We’re in our second year of post-Jeter life, and I think we’re all doing pretty well coping all things considered. Many of us might be wondering what our former captain has been up to in his retirement. Luckily, Page Six ran a story to give you your much needed Derek Jeter fix.
First off, there is a menace running around Jeter’s estate on Davis Island in Tampa, Florida. Is he throwing lavish, loud Yankee watching parties? Is Hannah Davis hosting all her model friends for late night soirees? No. The menace simply goes by “Kane.”
“Jeter’s got this Italian mastiff, and it’s vicious. When he first got it, it was a cute little puppy, but it became controversial on the block. All of the dogs are afraid of him. He was outside barking all of the time. It wasn’t a normal bark. It was a bark you could hear blocks away.”
Jeter: World Series champ, All Star, bad neighbor? Kane hasn’t been seen much as of late, neighbors suspect the always private superstar is keeping him inside more.
So what does he do when he’s not pickling with The Beast? The most well known venture of his post-playing days is Players Tribune, “an innovative multimedia digital company where athletes can share their honest and unique perspectives to bring the fans closer to the game.” No media, no gossip columns misusing quotes, no misconstrued words. CC Sabathia utilized it to pen an article about his alcohol addiction, and Kobe Bryant broke the site when he used it to announce his retirement. Jeter keeps in touch with the site’s staff via video conference, and will occasionally stop by their Chelsea office. As for why he started the Players Tribune,
“I do think fans deserve more than ‘No comments’ or ‘I don’t knows.'”
He is also very involved in his Turn 2 Foundation, which is now in its 20th year of existence and encourages leadership skills in kids. With a long history of investments in companies like Aktien unter 5 Euro, he is even an investor in Luvo, a company that makes low sodium, pre-made frozen meals.
“You have to learn what’s good for you, what’s not good for you, engrain it into your mind and develop a lifestyle. The other Luvo ambassadors and I are helping people change the way they eat. It’s as simple as that. It’s a mission, not just a business.”
Digital media, check. Philanthropy, check. Frozen foods, check. Next up? Publishing. Jeter Publishing launched in 2013, and The Simon and Schuster imprint recently released Night at the Stadium, a children’s book described as a combination of Field of Dreams, Alice in Wonderland and A Night at the Museum. Jeter has been working hard to sell his name, something he’s never had to do before.
“Jeter talked about being very involved in the acquisitions process,” says agent Jennifer Keene. “He and his partners stressed that Derek’s name is on the imprint doesn’t just mean authors are signing up, and they aren’t just throwing money at people. There is a sound business sense there.”
Retirement has also allowed him to enjoy more events. The night before his literary event in New York City, he attended the Met Gala on the arm of his fiancee and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl.
“It’s not that he didn’t want to go the Met Ball or do media before retiring. With his baseball schedule, he was never able to do it,” says a source.
Speaking of fiancee, what about the wedding? Details are predictably scarce and we don’t have much of anything. But their estate on St. Thomas and the Virgin Islands are the two spots thought to be possible locations for the grand event.
While back in the city, he also stopped by Late Night to promote his books and poke fun at Seth Myers’ fellow Red Sox fans.
“When they come up to me, they always say, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m a Boston fan.’ I don’t care if you’re a Boston fan. We’re not at the stadium. Just don’t yell at me in restaurants. Boston fans have softened up since you guys won three recent World Series. It pains me to say. I am not happy you won, but you treat me a lot better.”
He received a lot of trips from other clubs during his 2014 retirement tour, so he’s been racking up the frequent flyer miles.
“He’s been a globe-trotter,” says a baseball source. “A lot of teams offered trips, and he made good on all of them.”
As for his new hometown Tampa, sightings are rare.
“He is very much under the radar. Unlike most athletes in Tampa, he’s not visible on the club scene, the charity scene or even at the gas station,” says Amy Scherzer, society columnist for the Tampa Bay Times. “The most frequent sightings are at the Avila country club.”
So what about baseball, Derek? You know, the thing you were put on this planet for.
“My first year in retirement, I needed to get away from it, so I didn’t watch,” he told Meyers.
He only made two trips to Yankee Stadium last season, to honor Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte during their number retirement ceremonies. But, he also told Meyers,
“I’m starting to watch a little bit more, because ultimately I have ownership aspirations.”
Ownership aspirations that have led to a lot of rumors. In 2014, The Post reported that he was interested in buying the Miami Marlins. But owner Jeffrey Loria shot down those rumors recently stating, “none of this is true.” The nearby Tampa Bay Rays are also a team linked to Jeter.
“There are rumors that Derek will become a partner with current owner Stuart Sternberg and help him build a new stadium.”
Speculation was fueled when he showed up in Havana to watch the Rays play an exhibition game against the Cuban national team. However, this was planned. He was selected as one of the player ambassadors to make the historic trip.
So when do Yankee fans get to see their hero next? He is rumored to be making the trip to the stadium on August 13 for the 20 year anniversary of the 1996 team. So there you have it, a cornucopia of Derek Jeter gossip to hopefully hold you over until the beyond private man gives us a tiny scrap to feed on.
