He Said...She Said
(Quotes on Derek Jeter)

19 Jeter quotes for now (including one about himself), but more will be added. All I have to say is...Mr. Jeter is certainly a loved man!!

1) "He'd been summoned by the baseball gods; to carry the torch, to help save the team and the stadium and maybe even the game of baseball itself."
-Peter Richmond (GQ, Sept. '98)
2) "The thing that sets Derek apart is that he's not afraid to fail."
-Charlie Hayes
3) "Jeter is a six-tool player...I've never eaten with him so I can't tell you if he has good table mannners, but I would imagine he has those too."
-Johnny Oates, Rangers manager during the '99 season
4) "He really knows how to work the pitcher and work the count that's become a trademark of the Yankees and a big reason why they're able to get rid of starters by the fifth inning so many times. That's 'professional' hitting."
-Dave Campbell, ESPN
5) "The name Derek Jeter is made for stardom. He's got an infectious smile, and he's so handsome and well-behaved. He's just a fine young man who does everything right. He's like Jack Armstrong and Frank Merriwell, guys I grew up rooting for. Some guys come along who just measure up."
-George Steinbrenner, Yankees owner
6) "He's rather unique for a young man in the 1990s. Endowed as he is with all that talent, all that money and such impeccable manners-that makes him an anachronism. In this era of boorish athletes, obnoxious fans, greedy owners and shattered myths, here's a hero who's actually polite, and that has to have come from good parenting. You can't compare him to Joe DiMaggio, for DiMaggio didn't have bad manners-he had no manners. Where have you gone, man with manners? Here you are, Derek Jeter."
-Gay Talese, Writer
7) "He's a natural. Young. Handsome. He can play his ass off, playing shortstop for the Yankees. What more do you want? The fact that he's here in the greatest sports town-greatest city in the world-makes it that much better."
-Spike Lee, Director
8) "He's a hunk, and I don't even like that word. Women like guys who have a big presence but sort of play it down. It's very appealing."
-Kim Basinger, Actress
9) "He gets better every year, that's what's remarkable about him. Some guys are good and stay good. Some guys are good and get better. He reminds me of Kareem. Hubie Brown said that Kareem worked at the beginning of every season to improve some facet of his game. It's that way with the best, whatever the profession. That's the way this kid is."
Ed Bradley, Correspondent for "60 Minutes"
10)"He's an incredible talent. I'm a lifetime Baltimore Orioles fan, so he's like my worst nightmare."
-Ed Norton, Actor
11) I think that he's most popular with the ladies. Last ticker-tape parade, they were lined up and down Broadway, screaming and holding up signs: I WANT TO MARRY YOU, DEREK! What can you say? He's handsome, and he plays well. Everyone wants to be near him."
-Jaswinder Singh, NYC Cabdriver
12) "I told him early on to avoid the pitfalls that plagued me. New York is a place that can swallow you up if you're not able to handle the pressure of success-and of failure. He handles it with class and dignity."
-Darryl Strawberry
13) "I love his work ethic. He has a great attitude. He has the qualities that seperate superstars from everyday people, and a lot of it is attributable to his great family background."
-Michael Jordan
14) "When he was in eighth grade and was about to switch from parochial school to a public school, we sent him over to the Y to play basketball against older kids as a way of toughening him up.He went, but he took his mother with him."
-Charles Jeter, Ph.D, Father
15) "Hanging out with him sucks because all the women flock to him. Let's see, he's been on the cover of GQ, is rich and famous, hits for average and power and is a helluva nice guy."
-Tim Raines
16) "This kid, right now, the tougher the situation, the more fire he gets in his eyes. You don't teach that."
-manager Joe Torre
17) "If you're going to play at all, you're out to win. Baseball, board games, playing Jeopardy! I hate to lose."
-Derek Jeter
18) "In big games, the action slows down for him where it speeds up for others. I've told him, 'I'll trade my past for your future.'"
-Reggie Jackson
19) "He's legit. He's versatile, you can see him on the cover of GQ, then the next week he's on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He's focused, he works hard. I'm proud of him, I'm glad we're working together."
-Michael Jordan (quote #2)