'ONCE UPON A GAME' PDF - Alan Schwarz€¦ · could go out there and get autographs. When my hero,...
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74 DEREK JETER I DEREK JETER ON HIS DREAM OF BECOMING A MAJOR-LEAGUER Millions of little boys say they’re going to grow up to be major-leaguers someday. For a select few, the plan actually comes true. No one followed his own script more than a kid in Kalamazoo named Derek Jeter, who at age 10 marched into his parents’ room and told them he was going to be a ballplayer. I remember the exact instant i de- cided I was going to be a major-leaguer. It was 1985, the night my mother, fa- ther, sister, and I went to Tiger Stadium in Detroit to see the Tigers play the Yankees. Even though I was growing up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I’d always been a huge Yankees fan. When I played Little League I pretended to be Dave Winfield. So a few days before my elev- enth birthday, we went to see a Yankees game. I was in awe of Tiger Stadium—a big, his- toric place that even Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb had played in. There were more than 40,000 people there. I couldn’t believe all those fans were packed into a ballpark to see these teams. I’d watched games on TV before, but everything looked kind of small. Here, it all looked larger than life. Almost everyone in the seats that day were rooting for the Tigers, but as I sat there underneath my ny cap munching on hot dogs and popcorn, I had my eyes on the Yankees all day. I was really paying attention. The Yankees lost, 3–1, and I wanted to help them. (I was a shortstop then, too—my dad had been a shortstop and I wanted to be just like him.) I didn’t cry or anything when they lost, but I dreamed about someday being out there myself wearing the pinstripes. We left the stadium and figured out where the visiting players walked to the bus so we could go out there and get autographs. When my hero, Dave Winfield, walked out, I ran up to him and asked him to sign my baseball. He did and gave me one of his great big smiles. What a moment! My little sister, Sharlee, didn’t have as much luck with her Tiger sou- venir ball. She ran up to Dave a little too late, and by then he was surrounded by fans and he’d jumped into a taxi. She started crying, Schwarz-final 12/6/06 2:24 PM Page 74
Transcript of 'ONCE UPON A GAME' PDF - Alan Schwarz€¦ · could go out there and get autographs. When my hero,...
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D E R E K J E T E R
IDEREK JETERON HIS DREAM OF BECOMING A MAJOR-LEAGUER
Millions of little boys say they’re going to grow up to be major-leaguerssomeday. For a select few, the plan actually comes true. No one followedhis own script more than a kid in Kalamazoo named Derek Jeter, who atage 10 marched into his parents’ room and told them he was going to bea ballplayer.
I remember the exact instant i de-cided I was going to be a major-leaguer.
It was 1985, the night my mother, fa-ther, sister, and I went to Tiger Stadium inDetroit to see the Tigers play the Yankees.Even though I was growing up in Kalamazoo,Michigan, I’d always been a huge Yankees fan.When I played Little League I pretended to beDave Winfield. So a few days before my elev-enth birthday, we went to see a Yankees game.
I was in awe of Tiger Stadium—a big, his-toric place that even Babe Ruth and Ty Cobbhad played in. There were more than 40,000people there. I couldn’t believe all those fanswere packed into a ballpark to see theseteams. I’d watched games on TV before, buteverything looked kind of small. Here, it alllooked larger than life. Almost everyone inthe seats that day were rooting for the Tigers,but as I sat there underneath my ny cap
munching on hot dogs and popcorn, I hadmy eyes on the Yankees all day. I was reallypaying attention.
The Yankees lost, 3–1, and I wanted to helpthem. (I was a shortstop then, too—my dadhad been a shortstop and I wanted to be justlike him.) I didn’t cry or anything when theylost, but I dreamed about someday being outthere myself wearing the pinstripes.
We left the stadium and figured out wherethe visiting players walked to the bus so wecould go out there and get autographs. Whenmy hero, Dave Winfield, walked out, I ran upto him and asked him to sign my baseball. Hedid and gave me one of his great big smiles.What a moment! My little sister, Sharlee,didn’t have as much luck with her Tiger sou-venir ball. She ran up to Dave a little too late,and by then he was surrounded by fans andhe’d jumped into a taxi. She started crying,
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and I didn’t make it any easier on her. I said,“He didn’t sign your ball because it’s a Tigerball!” She cried even harder, and my dad waslike, “Derek, be quiet!”
I kept thinking about the game the rest ofthe day, how much fun it had been and howmuch I wanted to be out on the field playingfor the Yankees. Right before bedtime I walkedinto my parents’ room to say good night.
“One day,” I said very seriously, “you’regonna go to Tiger Stadium to see me play.”
I’d said things like that before—all kids do—but this time I really meant it. And theycould tell. I’ll never forget what they said backto me. They said, “If that’s what you want todo and you work hard enough, you can do it.”I know that sounds kind of corny, but theyreally did say that. They didn’t chuckle skep-tically or warn me about how unlikely mybeing a major-leaguer was. They always en-couraged me. That helped me think it reallywas possible.
I walked out and went back to my room. Iwent to sleep that night knowing what Iwanted to do with my life. I had great dreamsabout it. And I’m not sure I’ve woken upsince. ◆
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“I dreamed aboutsomeday being outthere myself wearingthe pinstripes.”
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