ANAHEIM, Calif. — Derek Jeter is a lucky man. Not only was he raised by wonderful parents, but he had the opportunity to play for George Steinbrenner from the first day of his professional career.
When Jeter took the field for batting practice yesterday at Angel Stadium for the All-Star Game, it was the first time since he put on the pinstripes that Steinbrenner was not there for him.
The Boss is gone at the age of 80.
Asked if Steinbrenner was like a second father to him, a smile crossed Jeter’s face.
“No question,” Jeter said. “I think he was a father figure to everyone in our organization in the past or present because he really took care of his players.
“You know, whether it was a player that’s on the team now or someone that played for a week 30 years ago, he really went out of his way to take care of his players.”
That’s all a player really wants, and the Yankees and Jeter could always count on Steinbrenner to give the team his best shot. At breakfast, I ran into Jeter’s parents. His dad said that it was a sad day for baseball and then deferred to his son, saying Derek would be able to talk much better about the situation than he could. Of course, he was right.
Derek first met the boss in the Gulf Coast League in 1992 after he signed with the Yankees. He was impressed that Steinbrenner knew his name.
“I was shocked that he knew who I was, but I guess because he gave me some of his money, he had to know who I was,” Jeter said.
Steinbrenner put his cards on the table that first meeting, telling the skinny shortstop, “We expect big things from you.”
“I’ll always remember that,” Jeter said. “He expects a lot. He expects perfection.”
He did, from everyone. That’s what made him the Boss. He was one of a kind.
In 2003 Steinbrenner called Jeter.
“I figured I was in trouble again,” Jeter said. “He was saying how much respect he had for me and that he wanted to name me captain and would I accept the role. I was in Cincinnati and it’s a memory I’ll always cherish. I realized what that title meant to him and to his Yankee organization.
“The thing with the Boss, he’s an old football coach,” Jeter said. “He sort of looked at the baseball season like we played 12 games and we had to win every single day.
“We would have bets on Ohio State-Michigan football games,” he added. “I’ve been in trouble a couple times. We’ve filmed commercials with him dancing. It’s tough because he’s more than just an owner to me. He’s a friend of mine. He will be deeply missed.”
In the end, it was all about one thing, really, championships.
Jeter has five rings. Last season the Yankees were able add the seventh world championship to Steinbrenner’s legacy. This year on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, Jeter presented Steinbrenner with his ring.
“It was fun,” Jeter said. “I got the chance to tease him because he had an Ohio State ring and I told him to take it off now and replace it with the Yankee ring. Those are the memories that you remember, those intimate moments. We had a lot of one-on-one moments, and that was the last time I saw him.”
When Jeter was done talking he went to the clubhouse to get his gear and then headed onto the field. He took some rounds in the batting cage and wandered over to shortstop. He was wearing his white All-Star shoes. Jeter stood on the grass and was soon surrounded by a group of AL All-Star teammates.
“My favorite thing about the All-Star Game is just seeing the guys,” he said Sunday night in Seattle.
His best guy, The Boss is gone now, but Steinbrenner’s championship legacy lives on at shortstop for the Yankees.
kevin.kernan@nypost.com