On Jan. 21, Derek Jeter found out that he’ll be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame this July, and he had his closest loved ones by his side when he got the news. Derek was surrounded by his parents, his wife, Hannah Davis Jeter, and his two daughters, Bella, 2, and Story, 11 mos., when the phone call came in. The Players’ Tribune captured the sweet moment, in a video that was shared with fans on Jan. 22. The footage starts with Derek and the family watching coverage of the Hall of Fame announcement on TV, and Bella can be heard in the background chanting, “Find daddy! Go daddy!”
Then, Derek gets the phone call, and he listens on speakerphone as Jack O’Connell, from the Baseball Writers Association of America, tells him the good news. “The baseball writers elected you to the Hall of Fame,” Jack reveals, to which Derek, jokingly, replies, “I always look forward to seeing you and hearing your voice, but for selfish reasons, your voice sounds a little bit better today.” After hanging up the phone, Derek takes a moment to celebrate with his family, kissing and hugging both parents and his model wife.
Unfortunately, the excitement got a little too overwhelming for Bella, who started crying! Luckily, her dad was there to pick her up and soothe her, while still celebrating his major milestone. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on July 26 in Cooperstown, New York.
A phone call 25 years in the making. pic.twitter.com/hy5cfeuCAr
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 22, 2020
Derek and Hannah are extremely private about their personal lives, and are VERY rarely photographed with their girls in public, so it’s extremely special that the retired baseball star is sharing this intimate moment. Hopefully, the whole family will be together again at Derek’s induction in July!
Derek and Hannah’s relationship began in 2012, and they got engaged in 2015, just months after he retired from baseball. The lovebirds tied the knot in July 2016, and welcomed Bella in Aug. 2017. Story was born in Jan. 2019, and will turn one on Jan. 31.
