more in the off-season than you do during the season.

[Q] Playboy: How did you hear about the trade?

[A] Jeter: A couple of people in the organization called me.

[Q] Playboy: What were you doing when you got the word?

[A] Jeter: No idea. Probably watching TV.

[Q] Playboy: The last time you'd seen Alex, when you two were making a commercial, did you talk about the possibility of his becoming a Yankee?

[A] Jeter: No, because that was before Aaron Boone tore his ACL. It was right around the time when everything was happening with the potential trade to Boston, and he basically didn't know what was going on.

[Q] Playboy: Once A-Rod signed on did anybody ask if you were willing to move to second or third?

[A] Jeter: That was never an issue. They approached him about playing third base.

[Q] Playboy: Isn't it easier to move from shortstop to second than to third?

[A] Jeter: Nah, I wouldn't say that. Turning a double play is totally different fromsecond base than from shortstop. Your back is to first. So I would assume it would be easier to go to third base.

[Q] Playboy: How did your teammates react to the news?

[A] Jeter: Everyone's pretty excited. You're adding one of the best all-around players in the game to your lineup, so it's only going to make us a better team.

[Q] Playboy: Is it true George Steinbrenner ordered you to go to Alex's news conference in New York?

[A] Jeter: No, he called me and asked if I wanted to go.

[Q] Playboy: Some news accounts reported that he demanded you go.

[A] Jeter: See, you can't believe everything you read.

[Q] Playboy: To what degree are you amused or bothered by the speculation that you and Alex can't get along?

[A] Jeter: Neither of us has had problems getting along with teammates before, so I don't see why we'd have problems now. It gives the media something to write about, though. I think it will eventually die down.

[Q] Playboy: You've said you're very competitive. What kinds of things will you be competitive about with Alex?

[A] Jeter: Well, we're on the same team, so we really don't have anything to compete for. We're playing a team sport, right?

[Q] Playboy: How about your batting average versus his?

[A] Jeter: No. I don't go into a season saying I want to bat higher than any one of my teammates. That's not a goal. The goal is to win.

[Q] Playboy: Who's funnier?

[A] Jeter: I think we're funny in different ways. I'm not sure you can rate us. You'd have to be around both of us to make that decision.

[Q] Playboy: We noticed a book on the table in your entryway, Patton on Leadership: Strategic Lessons for Corporate Warfare, by Alan Axelrod. Any particular reason you own that?

[A] Jeter: Mr. Steinbrenner gave it to me after the 1998 season.

[Q] Playboy: Was it meant to teach you, or was it meant to explain him?

[A] Jeter: I think both. A lot of what's in there are things he says: "If you're going to lead, you've got to sit in the saddle." "You've got to be willing to go out and do the things you ask of the people you're leading." It's pretty interesting.

[Q] Playboy: He inscribed it, "To Derek. Read and study. He was a great leader just as you are and will be a great leader. Hopefully of the men in pinstripes." How would you describe your relationship with Big George?

[A] Jeter: It's always boss-employee. He's the boss. But I think we have a really good relationship. I don't know how it could be any better in terms of playing for him.

[Q] Playboy: But last year, after he questioned your dedication and your late-night hours, you were pissed off. Was that the first time he publicly criticized you?

[A] Jeter: No, he mentioned my name, among other players, when the team was struggling a few years ago. He said some guys needed to start stepping it up. He meant me. But the whole thing last year was blown out of proportion. He mentioned a birthday party. How many birthday parties do you have a year?

[Q] Playboy: So Steinbrenner was referring to just one party? Your birthday is in June; he's bringing it up six months later?

[A] Jeter: It was my birthday party before a day off. The next thing you knew, I'd been turned into a big party animal. Now you read that all the time--I'm the party animal.

[Q] Playboy: Steinbrenner said more than that. He said you "always give 100 percent. I need 110 percent." And he said, "If I'm paying a guy $16 million, I want him to listen."

