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From 1992 to 2014, Derek Jeter was with the New York Yankees.
Excluding spring training, Jeter played a total of 3,210 games at all levels in the Yankees organization. Growing up, that was the only team he wanted to play for.
But there was one time when he wore a different 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 United States 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 when he was the shortstop for America’s 2009 World Baseball Classic team.
It was the second time Jeters represented the Stars and Stripes, and Team USA played an exhibition against the Yankees during spring training that same year.
In a recent interview with Pakinomist Digital, Jeter made sure to note that he got two hits in the same afternoon.
“When I was coming up, they didn’t have all these USA teams. It was either the Olympic team or that. 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 time on Team USA.
During these 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 each other’s sides 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 DROH
This year, the event looks to be its best yet, as Team USA is stacked with 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 in the final out of the championship game – at the time they were Los Angeles Angels teammates. Perhaps it convinced many stars today that the WBC was not just an exhibition.
For Jeter, having the best players on the diamond is what is most important to baseball.
“It’s important. I think if you’re talking about the growth of the game, you have to have the top players participate, and they do,” Jeter said.
Derek Jeter of Team USA celebrates with teammates after the 2009 World Baseball Classic Pool C game on March 8, 2009 at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, Mason Miller, Logan Webb, Bobby Witt Jr., Will Smith and Kyle Schwarber will also represent Team USA. Japan brings back 15 members of its 2023 title-winning team, including Ohtani and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
