Derek Jeter Quotes

“You don't just accidentally show up in the World Series.”

— Derek Jeter

“The Yankees have strict rules. You can have a mustache but no other facial hair.”

— Derek Jeter

“Your image isn't your character. Character is what you are as a person.”

— Derek Jeter

“Sometimes people complicate things by thinking too much about what someone might think of what they said or did.”

— Derek Jeter

“My heroes, my dreams, and my future lay in Yankee Stadium. And they can't take that away from me.”

— Derek Jeter

“My dreams do not end with playing Major League Baseball.”

— Derek Jeter

You're playing a game, whether it's Little League or Game 7 of the Word Series. It's impossible to do well unless you're having a good time. People talk about pressure. Yeah, there's pressure. But I just look at it as fun.

— Derek Jeter

“I'd like to get a degree. You ever see the movie 'Back to School?' I'll go back with my kids.”

— Derek Jeter

If you're going to play at all, you're out to win. Baseball, board games, playing Jeopardy, I hate to lose.

— Derek Jeter

“I'm not a hermit, but I definitely stay in a lot more than I used to. There's more attention now then there ever was. You walk down the street with someone and it's a story. It becomes national news, you know what I mean? So, I still do things, but I stay home a lot more.”

— Derek Jeter

My best vacation is somewhere I could hide, somewhere warm and not a lot of people around.

— Derek Jeter

“I've found that it's easier to stay in shape than it is to get into shape.”

— Derek Jeter

“Not everybody's a baseball fan.”

— Derek Jeter

“I always take criticism as a challenge. It's the way I've always looked at it.”

— Derek Jeter

“When I was younger, I was always taught not to make excuses.”

— Derek Jeter

“I think there's something wrong with me - I like to win in everything I do, regardless of what it is. You want to race down the street, I want to beat you. If we're playing checkers, I want to win. You beat me, it's going to bother me. I just enjoy competition.”

— Derek Jeter

“Any player that says they don't want to go to an All-Star Game is lying to you. It's something everyone wants to be a part of.”

— Derek Jeter

“My office is at Yankee stadium. Yes, dreams do come true.”

— Derek Jeter

“I always have tried to treat people with respect, the way I want to be treated.”

— Derek Jeter

“I've been playing baseball since I was 5 or 6 years old. I've been on a schedule, pretty much, since I was in eighth, ninth grade. I look forward to not doing that.”

— Derek Jeter

“It's never over. You don't want to be in the position to be down four runs in the ninth inning, but it's not over until the last out.”

— Derek Jeter

I think when things linger, that's when they become a distraction. I don't want any distractions.

— Derek Jeter

“Everyone fears rejection.”

— Derek Jeter

“I have the greatest job in the world. Only one person can have it. You have shortstops on other teams - I'm not knocking other teams - but there's only one shortstop on the Yankees.”

— Derek Jeter

If I put my name on something, I'm going to be involved. I'm not just going to put my name on it and not pay attention.

— Derek Jeter

“I looked up to my parents because they were very successful in what they wanted to do. I was lucky; I didn't have to look far for role models.”

— Derek Jeter

“The draft is a crapshoot, so I've been very fortunate to be drafted by the Yankees, and to have spent my whole career here.”

— Derek Jeter

“I can have fun anywhere, as long as I'm with good people. But in the offseason, I like to go somewhere warm, a nice spot in the Caribbean.”

— Derek Jeter

“You can't quantify everything a player does to win games.”

— Derek Jeter

I always appreciated the ex-players. Being a Yankee, you get spoiled. Old-Timers Day, all these guys coming back, spring training, being around them, you get a chance to get to know them. So I always think you learn a lot by listening.

— Derek Jeter

I remember going from rookie ball to A, to double A, then to triple A. At every level it seemed like the game was faster. The bigger the situation, the more the game speeds up. That's all mental. It messes people up.

— Derek Jeter

“I get asked enough questions, I try not to ask too many questions.”

— Derek Jeter

Walking around sometimes, I would love to just be able to watch people, see how they act. Sometimes I would love to be invisible.

— Derek Jeter

“No former player has owned a team in baseball.”

— Derek Jeter

“You have to be confident, if you're not confident you might as well go home.”

— Derek Jeter

“I think it comes easy to work hard. I was always taught, don't short-change yourself. Keep working to get better.”

— Derek Jeter

“In order to lead people, you have to get to know them.”

— Derek Jeter

“There's responsibility, but there's also accountability. You have to be accountable for your actions. You have to stand at your locker when things are going bad.”

— Derek Jeter

“So is work ethic. You do things over and over again, and when you get in a situation you like to think it comes natural. I think there has to be a mind-set that you're not afraid to fail. I'm not afraid to fail. I've done it quite a bit. The calmer you are, the more the game slows down for you, and I think part of that is controlling your emotions.”

— Derek Jeter

“As long as I'm having fun I'm going to play.”

— Derek Jeter

“I play in New York, man. Criticism is part of the game. You take criticism as a challenge.”

— Derek Jeter

“I've hung out and dated people I've never even met before.”

— Derek Jeter

“Yankee Stadium is my favorite stadium; I'm not going to lie to you. There's a certain feel you get in Yankee Stadium.”

— Derek Jeter

“In my opinion, I've had the greatest job in the world. I got a chance to be the shortstop for the New York Yankees, and there's only one of those. And I always felt as though it was my job, was to try to provide joy and entertainment for you guys, but it can't compare to what you brought me. So for that, thank you very much.”

— Derek Jeter

Sportswriters are what make sports great and fun to watch.

— Derek Jeter

“One of the best things about being a Yankee is that you have guys like Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto, Ron Guidry and Reggie Jackson wandering around the locker room offering you advice.”

— Derek Jeter

Good teams make the playoffs, hot teams win the playoffs.

— Derek Jeter

I go into every game thinking I'm going to be the hero. I have to, or I wouldn't enjoy it.

— Derek Jeter

“I will never brag about myself, but my family, I can go on forever.”

— Derek Jeter

“Sneak out when things go good. It bothers me when people have good games and stand in front of their locker waiting for the media, then they have bad games and sneak out the back.”

— Derek Jeter