[A] Jeter: The whole thing was made largerthan-life. That was the point of those Visa commercials. We got a chance to make light of the situation and put it behind us.

[Q] Playboy: Does he expect you to work for him 24-7, 365 days a year?

[A] Jeter: Probably. Rightfully so. When you're a Yankee you represent the Yankees at all times. You don't have days off. If I were to get into trouble today, the first thing you'd see is my name associated with the team. So I don't think you have 20 or 30 days off a year from being a Yankee. You're always a Yankee.

[Q] Playboy: How about during the offseason? What if you wanted to go out and enjoy somebody's company until three or four in the morning?

[Q] Jeter: Oh, I'd be out. I'm a grown man. In the off-season I can do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. He wouldn't call me if he read I was out until such and such an hour in January. He wouldn't say, "You need to be home."

[Q] Playboy: How often do you see Steinbrenner?

[A] Jeter: He hasn't been around as much as he used to be. Last season I saw him probably two or three times before the postseason.

[Q] Playboy: You both spend your winters in Tampa. Does he ever call you and say, "Let's get lunch"?

[A] Jeter: It's happened maybe once or twice. We usually bet a dinner on the Ohio State--Michigan football game.

[Q] Playboy: When you get together, does he have a message for you?

[A] Jeter: He always has messages. "Make sure you focus this year. I need you focused." Or he'll see me working out and say, "Don't get too big, because we need you to have agility."

[Q] Playboy: In the first Visa commercial, in which Steinbrenner chastises you for being out carousing every night, was it your idea that he participate in the conga line?

[A] Jeter: No, but I was the one who had to persuade him to do it. It wasn't easy. He did it a couple of times, and then he called it quits. Fortunately they got a good take.

[Q] Playboy: Is it ever fun seeing your name in the gossip columns?

[Q] Jeter: Some of the stories are funny. Some of them amaze me. Like one time they said I was renting an island--some island I'd never heard of--for $23,000 a day and that I was bringing one of three girls I'd never heard of for a birthday party. The thing is, people believe it when they read it. I was talking to Wayne Gretzky the other day about his time in New York. He said they made up things about him constantly. He used to get the newspapers and turn to the gossip pages, and when he'd read something about someone else he'd say, "Really? They did this?" But when he read about himself it was, "Where do they come up with this stuff?" I thought that was funny, because I do the same thing.

[Q] Playboy: So you do read the gossip pages?

[A] Jeter: Even before the sports section. To make sure I'm not in them.

[Q] Playboy: You seem to need to be a perfectionist on the field. Why is that?

[A] Jeter: Competition-wise I always want to be perfect. I can't stand losing in anything. If you tell me you want to race down the street right now, I'm going to try to beat you.

[Q] Playboy: We're pretty sure you'd win.

[A] Jeter: I'll still do everything in my power to beat you, and that started when I was a kid. My dad used to beat me at everything. We'd play checkers, and he would beat me. He would never let me win. Never. We used to watch The Price Is Right, and we'd play the showcase showdown. I didn't know how much a refrigerator or a new car cost--I was six years old. We'd sit there and he'd beat me, and then I'd walk to school.

[Q] Playboy: Do you ever wish your dad had let you win?

[A] Jeter: No--I think my dad was teaching me lessons. Things don't come easily. People aren't just going to let you get your way. I mean, people aren't going to say, "Here, you can have this." You have to work for it.

[Q] Playboy: You wrote in your book, The Life You Imagine, that you always try to envision something before you do it. Is that because you're conscious of being a role model, or is that just you?

[A] Jeter: I think it's me no matter what. When I was younger, before I'd do things I'd imagine what my parents would think. It's the same philosophy I apply today. But now it's more than my parents. Lots of people are watching.

[Q] Playboy: It sounds as if you're always watching yourself, like in an out-of-body experience.

[A] Jeter: Yes, and I'm pretty much used to it now. I'm always aware that people are watching. There are a lot of things I'd like to do that I can't--or that I choose not to. Say I'm out with some friends and I want to dance on top of a table. I know I can't do that.

