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“With His Headphones on”- When Derek Jeter’s Fondness Towards Mariah Carey Was Revealed by Former Locker Mate

Published 11/04/2022, 9:22 AM EDT

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Derek Jeter gained prominence in society as an iconic baseball legend. He is also equally famous for his long history of starry romantic affairs. For a major part of his playing career, he kept his private life hidden. Nonetheless, with Jeter’s immense popularity, his love relationships didn’t stay undercover for too long. 

Moreover, Jeter’s long list of dating history included some celebrity-status women on that note. One love relationship with Jeter in particular made a lot of news when it surfaced. That was his romantic fling with pop music megastar Mariah Carey. So when two massive star values of Jeter and Carey’s proportions combine, it’s definitely bound to sparkle. 

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Jeter got smitten by Carey, much before he became the MLB star playing for the New York Yankees. He had the dream of joining the Yankees and then eloping with Carey someday. There was a time when he used to sing along to Carey’s songs with headphones on. In an interview back in 2020, Jeter’s first-ever locker mate revealed some of the details. 

Derek Jeter’s love for Mariah Carey in the words of a locker mate 

Chris Heaps was the first-ever baseball locker mate of Derek Jeter. Additionally, Heaps was also Jeter’s first double-play partner in pro ball. Heaps got drafted in the 28th round out of a community college in Alabama. Having played as a minor league baseball player, Heaps now works as a baseball coach and history teacher. 

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Speaking about Jeter’s fondness towards Carey during a phone interview, Heaps said, “And I remember a picture of Mariah Carey, and him singing, ‘I’ll Be There,’ with his headphones on. Not a great singer, but we laughed and liked it.” 

Derek Jeter’s Ex-Girlfriend, Minka Kelly, Once Revealed How Her Unique Quality Left the MLB Legend Impressed

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Jeter and Carey eventually dated for a brief period from 1997 to 1998. Interestingly, at that time, Carey was already married to music executive, Tommy Mottola. However, Carey was unhappy in her marriage and so considered Jeter as her catalyst. Carey even wrote two songs as a tribute to her memorable romance with Jeter. 

Derek Jeter’s career on the baseball diamond and life post-retirement 

Jeter began playing MLB in 1995 as the Yankees’ shortstop. He became a 14-time All-Star player and won five World Series championships. He bid farewell to his playing tenure in 2014. Post-retirement, Jeter got his jersey retired by the Yankees’ administration and also received MLB Hall Of Fame Honors. 

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Watch This Story – From Mariah Carey To Lara Dutta: Derek Jeter’s Star-Studded Dating History 

Jeter became the co-owner and CEO of the Miami Marlins in 2017. He resigned from his duties in 2022. Jeter now mostly spends time in the company of his family. 

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Written by:

Madhurjya Bhuyan

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Madhurjya Bhuyan is an MLB author at EssentiallySports. He has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in English Literature from Gauhati University and IGNOU, respectively, and also possesses prior professional experience as a content developer. Being a performance artist since childhood, Madhurjya has always aimed to contribute towards creativity in any possible manner, and writing only boosts that desire.
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Edited by:

Sreeda U M