Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory will honor Baseball Hall of Famer, New York Yankees legend, and Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter with its 2021 Living Legend Award on Friday, November 12. The special ceremony also kicks off the 16th Annual Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Auction with Hunt Auctions, Inc. The award ceremony is a fundraiser for Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
Derek Jeter Highlights
Derek Jeter is one of today’s most celebrated major league baseball players. A five-time World Series champion and member of baseball’s exclusive 3,000-hit club, Jeter is a global ambassador for baseball and one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Jeter was a 14-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove shortstop, and the 2000 World Series MVP. His accolades also include five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award.
An incomparable leader both on and off the field, Jeter was born in Pequannock, N.J., and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was selected No. 6 overall by the Yankees in 1992 and quickly found success in the Major League. He won AL Rookie of the Year and helped the team win the 1996 World Series.
When he retired from the Yankees in 2014, he stepped away as one of the greatest to ever play the game. The Yankees retired his famous No. 2 jersey in 2017, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020, his first year on the ballot.
Jeter has remained close to baseball since stepping off the field. He was part of an ownership group that purchased the Miami Marlins in 2017 and became the franchise’s head of baseball operations and CEO.
“The honorees of our Living Legend Award were not only great players, they’ve also demonstrated lasting greatness beyond the ballfield. Derek Jeter has certainly had an incredibly positive impact on baseball and our culture that continues today. We’re thrilled to support his Turn 2 Foundation and celebrate him as this year’s Living Legend,” said Anne Jewell, Vice President and Executive Director at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
Turn 2 Foundation
Outside of baseball, Jeter continues to be the driving force behind the Turn 2 Foundation, which he established in 1996 to give back to the communities with which he has a close connection, including West Michigan, Tampa and New York City.
He satisfies his passion for inspiring young people through initiatives — like the Jeter’s Leaders program — that promote academic excellence, leadership development, positive behavior, healthy choices and social change. To date, the Turn 2 Foundation has awarded more than $30 million in grants to create and support signature programs that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “Turn 2” healthy lifestyles.