After turning down the cowboy hat, Derek Jeter finally embraced it. The Yankees legend and former shortstop took to “X,” formerly Twitter, on Sunday to share a picture of himself sporting a cowboy hat. This came just a couple of days after he declined to participate in the pregame antics on Fox Sports.
Derek Jeter captioned the photo, “Relax!!! It was just a skit.”
The U-turn of Derek Jeter
The Hall of Famer chose the high road when the pregame show for Game 5 of the Astros-Rangers American League Championship Series took a Texan twist. David Ortiz, the former Red Sox star, got into the spirit of the all-Texas showdown and playfully distributed cowboy hats to his colleagues on the set. This included Derek Jeter, former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, and the show’s host, Kevin Burkhardt.
Ortiz made a playful remark to Derek Jeter, suggesting that his head was excessively shiny. Rodriguez played along with the playful bit, affectionately referring to Ortiz as the “Dominican Garth Brooks.” In contrast, Derek Jeter chose not to participate and regarded the cowboy hat with an air of disapproval.
The five-time World Series champion remarked that New Yorkers typically didn’t wear or embrace such items, indicating that the particular style or accessory in question was not aligned with typical New York fashion.
However, it seems that after enduring some good-natured teasing for two days, Derek Jeter may have had a change of heart.
The off-road prank
Ortiz, a fellow Hall of Famer and former adversary, let go of Derek Jeter’s initial reluctance, and during the broadcast, he playfully remarked that Burkhardt “looks like that guy from ‘Toy Story.'” Burkhardt took the comparison to Woody in stride, which left Ortiz in stitches.
Derek Jeter, perhaps wanting to rejoin the playful banter, acknowledged that the Woody comparison was “actually pretty good.” It’s worth noting that Jeter embarked on his broadcasting career this summer after stepping away from the Miami Marlins in 2022.
Derek Jeter’s lack of patience for David Ortiz’s antics is not a new development. In June, during Jeter’s first appearance alongside Ortiz and fellow Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez, Ortiz presented Jeter with an unexpected gift. Derek Jeter, displaying a sense of caution, cautiously opened the box. As it turned out, his suspicions were well-founded.
Ortiz announced that he had a gift for Jeter, and he encouraged Derek Jeter to open it on behalf of everyone. Jeter unwrapped the gift to reveal a Red Sox jersey with his name on the back. Amid laughter from his colleagues, Derek Jeter playfully discarded the jersey. Ortiz insisted that it was intended as a gift. Jeter expressed his appreciation for the time he had spent with the group but indicated that he would no longer be around.
Derek Jeter, a 14-time All-Star, appears to have developed strong chemistry with Ortiz, his longtime adversary from Boston.
Conversely, there doesn’t seem to be the same level of camaraderie between Derek Jeter and Rodriguez, his former teammate. Their off-the-field disputes have been widely publicized.
In the game itself, the Astros staged a comeback, securing a 5-4 victory, primarily due to a ninth-inning home run by Jose Altuve. This win places Houston just one victory away from earning a spot in the World Series once again. The Astros will have the opportunity to secure their return to the Fall Classic in Game 6, which is scheduled for Sunday in Houston at 8 p.m. ET.
But Derek Jeter’s refusal to don the hat took centerstage.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
If Derek don’t want the hat, I will take it 🙂