[Q] Playboy: Doesn't it get tiring, always watching yourself?

[A] Jeter: Yes, but I don't think it's a bad thing. When you let that guard down, that's when you get in trouble.

[Q] Playboy: Last season was a strange one for you, full of highs and lows. Among the lows: In game six of the World Series you went 0 for 4, struck out twice and made an error that led to a Marlins insurance run. Series over. And you suffered three injuries, including a dislocated shoulder on opening day. Was that the most serious injury you've ever had?

[A] Jeter: It was the only serious injury I've had. I was out for six weeks.

[Q] Playboy: You were heading to third; the catcher, Ken Huckaby, ran over to cover the base, and you slid into his shin guard. What was your first thought?

[A] Jeter: I thought maybe I had broken my collarbone, because I felt a pop.

[Q] Playboy: Was there instant pain?

[A] Jeter: It didn't feel good. I wouldn't recommend it. I was kind of afraid to look at it, because I thought I'd see it coming out.

[Q] Playboy: Did they just push it back in?

[A] Jeter: They tried initially, on the field, but that didn't work. I just wanted to get off the field, because you have 50,000 people looking at you. It took a while for them to get the golf cart out there. Then finally we went inside and they popped it back in.

[Q] Playboy: There was a bit of controversy, because it was reported that Huckaby tried to phone you to apologize but couldn't reach you. Then a day or two later he walked into your locker room to apologize, and you gave him an icy stare.

[A] Jeter: Not true. First, I never expected him to apologize, because I didn't think he purposely tried to dislocate my shoulder. Before the second game he told the media he'd tried to call me on my cell phone, I didn't answer and he left a message. That wasn't true. He doesn't have my cell number. If he wanted to get ahold of me, it's only a couple hundred feet from one clubhouse to the other. Or he could have called the trainers' room, because obviously that's where I was. It was all made up. What bothered me was how the thing was portrayed.

[Q] Playboy: Late in the season, against Boston, you pulled a rib-cage muscle. How did that happen?

[A] Jeter: Swinging. We were facing a knuckleball pitcher, Tim Wakefield. I think I swung a little too hard.

[Q] Playboy: Did you finish the at bat?

[A] Jeter: Yes. Then I had another at bat and got a hit. I was on first base, and they took me out. I think I missed a week.

[Q] Playboy: Then there you were in the first game of the American League Championship Series, Boston again.

[A] Jeter: I think it was the second or third inning. I dove for a ball and my hand rolled over, and I tore a ligament in my thumb.

[Q] Playboy: Your left thumb.

[A] Jeter: It was a bad year for my left side. It takes three or four months for that to heal. They gave me shots before the games against Boston, but I couldn't feel my thumb. So in the World Series I just played with it. They put a little mold thing--a little cast--inside my glove to stop my thumb from moving around.

[Q] Playboy: The rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox has reached epic proportions, especially with A-Rod now in pinstripes. It isn't just the fans, is it?

[A] Jeter: The rivalry has gotten more intense each year I've been in the major leagues. You have respect for the other team, I think, but it's gotten to the point where in the postseason you've got guys throwing at each other's heads and charging the mound. It's almost like the old days, when they used to fight all the time.

[Q] Playboy: Some said that in last year's playoffs, the Yankees used up everything against the Red Sox--seven games, the last one going extra innings--and you had nothing left for the Marlins.

[A] Jeter: The series with the Red Sox was emotionally draining because all seven games were intense. But I don't think that's why we lost. We lost because Florida played better than we did.

[Q] Playboy: Did it take long to get over losing the World Series?

[A] Jeter: Yes, I hate to lose. For a while I didn't like to be out and around a lot of people. I pretty much kept to myself. But you never forget it. I still think about us losing. You want to remember what it feels like, because you don't want to have that feeling again. That's what drives you to try to be better.

