FAMILY IS THE BEST FORMULA FOR LIFE

A lot can be said about Derek Jeter and the incredible presence he has in Major League Baseball and the New York Yankees.  He's simply the best; in character, drive, leadership and integrity. And while you will read a lot about Jeter and his family and how much of a positive force they have been in his life, I think back to the day I wrote this piece, June of 2011, titled WHY JETER IS EPIC FOR 1 GOOD REASON.

In it, I broke it down simply...his family made him this way, and no one can ever take that away from him:

"... why does he have this incredible drive, this refusal to fail and a positive outlook on life? Amazing parents. I'll never forget it, my wife, who could care less about baseball and thinks BYB is my mistress, knows one thing, a person's presentation. She doesn't care about the players themselves, but does care about how they present themselves because after all, they are role models to our kids. She can see a real tool a mile away.

Jeet's no tool and I know that because in some interview where Jeter and his family were around him, Jeet gave props to how great his upbringing was and how his parents did it right. My wife said right then that she was impressed. It was genuine. I'm a guy, I was clueless at that moment.

Women have it all figured out. Men? Men want a win or die trying. We're savages. But women, yes, they know you can win if you play hard, be smart and it all stems back to being raised right. Maybe it's a motherly instinct, I'm not sure, but she's right. Jeter was a champion before he ever won a World Series. He was just destined to win because of the way he was raised."

Family first.  I've said that a number of times in my life and it's a staple here at BYB.  Family is always first.  Sure, if one of my writers has a deadline, but they have something going on in their own life, no pressure, family first.  If the timing of a big Yankee signing goes down right at the moment of my son's home run or recital... guess where I'll be? You know what I mean? Family first.

Family is the thread that runs through a person's development.  If you learn together, you grow together and in the end, family life is happier and things run smoothly.  It's not as easy as it sounds, trust me, none of us are perfect, we're all human. It's not always harmony... but it's the way it should be.  Parents run the house and supply the discipline and the confidence, and in the end, the kids, who are sponges, will take it in. Sure, they sometimes resist, but ultimately, they learn.  Derek Jeter learned. Derek Jeter is a leader and Derek Jeter is successful.

It goes further than Derek though.  Look at the Posada family.  They're mad busy, but they're constantly supporting each other.  How about the Sabathias?

How about the Hensleys?  The Bichettes? How about the writers on Bleeding Yankee Blue? Sure, we're all here plugging away daily to bring you what you need on our pages, but on the other side, the side you don't see, we're teaching, nurturing and supporting our kids, teaching them right from wrong and trying to build them up to be leaders, doctors, believers... maybe even baseball players.  A family is the best formula for life... it needs to start at home.

I was taken by something that Buck Showalter said of Jeter and his family and it was repeated by Michael Kay in an ESPN interview and written about here on BYB in  THROUGH THE EYES OF CHAMPIONS & MONA LISA SMILES. Kay said of a conversation he said with Showalter years ago:

"Buck Showalter told me a long time ago when Derek first came to the stadium... I said 'well how's he gonna be?' He said 'I don't know what type of player he's gonna be, no way to tell, but I will tell you this;  I've met his parents... once you meet that kids parents, you'll know he's never gonna do the wrong thing, he's never gonna embarrass his family. He's never gonna embarrass his name and he'll never embarrass the Yankees organization,' and Buck Showalter was right on all points."

If that doesn't say everything, I don't know what does.

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