SERBY'S SUNDAY Q&A WITH...DEREK JETER
SERBY'S SUNDAY Q&A WITH...DEREK JETER
April 16, 2006 -- The Post's Steve Serby sat down with the Yankees captain this past week at the Stadium:
Q: What are the odds you'll be married before you retire?
A: Probably good.
Q: Why?
A: (Smiles) 'Cause I hope to play a long time.
Q: What if you fell in love with a Red Sox fan - could you marry her?
A: (Laughs) I don't think it'd be a question of, "Could I?" It'd be a question of, "Could she?"
Q: But you could?
A: I could probably convert her. But I don't know if her family (chuckles) would allow such a thing.
Q: If you were Commissioner and Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's record, what would you do?
A: Celebrate it.
Q: Why?
A: Why not? Everything's speculation. I get tired of hearing about it because every day someone else has a new book, and someone else is saying this, saying that. It's all speculation. You can't prove a thing.
Q: You're 31. How much longer do you want to play?
A: As long as I'm having fun. Once this becomes a job where you don't want to come anymore, I couldn't do it.
Q: Could you see yourself as a manager, coach or broadcaster?
A: Nope.
Q: What do you see yourself doing?
A: I would love to own a team. I'd love to be able to call the shots.
Q: How will working for The Boss help you when you own a team?
A: (Smiles). The thing people fail to realize about The Boss ... everyone says how tough he is, but if you play for him, he's loyal. That's why you always have all these ex-players (at spring training). He takes care of you. Being a Yankee means a lot to him, and once you are a Yankee, he wants you to be a Yankee forever.
Q: What about the way he goes about his business will help you?
A: He's loyal, strict, expects perfection. That's the biggest thing.
Q: Would you be that kind of owner?
A: I would expect perfection.
Q: You'll be The Boss II, then?
A: I wouldn't necessarily be The Boss II (smiles). There's only one Boss.
Q: The key to performing in the clutch?
A: Staying calm. A lot of times the game speeds up when you get in big situations. You have to do everything in your control to slow it down.
Q: What's it like being hated on the road?
A: I enjoy it. It makes it fun to play. It's fun to get booed. I look at it as a challenge.
Q: Key to playing and succeeding in New York?
A: People don't want to hear excuses. If you play well, you played well; if you play poorly, then stand in front of your locker and say you played poorly.
Q: You've been called the modern-day DiMaggio.
A: No, no, no, no. It's a compliment, but I can't compare myself to DiMaggio. He's idolized by me, so I don't ever view myself as being that.
Q: Your fantasy in a different sport?
A: I would love to be Jordan for a day, when he was playing, just to see what it would be like.
Q: When would you rather be someone other than you?
A: Walking around sometimes, I would love to just be able to watch people, see how they act.
Sometimes I would love to be invisible.
Q: Who's the Yankees' best dresser?
A: Mo (Rivera) dresses pretty good.
Q: One Damon story.
A: We're in the WBC. He had like six at-bats. I think he might have broken eight bats in those six at-bats. So Chipper Jones kept laughing at him. And then we went to Orlando to play Atlanta in spring training. (Damon) had three at-bats and he broke three more bats.
Q: Your offseason training regimen this year?
A: A lot more agility and running. When you get older, you gotta pay attention to that. When you're young, you can get away with just going out there and playing. But as you get older, you have to make sure your legs are in shape and you're not losing any lateral movement.
Q: You look bigger up top.
A: I'm pretty much the same. Usually come to spring training about 200, 205. By the end of the year, 190.
Q: Has your diet stayed the same?
A: I eat a lot better now.
Q: What do you avoid?
A: Fried foods, heavy foods, fast food.
Q: That's why you have a cook?
A: I can't eat like I used to.
Q: Favorite current football player?
A: The Manning brothers. Peyton's already established. Eli's gonna be great. And Tom Brady.
Q: How did you get to know the Mannings?
A: Peyton, I got to know through Gatorade. Eli, I got to know through Peyton when he came down for my golf tournament.
Q: Matt Leinart or Vince Young?
A: Vince Young. He beats you with his legs, he beats you with his arm.
Q: If Joe Torre weren't a manager, what would he have been?
A: Mayor.
Q: Any political ambitions for you?
A: No (smiles). They might do a background check.
Q: Toughest competitor you've played against?
A: Can I do 'with'?
Q: Sure.
A: Mariano.
Q: Favorite current basketball player?
A: Dwyane Wade.
Q: Did you ever play hooky in school?
A: Never. I went to school on Senior Skip Day.
Q: That's pathetic.
A: Isn't it?
Q: Best book you've read in the last year?
A: Just read "Alchemist."
Q: Funniest moment on the mound?
A: Remember when (Luis) Sojo tripped on his own shoelaces in the playoffs? In Oakland? He got the groundball? It was Game 5, elimination game. It was like the sixth inning. So we go to the mound and (Andy) Pettitte says, "No, this is not happening! Not to me! Not now!" That was the funniest thing I ever heard (laughs).
Q: Why are you so driven to succeed?
