Who would have ever imagined that that skinny kid from Michigan would have turned out to be one of the greatest Yankees of all time? He may not have the stats that other great ball players amassed throughout the course of a career, but he is the true epitomy of what a "Yankee" is supposed to be. Always seeming to come through when the Yanks need a hit or be in the right place at the right time.

Derek Jeter was born in Pequannock, New Jersey to Charles and Dorothy Jeter. The family lived in North Arlington, New Jersey until he was four, then moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. He also has a younger sister named Sharlee, who lettered in basketball, softball and volleyball. Jeter was a star baseball player at Kalamazoo Central High School, where he also played basketball. In 1992, he was named High School Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Although he received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Michigan, he attended just one semester after he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 1992 amateur draft. He spent four years in the minor leagues. He started in the Rookie League before advancing to Class A, where he spent two years. In these two years in the minors, Jeter collected various awards, including Most Outstanding Major League Prospect and Best Defensive Shortstop.

In 1995, he advanced from Class A to Class AAA during the season. On May 29, 1995, Jeter debuted in the Major Leagues against the Seattle Mariners. Jeter has been a key player of the Yankees' success since 1995.

Jeter is not only a great Yankee on the field but off as well. Living under the bright lights of New York City he has maintained his status as a role model with dignity and grace the likes of which have not been seen since Joe Dimaggio. In todays world where athletes are besieged by scandal on a daily basis, Derek Jeter has only been on the front page of the newspaper for what he has done on the field.

Throughout his career, Jeter has been known as one of the best clutch postseason players in baseball history. Since arriving in the majors in 1996, Jeter has participated in the postseason every year, and he was a member of 6 American League Championship and 4 World Series Championship teams. Jeter's personal postseason performance has been a major factor in the Yankees' success. The term "Mr. November" comes from Jeter's accomplishments in the 2001 World Series, which ran into November that year due to the delay of the baseball season caused by the September 11, 2001 attacks. He has also been called "Mr. Intangibles" for all the things that he does on and off the field which can't be quantified into stats.

Some of Jeter's most memorable moments have come in postseason play. These include the aforementioned eighth inning, game-tying disputed home run against Baltimore in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS; his game-winning, tenth-inning home run off Arizona's Byung-Hyun Kim in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series; as well as one of the most unusual defensive plays in postseason history: With the Yankees down 0 games to 2 versus the Oakland Athletics in the 2001 American League Division Series, and holding on to a 1-0 lead in Game 3 and with an A's runner on first base, Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina served up a high fly ball to deep right field to the A's Terrence Long.

With Oakland's Jeremy Giambi about to round third, Yankees right fielder Shane Spencer retrieved the ball and threw home. The throw sailed over the heads of both cut off men . With Giambi nearing homeplate, Jeter ran across the field, and nearing the 1st base line, caught the ball off a bounce and shovel passed it behind himself to his right to catcher Jorge Posada, who promptly tagged the back of Giambi's knee, a fraction of a second before his foot hit homeplate. The Yankees later went on to win the series in 5 games. The play later came to be known as "The Flip."

During the exciting, extra-inning July 1, 2004 game versus the Boston Red Sox, Jeter famously hurtled without abandon into the stands when chasing a foul pop-up . His forward momentum forced him to keep running and leap into the stands, rather than injure his knees against the two foot high fence on the left field line. He did hurt himself on his face and wrists, but held onto the ball. He was removed from the game after the play, but the Yankees won the game.

As of 2005, Jeter has a career .306 postseason batting average with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs. He has a record 142 career postseason hits.

Derek Jeter plays the game of baseball the way it was meant to be played. Always hustling down the line, even on a simple ground out. Love him or hate him you have to respect him.

With all of the stars that come and go with each new season, one thing remains constant year after year. The Yankees are Derek Jeter's team and he is their captain. "Mr. November."