Making Superman: A Look Back At The Fable of Derek Jeter

An audio look back at the most iconic baseball career of the 21st century. Making Superman: The Fable of Derek Jeter https://t.co/RmZ63fBdwh pic.twitter.com/e3GXCwTVr3

— Charlie (@CharlieWisco) December 6, 2016

With the Yankees officially announcing Derek Jeter’s number will be retired this year, the immortalization of one of the most iconic and prolific careers in baseball history has begun. Derek Jeter stands as without a doubt the most famous and universally respected player of his generation. His career and retirement were both met with a level of fanfare that most athletes, even Hall of Famers, can only dream of. His post-retirement will almost certainly be treated the same way.

While Jeter’s on-field accomplishments were incredible (3000 Hit Club, All-Time hit leader for a shortstop, several Yankees records, several postseason records, five World Series rings, 14-time All Star) the mythologization that defined Jeter’s career and public persona didn’t always perfectly mirror his performance. Don’t get me wrong, Derek Jeter was and always will be one of the best baseball players of all-time,  but especially when compared to his peers, Jeter always seemed to get a level of treatment that no one else did. In a sport defined by numbers and statistics, this makes him an anomaly.

So why? Why did the Jeter Treatment exist? Was it because he played in New York? Because he was charming and handsome? Or other, hidden reasons? What made Derek Jeter the demigod figure that he is today in baseball history? We make our case here -Making Superman: The Fable of Derek Jeter.

I’m on Twitter @CharlieWisco

PS: If you enjoyed this podcast, KFC and I did a similar one to it this summer about the career of Alex Rodriguez that you can listen to here.