The five-time World Series champion—Derek Jeter—has been the heartbeat of the Big Apple since the Yankees’ late 90s era. He made his MLB debut for the New York Yankees in May 1995 and played his final game in 2014. However, that doesn’t make him a retired baseball legend. It’s actually the kind of poise he carries that gravitates fans immediately towards him, even after his retirement.

That said, as Fanatics Fest made a much-awaited return to the Javits Center in New York City this weekend, it featured top celebrities and American Sports athletes, including Derek Jeter. For true collectors, the “museum of greatness” was indeed dreamy. It had $200 million worth of the most iconic sports cards.

When Jeter was spotted there, he had a way to deeply connect with his young fans.

⁣

Jeter surprised three young collectors with Topps’ baseball card boxes. He walked up to them casually, shook their hands, and personally handed over these boxes. Their faces were beaming with immense joy. All of them, smiling ear to ear, were wearing Yankees jerseys. One of them in particular, a die-hard fan of Aaron Judge, was donning the jersey with his name.

For the record, this fest isn’t known to be just about baseball. It features all the big names from NFL, WWE, FIFA, NBA, and a lot more. But especially for MLB enthusiasts, it was a paradise.

Now, coming back to Jeter, his one gesture has given these young fans a core memory to cherish till the end. He’s a fan favorite for a reason.

Jeter is arguably that baseball legend who is even loved by the rival teams’ fans. Back in September 2014, when the Yankees went up against the Red Sox, Jeter received a standing ovation from the Red Sox Nation. Yes, from the archenemies, he received chanting of his name in unison at Fenway Park.

So, that’s just how his impact is! Despite being a 90s legend, he continues to receive love even from Gen Z and Gen Alpha. A true icon who is only going to grow even more timeless over time…

Derek Jeter’s continued commitment to youth

To your surprise, the former Yankee legend is the founder of an organization named the Turn 2 Foundation. Just this week, around 150 kids were gathered at Kalamazoo Central High School for a Play Ball clinic. Interestingly, it was organized in collaboration with MLB. The idea of this event was to teach the kids the foundation of fielding, baserunning, tracking fly balls, and even hitting. All the basics that have helped Jeter build his legendary career.

It was a two-hour event that had the kids buzzing from end to end.

Beyond baseball, this event helped the little ones build confidence and character. Led by high schoolers from Jeter’s Leaders program, these trained students in terms of service and leadership. So, yes, the mentors of this event were young too, who were a guiding light for even younger kids.

It was another memorable event by Jeter for the younger generation. In fact, these kids were even gifted a bat and a ball set with a T-shirt as a token of their presence. The coordinators clearly wanted these kids to continue practicing the basics of the game at their homes.

With this instance, once again, Jeter is setting an example. After breathing baseball for decades, he is now known for more –  for his unmatched charisma and for building the future of baseball.