Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman grew up idolizing Derek Jeter, which is why the 23-year-old was thrilled his team was the visitor on Sunday when the New York Yankees retired Jeter’s number. And if Bregman could have changed jersey numbers as his own tribute to Jeter, he would have.
Bregman, who wears No. 2, told reporters after Houston’s 11-7 victory that he tried to change jersey numbers before the game.
“I got here this morning and I was asking the clubhouse guy if I could get a different jersey, but they only had one,” he explained, via Bill Ladson of MLB.com. “They would have had to make a full new jersey. But I was going to try and not wear 2 tonight to have that number not work. It’s an honor to be on the same field as him.”
Bregman’s mother Jackie, a lifelong Yankees fan, grew up in Long Island and attended Sunday’s game in the Bronx. The Bregman family likes Jeter so much that they named their family dog after him. Ironically, it was Bregman’s first-inning grand slam that helped propel the Astros to victory.
“It was always our dream to play in the big leagues, play in her home city,” Bregman said of his mother. “Watching her favorite team, watching her favorite player get his jersey retired, it’s a pretty special moment.”
Watching her son belt a 440-foot grand slam must have been even more special. The night could not have been more perfect for Bregman, who obviously likes Jeter more than some of Jeter’s own former teammates. The fact that he was able to lead his team to a win while getting a front row seat to Jeter’s enshrinement must have been the ultimate experience.
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