Derek Sanderson Jeter (born June 26, 1974 in
Pequannock Township, New Jersey) is an American
Major League Baseball player. Jeter is an eight-time
All-Star shortstop, and currently the captain of the
New York Yankees.
Jeter has spent his entire career with the New York
Yankees, starting in 1995 when he was 20 years old.
He has won the American League Rookie of the Year
Award, a Silver Slugger Award, and three Gold Glove
Awards. In 2000, he became the only player to win
both the All-Star Game MVP Award and the World
Series MVP Award in the same year. His .317 career
batting average through the 2006 season ranks him
with the 5th-highest lifetime batting average of all
active baseball players. He has been in the top
seven in the American League in both hits and runs
scored for nine of the past ten years. During the
2000s he ranks second in the major leagues in hits
(1,504), fourth in runs (857), and tied for seventh
in batting average (.317) (stats accurate as of July
28, 2007).
Derek Jeter was born in Pequannock Township, New
Jersey, to an African-American father, Dr. Sanderson
Charles Jeter; his mother Dorothy is of Irish/German
descent. The family lived in North Arlington, New
Jersey, before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when
he was 4.
Derek Jeter is from a family of four. He currently
resides in Tampa, Florida, but also maintains an
apartment in Manhattan's Trump Tower. Jeter's
personal life has been a favorite topic in gossip
columns and celebrity magazines since his rookie
year in 1995. Jeter had a well publicized
relationship with pop diva Mariah Carey from 1997 to
1998. Jeter also dated former Miss Universe Lara
Dutta and, Gabrielle Union, and Jessica Alba. Rumors
also circulated that he was dating supermodel Tyra
Banks after the two were spotted sitting next to
each other at a New York Knicks game, but it turned
out to be a coincidence; Jeter's actual "date" to
that game was his father. He has also dated
Brazilian Supermodel Adriana Lima; with whom he did
a commercial. Jeter also had an on-and-off
relationship with television personality Vanessa
Minillo from late 2003 until early 2006. Most
recently, Jeter had been linked to actress Jessica
Biel.
