MLB Productions and HBO premiered their “Derek Jeter 3K” documentary last night. The Post talked with executive producer Dave Check about getting a rare glimpse into the Yankees shortstop’s private life.
Q: Since Jeter values his privacy, were you surprised he agreed to do the documentary?
A:
Pleasantly surprised. It’s certainly is remarkable playing all these years in the media capital of the world that he has maintained a lot of his privacy. And I think for him it was a personal decision to let us behind the curtain a little bit.
Q: Anything surprise you about him that you didn’t know beforehand?
A:
There was one time in his apartment where he had a bunch of friends over for lunch and it was very interesting because all the people that were there had been in his life for so long. So, I think for him loyalty is very important. To see all these people and the comfort level was really fascinating to see that close-knit group that is really his support system. . . . Derek told us that was the first time he had let anyone shoot at his apartment. So, at that point we knew the comfort level was very high.
Q: What do you think fans will enjoy the most?
A:
Hearing Derek on the field and what he says to his teammates. And to me the most emotional moment of the special is when he is crossing the plate after his 3,000th hit, which was obviously a home run. To hear what his teammates were saying to him was a very emotional moment for him. And for any Yankees fan or baseball fan it must have been very special to peak in on that moment.
Q: You’ve worked on many baseball documentaries, where did being at the game when he went 5-for-5 and hit a home run for hit No. 3,000 rank?
A:
Way up there. To capture an individual and the manner in which he did it. To be on the inside and listen to what it was like for him and his teammates that’s it for any one in our business to capture that moment. If he had a single, he’d be talking to his first base coach, but to be greeted at home by all his teammates you really couldn’t script it.
Q: Why did you decide to put the documentary on HBO rather than the MLB Network?
A:
Since the audience at MLB is predominantly die-hard baseball fans and since this was about a player that transcends baseball and sports, we thought this would be a good fit for HBO and their general interest audience.