New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter can revel in yet another honor -- he has been selected as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. Jeter, 35, was chosen as the Sports Illustrated magazine's 56th honoree and the first New York Yankee chosen for the award. He has played his entire career for the New York Yankees and has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003.
Jeter is the first baseball player to win the award as a single player since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were co-winners in 1998, as were Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in 2001. The Boston Red Sox won as a team in 2004.
Derek Jeter is considered to be one of the best players of his generation. He is the all-time hits leader among shortstops and his .317 career batting average through the 2009 season ranks as the fifth-highest among active players.
Jeter has been among the American League leaders in hits and runs scored for the past ten years. He is the all-time Yankees hit leader, passing Hall of Fame member Lou Gehrig in 2009.
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement."
Winners in this decade include: Tiger Woods, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, Lance Armstrong, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, The Boston Red Sox, Tom Brady, Dwyane Wade and Brett Favre, Michael Phelps and now Derek Jeter for 2009.
Both men and women have won the award, it being renamed as "Sportswoman" or "Sportswomen," such as 1999 when the U.S. Women's Soccer Team was named Sportswomen of the Year.
In an article on SI.com about Jeter's award, Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonell, "Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he's extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field."
The Derek Jeter Sportsman of the Year Award issue of Sports Illustrated comes out on December 7, 2009.
Written by Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com
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