[Q] Playboy: So not only have the Yankees gone three years without a championship, but to add insult to injury, several days after the series you were waiting to go into a movie theater and got heckled by a fan. "If you hadn't made that error, Jeter, you'd still be playing," she apparently said.

[A] Jeter: She was a young girl, and she was yelling about the error I made in game six. And then she said, real sarcastically, "Better luck next year." She seemed to enjoy it. She was probably a Mets fan.

[Q] Playboy: How often do you have to put up with that stuff outside the ballpark?

[A] Jeter: In Boston, all the time. That's a whole other world. I actually think I'm public enemy number one there.

[Q] Playboy: Considering that the Red Sox nearly signed A-Rod, do you think you'll have to fight him for that title?

[A] Jeter: Maybe he can share the load with me. That's what I'm hoping for.

[Q] Playboy: Is it difficult for you to go out alone?

[A] Jeter: I don't go anywhere by myself, period. You never know when you're going to run into someone who's been drinking and is acting foolish. You like to know that someone is always watching your back.

[Q] Playboy: Women recognize you on the street and they squeal. Do you like it?

[A] Jeter: It's flattering. It's embarrassing, too. But anytime you get recognized, it means you're being appreciated for some of the things you've done. I don't mind it.

[Q] Playboy: How many of your teammates get squealed at?

[A] Jeter: They're all married.

[Q] Playboy: Let's see, you've dated a Miss Universe, a Victoria's Secret underwear model and an MTV hostess. According to the New York Post, you demand perfection, at least visually, in your dates. Is that true?

[A] Jeter: She has to be a beautiful person. She has to be fun. I like to have fun. I'm always smiling. She has to have a sense of humor, because you've got to enjoy life. Intelligent. But I don't sit down and make a blueprint of how someone must look. I guess you just know. The more you get to know someone, you understand if you have things in common.

[Q] Playboy: You were once linked with Mariah Carey.

[A] Jeter: I was a fan of her music, and then we ran into each other a couple of times in New York.

[Q] Playboy: The papers said she stalked you.

[A] Jeter: I don't know where they would get that from.

[Q] Playboy: The papers also had you practically engaged. Was it that serious?

[A] Jeter: We didn't date for as long as people think. I've heard all kinds of things. But it was really just a few months.

[Q] Playboy: After it ended you said you realized you couldn't make a relationship work if the other person is famous too. Is that an ego thing?

[A] Jeter: Not at all. It's just tough when both people are in the public eye. I'm not saying it can't work, but there are a lot of rumors, a lot of gossip, different schedules.

[Q] Playboy: You say you're eager to get married, but do you think you need to finish baseball first?

[A] Jeter: Not necessarily. I have to admit. I'm at a selfish point in my life in terms of what I'm trying to accomplish. But there are times when you wish you had someone to share it with.

[Q] Playboy: How do you ask a woman out?

[A] Jeter: Initially it'll be as part of a group. Like someone will bring their friends, and I'll have my friends. It's easier that way. Because when you do the one-on-one thing, that's when the media get so involved.

[Q] Playboy: Have you ever had to explain to a date what you do for a living?

[A] Jeter: I say I have a night job.

[Q] Playboy: That's it?

[A] Jeter: And that I'm in the entertainment business. [smiles]

[Q] Playboy: Do you ever get rejected?

[A] Jeter: Everyone gets rejected.

[Q] Playboy: Are you involved with anybody right now?

[A] Jeter: I'm seeing someone in New York.

[Q] Playboy: You're in the fourth year of a 10-year contract worth $189 million. You'll be paid $19 million this year. What are your greatest extravagances?

[A] Jeter: I get things for other people. But for myself I have a Hummer, a Ferrari and a Mercedes 600. I got this house six, seven years ago, and I'm not planning on leaving. I have a nice apartment in New York.

[Q] Playboy: The Hummer has a satellite dish on the roof.

[A] Jeter: I just had DirecTV put in. Only now it won't fit in my garage. I've got to build a bigger garage.

[Q] Playboy: Did we spot a motorcycle in there?

