Some incidents come without any prior notice. The New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter had to go through one of them as an unforgettable moment of his playing days. The incident was not only weird but also terrifying for the team. It made Jeter feel like the end of his life was near as the World Series champion felt helpless.
Jeter has won a total of five World Series in his 20-season career. And while most would be memorable, the second one will probably always terrify him. The Yankees had scheduled an exhibition game against the San Diego Padres in the 1998 season. But the trip didn’t go as planned and had a terrifying impact on the players. What was the case? Here is the answer:
When Derek Jeter had a bus ride, that felt like the last move!
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It was unimaginable for Derek Jeter, who was relieving his dream of playing baseball on the bigger stage. Having made a great start to his career with a World Series ring in the 1996 season, he was looking to add more. Everything went well during the spring training before their ultimate game ahead of the new season.
They organized a friendly game against San Diego State to gain some playing experience before the regular affair. The situation changed as the team could not travel by air. They preferred a bus trip to the last station. But it proved to be a tough ride as one move of the bus driver jeopardized the lives of everyone on the bus.
According to the Daily News, Jeter shared, “We were on our bus and the bus ran into the median and it almost flipped, We were sort of teetering. I just remember people yelling to get to the other side of the bus and to try and tip it back so it wouldn’t flip over. We hadn’t even played one game yet. So our season almost started horrifically.”
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It left the complete team wondering about the end of their season before it even started. For the shortstop, this is what he recollects the most of the 1998 season. He shared, “That incident is the thing I remember the most from the beginning of the 1998 season.”
A scary ride could not deter Jeter’s spirit
The Yankees legend left the bad bus ride experience behind and played well in the 1998 season. His contribution also played a big role in another World Series win. In 149 games of the season, Jeter claimed 127 runs at an average of 0.324. Jeter was also named to the All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger Award.
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Watch this story:- “They Made the Game Look Easy…”: Yankees’ Captain Aaron Judge Reveals His Baseball Idols Growing Up and Derek Jeter Did Not Make the List
Even though everything went great after that for the Yankees, that type of bus ride experience is something no player would like to have. What do you think about the story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!