The New York Yankee dynasty from 1996 through 2009 would never have happened if Derek Sanderson Jeter was not their shortstop. The Yankees were coming off a disappointing ending to their 1995 season, losing to the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS. The rookie Jeter started the 1996 season at shortstop, hit a home run in his first game on opening day, and the rest is history, helping the Yankees win their first World Series title in 18 seasons. This 8 x 10-inch headshot features a determined Jeter and is signed "Derek Jeter" across his image in black ink. If you are looking at the images and saying to yourself, "Well, that doesn't look like the Derek Jeter signature I have always seen," you are correct. This is a very early rookie era signature, one which is more up and down rather than the loopy letter version. The photograph is in great condition, and the specimen from Jeter's early Yankee days comes with an LOA from Beckett Authentication for the signature.

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