[A] Jeter: A scooter. It was a Christmas gift from Gerald Williams. He used to play for the Yankees. Now he's with the Marlins, and he lives three doors down. He bought one for each of us, but when we tried to ride them in, the guard stopped us at the gate. You can't drive two-wheeled vehicles here. So we had to load them on a truck and bring them in that way. We ride them at night.

[Q] Playboy: You're sure it's not a motorcycle?

[A] Jeter: [Laughs] It's a scooter. I'm not allowed to ride a motorcycle. It's in my contract. Actually, it's not even my scooter. It's a friend's.

[Q] Playboy: Right. What else do you spend money on? Clothes?

[A] Jeter: I have a lot of suits. I have a tailor in Chicago. He's Michael Jordan's guy, too. But really, I'm not a huge spender.

[Q] Playboy: What music do you like?

[A] Jeter: All I listen to is hip-hop and R&B--Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Beyonce, R. Kelly. That's pretty much it.

[Q] Playboy: Two full seasons have passed, but people are still talking about that miraculous play against Oakland in the 2001 division series. Some say it's the infield equivalent of Willie Mays's catch in the 1954 World Series. The Yankees were down two games to none. If you lost game three, your season would be over. The Yankees were ahead one to nothing. Can you run us through it?

[A] Jeter: Jeremy Giambi was on first, there were two outs, and Terrence Long hit a long fly to right that fell in for a double. The second baseman, Alfonso Soriano, was the first cutoff man, and the first baseman, Tino Martinez, was the second cutoff man. But when Shane Spencer picked up the ball in right, he threw it over both their heads.

[Q] Playboy: So you had Soriano down the 70 right-field line and Tino near first base.Giambi was steaming for home, right? And you were at short.

[A] Jeter: I could see that the throw was going over their heads. And I saw the runner wasn't home yet, so I thought if I could get to the ball and get rid of it quickly, we'd have a chance to get him.

[Q] Playboy: From out of nowhere you suddenly materialized at first.

[A] Jeter: I fielded the ball between first and home and flipped it as soon as I got it.

[Q] Playboy: You flipped it sideways to Jorge Posada at the plate--a perfect throw. Giambi was so shocked to see the ball coming that he didn't even slide. When you saw the highlight film, did the play look different to you than in your mind as you were performing it?

[A] Jeter: In my mind everything happened in slow motion. When I watched it later I just looked at it really as what I was supposed to do. We'd practiced that play in spring training.

[Q] Playboy: But nobody recalls ever seeing such a play before. Is there a name for it?

[A] Jeter: They just call it the Play.

[Q] Playboy: Two games later the same guy, Terrence Long, hit a pop-up into foulterritory at Yankee Stadium. And you did a belly flop into the seats behind third base and came up with the ball. Was that the second most exciting play you've made?

[A] Jeter: I think it was exciting to watch. I don't think it was exciting to do it, because it hurt.

[Q] Playboy: What's been your most embarrassing moment on the field?

[A] Jeter: We were playing in Minnesota. I'm on third with less than two outs. Someone hits a deep fly ball that bounces over the fence. It's a ground-rule double, so you get two bases, and I automatically score. But I'm still standing on third, tagging up in case the ball is caught. When it bounces over the fence, I turn to go, trip over my shoelaces and fall flat on my face. Then they show it over and over on the Jumbotron.

[Q] Playboy: You and Alex are among the most famous baseball players today. Probably fewer than 10 are easily recognizable nationwide, whereas the NBA and the NFL have many more. Why is that?

[A] Jeter: They market their sports a lot better. I filmed a commercial with Alex and the Marlins' Josh Beckett for Major League Baseball. It's the first time baseball has done that. It's lagging behind the other sports, but I think now it's putting forth an effort.

[Q] Playboy: Baseball also lags behind other sports when it comes to drug testing, especially for steroids. This season you'll be randomly tested. Should performance-enhancing drugs be banned?

