DEREK JETER HALL OF FAME SPEECH
Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado’s Introduction Speech for Derek Jeter:
Born Derek Sanderson Jeter, nickname: The Captain.
Played 19 Seasons in the Mid-West Baseball League for five different franchises. Chicago 1997 & 2005 – 2013, Ohio Valley 1998, East Lansing 1999, Kentucky 2000 – 2004 Columbus 2014 – 2015.
Drafted only once in MWBL – 2000 Dispersal Draft by Oregon – Though he never played a game for Oregon.
Traded four times from Chicago to Ohio Valley, Oregon to Kentucky, Kentucky to Chicago & Chicago to Columbus.
Twelve time All-Star, 1997 American League Rookie of the Year Award, 2005 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, 3153 Hits, .295 Career Batting Average, .364 Career On Base Percentage.
It is with great honor that I present you with the Mid-West Baseball newest member of the 2018 Mid-West Baseball League Hall of Fame, Derek Jeter.
Derek Jeter’s Speech:
What do you say on a day like this? I want to start by saying thank you.
Thank you to the Mid-West Baseball League Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado. Thank you Stray for giving me the opportunity to play for a team that has never finished below .500.
I want to thank my managers, coaches, teammates, support staff, those of you who are here today, those of you who aren’t for being with me along that entire journey.
I want to thank my family for their love, support, honesty and more importantly their presence at everything I did both on and off the field.
And the fans. Wow. I want to thank you guys for pushing me, challenging me and making me accountable. But more importantly for embracing me since Day 1.
I know they say that when you dream you eventually wake up. Well, for some reason, I’ve never had to wake up. Not just because of my time in the Mid-West Baseball League, but also because I got to live out my dream every single day.
I’ve experienced so many defining moments in my career. Winning the World Series being named the Mobsters captain. Through it all, I’ve never stopped chasing my dream. Today another dream came true for me.
For the last 20 years I’ve been completely focused on two goals: playing my best and trying to win the Mid-West Baseball League World Series. That means that for 365 days a year, my every thought and action were geared toward that goal. Today another dream came true for me.
From the time I was a kid, my dream was very vivid, and it never changed: I was going to be the shortstop & play in the Mid-West Baseball League. It started as an empty canvas more than 20 years ago, and now that I look at it, it’s almost complete. In a million years, I wouldn’t have believed just how beautiful it would become.
So many life lessons helped me along the way: They taught me incredible life lessons and are the #1 reason I lasted this long. They may not have been on the field, but they feel they played every game with me, and I think they are ready to call it a career as well.
I will remember it all: the cheers, the boos, every win, every loss, all the plane trips, the bus rides, the clubhouses, the walks through the tunnel and every time I stepped onto the playing field. I have achieved almost every personal and professional goal I have set. I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets.
Now it’s time for the next chapter. I am now a Mid-West Baseball League Hall of Famer.
But before I end this, I want to soak in every moment of this great day, so I can remember it for the rest of my life as today another dream came true for me.
Once again, thank you.