Derek Jeter to receive 2021 Living Legend Award

Learn about Derek Jeter, the 2021 Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s Living Legend Award recipient.

Newly minted Hall of Famer Derek Jeter carried a Louisville Slugger bat to the plate in every one of his more than 12,500 plate appearances during a 20-year career. The results speak for themselves. 3,465 hits. 1,311 RBI. 260 home runs. A .310 career batting average. Although his playing days are behind him, the accolades just keep rolling in. Later this year, the 14-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion will receive the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s Living Legend Award.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the great team at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory with this award,” said Jeter. “Louisville Slugger played a very integral role in my playing career, and I appreciate all that they have done for the game of baseball.”

Jeter is one of today's most celebrated Major League Baseball players. A legend in the Bronx 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 Leagues.  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 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 CEO.

The Yankees legend left an indelible mark on both the game of baseball and Louisville Slugger. The P72 model he swung throughout his entire career was retired after his career drew to a close and Louisville Slugger renamed it the DJ2 in recognition of Jeter.

“I signed out of high school and when I first signed, I was looking for a wooden bat,” Jeter said of the P72 model.  “Louisville Slugger, it goes without saying, how reputable they are, how long they’ve been around, how much success people have had with it. In terms of the model, I just picked the bat that was shaped like my aluminum bat.  It was the P72, and, in my entire career, I’ve never swung another bat.”

The Living Legend Award was created to honor a person whose career in baseball, and life outside the game, have taken on legendary qualities by virtue of his talents, achievements, and conduct. The celebration started in 2007 and is personalized each year for the recipient to make it an especially memorable and meaningful event. With the Living Legend recognition, Jeter joins a prestigious group of baseball Hall of Famers to receive the award. Past recipients of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s Living Legend Award include: Mike Schmidt (2019), Frank Thomas (2017), Dave Winfield (2016), Andre Dawson (2015), Ozzie Smith (2014), Cal Ripken, Jr. (2013), Tony Gwynn (2012), Johnny Bench (2011), Ernie Banks (2010), Hank Aaron (2009), Frank Robinson (2008) and Ken Griffey, Jr. (2007).

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. He established this foundation 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.

The Living Legend Award ceremony will take place on November 12, 2021 at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory in Louisville, KY. For more information and to browse available ticket packages, you can visit www.sluggermuseum.com.