[A] Jeter: Yes, without question, because they put everyone else at a disadvantage. There's also the public's perception. If someone comes back a little smaller or a little bigger, the first thing people wonder is, Did he take steroids before and isn't taking them now? Or is he using steroids now? I think the whole debate is putting a lot of questions in people's heads.

[Q] Playboy: You grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Your dad is black; your mom is white. How did they prepare you for your mixed ethnicity?

[Q] Jeter: For me it was a normal situation. It was all I knew. We'd get funny looks from people. My parents tried to educate my sister and me about why people would stare. They would say it was because people were seeing something they hadn't seen before.

[Q] Playboy: Kids can be mean. Did you have problems?

[Q] Jeter: Not many, because I played baseball, which was primarily white. Then I played basketball, which was primarily black. So I had a lot of friends. But I remember going back home after my first year in baseball. I had just bought a Mitsubishi 3000. That was the greatest car in the world. So I was back home, and I was eating out with a friend. We went back to the car and were about to leave when some kids drove by. Someone shouted, "Bring that car back to your dad" and yelled some racial things. I was so proud to come home, and then you have to hear those kinds of things.

[Q] Plyaboy: Do you feel closer to one race than the other?

[A] Jeter: No. My best friend is a white guy I've known since fourth grade. My trainer is Puerto Rican. The catcher on our team, Jorge Posada, is Puerto Rican. I was the best man at his wedding. Sean Twitty, a friend from the minors, is Jamaican.

[Q] Playboy: You grew up rooting for the Yankees. Didn't you like the Tigers?

[A] Jeter: I was born in Jersey, and I used to spend the summers there because my mom had 13 brothers and sisters, and I had all kinds of cousins. My grandmother was a huge Yankees fan, and she turned me on to the team. Also, my dad liked the Tigers. Since we competed in everything, I couldn't root for the same team he did.

[Q] Playboy: You've said you always wanted to play baseball because your dad played.

[A] Jeter: He played at Fisk University in Tennessee. Growing up I would watch him play in a softball league.

(continued on page 165) Derek Jeter (continued from page 70)

[Q] Playboy: And because he was a shortstop, you had to be a shortstop. Apparently you were clocked throwing 93 mph in high school. Didn't you ever want to be a pitcher?

[A] Jeter: I pitched a couple of times in high school, but my arm used to hurt afterward. Plus, I liked to hit. And the shortstop is involved in everything. Shortstop is like quarterback.

[Q] Playboy: How much pressure did your clad put on you to excel?

[A] Jeter: He never put pressure on me. He always said, "If you want A, B or C to happen in your life, you have to do certain things. He was tough on us in school. We had to sit down and do our homework for an hour every night. Even if we didn't have homework, we had to sit down and do something school-related for an hour. Obviously it worked. I got good grades.

[A] Playboy: And baseball?

[Q] Jeter: My mom and dad never pushed me into baseball. For me it was fun. I used to drag them out of the house to help me out. If my dad wasn't home, my mom would throw Wiffle balls in the backyard. The high school was over the back fence, so we'd go to the baseball field. The only thing they said was, "If you're going to do this, you're going to have to work, and if we don't see you working at it, then it's going to be time for you to find something else to do."

[Q] Playboy: You were picked sixth in the 1992 draft. You dreamed of being a Yankee, but wasn't it a long shot that you'd become one?

[A] Jeter: It was luck. I mean, the draft is a crapshoot. I thought I'd be selected by Houston or Cincinnati.

[Q] Playboy: Speaking of Cincinnati, do you think Pete Rose should be eligible for the Hall of Fame?

[A] Jeter: Pete Rose is a Hall of Fame player no matter how you look at it. What he did on the field -- there's no question about it. It's just basically how you view what he did off the field. I wouldn't want to be the one to make that decision.

[Q] Playboy: After four full seasons with the Yankees you had 795 hits, more than Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron and Stan Musial had in their first four seasons. Yet unlike most hitters, you don't pay attention to what pitchers are throwing. You just check the radar gun.