A: You want to be the best you can be, individually and as a team. Second place has never really settled in with me.
April 16, 2006 -- The Post's Steve Serby sat down with the Yankees captain this past week at the Stadium:
Q: What are the odds you'll be married before you retire?
A: Probably good.
Q: Why?
A: (Smiles) 'Cause I hope to play a long time.
Q: What if you fell in love with a Red Sox fan - could you marry her?
A: (Laughs) I don't think it'd be a question of, "Could I?" It'd be a question of, "Could she?"
Q: But you could?
A: I could probably convert her. But I don't know if her family (chuckles) would allow such a thing.
Q: If you were Commissioner and Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's record, what would you do?
A: Celebrate it.
Q: Why?
A: Why not? Everything's speculation. I get tired of hearing about it because every day someone else has a new book, and someone else is saying this, saying that. It's all speculation. You can't prove a thing.
Q: You're 31. How much longer do you want to play?
A: As long as I'm having fun. Once this becomes a job where you don't want to come anymore, I couldn't do it.
Q: Could you see yourself as a manager, coach or broadcaster?
A: Nope.
Q: What do you see yourself doing?
A: I would love to own a team. I'd love to be able to call the shots.
Q: How will working for The Boss help you when you own a team?
A: (Smiles). The thing people fail to realize about The Boss ... everyone says how tough he is, but if you play for him, he's loyal. That's why you always have all these ex-players (at spring training). He takes care of you. Being a Yankee means a lot to him, and once you are a Yankee, he wants you to be a Yankee forever.
Q: What about the way he goes about his business will help you?
A: He's loyal, strict, expects perfection. That's the biggest thing.
Q: Would you be that kind of owner?
A: I would expect perfection.
Q: You'll be The Boss II, then?
A: I wouldn't necessarily be The Boss II (smiles). There's only one Boss.
Q: The key to performing in the clutch?
A: Staying calm. A lot of times the game speeds up when you get in big situations. You have to do everything in your control to slow it down.
Q: What's it like being hated on the road?
A: I enjoy it. It makes it fun to play. It's fun to get booed. I look at it as a challenge.
Q: Key to playing and succeeding in New York?
A: People don't want to hear excuses. If you play well, you played well; if you play poorly, then stand in front of your locker and say you played poorly.
Q: You've been called the modern-day DiMaggio.
A: No, no, no, no. It's a compliment, but I can't compare myself to DiMaggio. He's idolized by me, so I don't ever view myself as being that.
Q: Your fantasy in a different sport?
A: I would love to be Jordan for a day, when he was playing, just to see what it would be like.
Q: When would you rather be someone other than you?
A: Walking around sometimes, I would love to just be able to watch people, see how they act.
Sometimes I would love to be invisible.
Q: Who's the Yankees' best dresser?
A: Mo (Rivera) dresses pretty good.
Q: One Damon story.
A: We're in the WBC. He had like six at-bats. I think he might have broken eight bats in those six at-bats. So Chipper Jones kept laughing at him. And then we went to Orlando to play Atlanta in spring training. (Damon) had three at-bats and he broke three more bats.
Q: Your offseason training regimen this year?
A: A lot more agility and running. When you get older, you gotta pay attention to that. When you're young, you can get away with just going out there and playing. But as you get older, you have to make sure your legs are in shape and you're not losing any lateral movement.
Q: You look bigger up top.
A: I'm pretty much the same. Usually come to spring training about 200, 205. By the end of the year, 190.
Q: Has your diet stayed the same?
A: I eat a lot better now.
Q: What do you avoid?
A: Fried foods, heavy foods, fast food.
Q: That's why you have a cook?
A: I can't eat like I used to.
Q: Favorite current football player?
A: The Manning brothers. Peyton's already established. Eli's gonna be great. And Tom Brady.
Q: How did you get to know the Mannings?
A: Peyton, I got to know through Gatorade. Eli, I got to know through Peyton when he came down for my golf tournament.
Q: Matt Leinart or Vince Young?
A: Vince Young. He beats you with his legs, he beats you with his arm.
Q: If Joe Torre weren't a manager, what would he have been?
A: Mayor.
Q: Any political ambitions for you?
A: No (smiles). They might do a background check.
Q: Toughest competitor you've played against?
A: Can I do 'with'?
Q: Sure.
A: Mariano.
Q: Favorite current basketball player?
A: Dwyane Wade.
Q: Did you ever play hooky in school?
A: Never. I went to school on Senior Skip Day.
Q: That's pathetic.
A: Isn't it?
Q: Best book you've read in the last year?
A: Just read "Alchemist."
Q: Funniest moment on the mound?
A: Remember when (Luis) Sojo tripped on his own shoelaces in the playoffs? In Oakland? He got the groundball? It was Game 5, elimination game. It was like the sixth inning. So we go to the mound and (Andy) Pettitte says, "No, this is not happening! Not to me! Not now!" That was the funniest thing I ever heard (laughs).
Q: Why are you so driven to succeed?
A: You want to be the best you can be, individually and as a team. Second place has never really settled in with me.
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