What kind of influence did my parents have on my life? Well, they had the most influence. These are the people who are closest to me. My parents are very positive people. They’ve been supportive. They’re always there. – Derek Jeter
You forget about it whether it was 15-2 or 3-2. It’s still a loss. It doesn’t matter what the score was if we win tomorrow. – Derek Jeter
You know what I want to do? Wake up one weekend and not have to go anywhere and do nothing. – Derek Jeter
I’ve never been an actor on Broadway, but it feels like you’re on a stage when you play at Yankee Stadium. And that’s the feeling I’ve always had. – Derek Jeter
I think when things linger, that’s when they become a distraction. I don’t want any distractions. – Derek Jeter
We just want to win. That’s the bottom line. I think a lot of times people may become content with one championship or a little bit of success, but we don’t really reflect on what we’ve done in the past. We focus on the present. – Derek Jeter
Through time you learn from your experiences. I think I’ve learned to deal with people a little bit better over time. That in particular has developed a little bit. – Derek Jeter
If you’re going to win games, you’re going to have to come up with the big hits. That’s the bottom line. – 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
Obviously, you’re known for what you do. But you still want to be known as a good person. You’re a person a lot longer before and after you’re a professional athlete. – 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
I always used to get in trouble for talking too much. When it was time for parent-teacher conferences, I remember that I was always embarrassed about what my parents would hear about me! – Derek Jeter
My best vacation is somewhere I could hide, somewhere warm and not a lot of people around. – Derek Jeter
Athletics keeps us healthy, gets us up and running around. It also gives you an opportunity to meet a lot of different people, which is very important. – Derek Jeter
I try to sign for as many kids as possible. Kids come first, and I’ll always sign for a kid before an adult. It’s funny, because I was never big into autographs as a kid. The only player who I ever wanted an autograph from was Dave Winfield. – 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’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
You gotta have fun. Regardless of how you look at it, we’re playing a game. It’s a business, it’s our job, but I don’t think you can do well unless you’re having fun. – Derek Jeter
You’re a person a lot longer before and after you’re a professional athlete. People always say to me, ‘Your image is this, your image is that.’ Your image isn’t your character. Character is what you are as a person. That’s what I worry about. – Derek Jeter
I’m not perfect; no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. I think you try to learn from those mistakes. – 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
Sometimes people complicate things by thinking too much about what someone might think of what they said or did. – 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
Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests. – Derek Jeter