[A] Jeter: Basically you go on instinct. I just want to know how hard a guy is throwing. Then you have to recognize what kind of pitch it is so you can know if it's going to end up in the strike zone.

[Q] Playboy: You have less than a second to do that.

[A] Jeter: You can tell from the rotation of the ball. If it's a slider, it's spinning a little differently than a fastball. If it's a two seamer, you'll see two seams.

[Q] Playboy: Which indicates if it's going to be low and outside or over the plate.

[A] Jeter: That's the plan. Of course, it doesn't always work.

[Q] Playboy: Your father once said, "Derek has more inner arrogance than anybody I've ever met." And during games you look pretty sure of yourself. Is that how you really feel?

[A] Jeter: Yeah, I'm confident. I don't like cocky people. Confidence is how you feel. Cockiness is how you act. I'm always confident. There are times when you struggle, like I could be 0 for 100, but if a big game is on the line, I expect to do well.

[Q] Playboy: Other than Pedro Martinez, which pitcher has given you the most trouble? Someone we might not think of?

[A] Jeter: Roy Halladay of Toronto. He had a great year last season, winning the Cy Young Award. But he's always been tough for me. He throws a real hard sinker. Also, Derek Lowe of the Red Sox.

[Q] Playboy: How did you do against Roger Clemens when he pitched for Toronto?

[A] Jeter: He hit me a lot. We'd joke about it. He said I leaned over the plate and he was just brushing me back. Rocket is the type you hate to play against but love to have as a teammate.

[Q] Playboy: Were you surprised that he signed with Houston three months after supposedly retiring or that Andy Pettitte signed with Houston too?

[A] Jeter: I thought Andy would be back. I wasn't completely caught off guard when he signed with Houston, because I knew it was in the back of his mind that one day he'd get an opportunity to pitch at home. We didn't expect Rocket to come back. But who's to tell you when you should stop doing what you love to do?

[Q] Playboy: What's a typical day for you during the season?

[A] Jeter: I get up around 10, eat breakfast and go to the gym to lift weights for an hour. No treadmill, because we run too much during the season. Then I'll return home, maybe go back to sleep and get to the ballpark around 3:30.

[Q] Playboy: Do you have a personal trainer?

[A] Jeter: Year-round. He goes where I go. He travels with me to East Coast cities.

[Q] Playboy: You're one of those guys who consider their kitchen no-man's-land. Do you live on snack food? Or fast food?

[A] Jeter: I can't cook; that's the bad thing. I go to the grocery store and stock up on cereal, oatmeal, Eggos and stuff, and then when it goes bad I'll go back and get more. Otherwise I eat out. My agent got me a chef as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago. He'd have something waiting for me, and I would warm it up. I think I might have to have him come again.

[Q] Playboy: You've got a golf course out back. Why haven't you played more?

[A] Jeter: My shoulder injury. I messed up my AC joint, so I had to stop playing golf.

[Q] Playboy: Is that why you keep grabbing your shoulder? You've been rubbing it the whole time.

[A] Jeter: Really?

[Q] Playboy: Does it hurt?

[A] Jeter: No. It could be a habit, because it used to hurt all the time. Or it could be old age.

[Q] Playboy: Have you given any thought to what you might do after baseball?

[A] Jeter: I would love to own a team.

[Q] Playboy: Like Michael Jordan? Purchase a percentage of a team?

[A] Jeter: No, I'd have to be a majority owner. I'd have to make the decisions.

[Q] Playboy: You'd probably need to get your hands on a lot more money.

[A] Jeter: Probably.

[Q] Playboy: How are you going to do that?

[A] Jeter: [Smiles] I haven't thought about it yet. But I will.

I'm always conscious that people are watching. Say I cant to dance on top of a table. I can't do that.

I'm a grown man. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Steinbrenner wouldn't call me if I was out in January. He wouldn't say, "You need to be home."

If someone comes back a little bigger, the first thing people wonder is, Is he using steroids?