Derek Jeter, before he took his last bat, in his autobiography wrote, “I kneeled and prayed the way I always have. But this time my prayer was a little different. I said, ‘God, if I have one more big moment in me, now is the time.'” When hard work leads to success, some attribute it to luck, while some thank God. When one believes in faith, it’s natural to attribute their fortune in life to a higher power.

A kid from Kalamazoo, Michigan, loved baseball so much that he wanted to play it for a living. However, Jeter has often laid emphasis on how his family and Catholic roots made him a baseball superstar. The former Yankee became one of the most beloved players in the sport and is a five-time World Series champion with the Bronx Bombers, and was also the captain of one of the most famous teams on the planet.

Derek Jeter never took anything for granted

When the former Yankee played, he was laser-focused on only baseball. A man of few words, the former slugger was never one to give details on his private life to the media. But every once in a while, he gave fans a glimpse into his personal beliefs. When the retired athlete won the 2009 World Series, Jeter sat down for an interview with Lisa Jandovitz and Jim Lisante.

Lisante asked him, “You have a great life in many, many ways. Do you ever find days where you say to the man upstairs, ‘Why me? Why’s Derek Jeter given this opportunity?'”

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Jeter told him, “Um, no, I try not to ’cause I don’t want Him to change His mind. I don’t know, I mean yeah, I’ve been pretty blessed in terms of – this is what I’ve wanted to do. But I appreciate everything that’s happened. I don’t wanna take anything for granted and I live life to the fullest every day.”

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Over the years, Jeter has opened up about how he grew up Catholic. It seems like while he believed in his own talents, he was thankful for whatever had come his way.

How Jeter found religion

In the same interview, the Hall of Famer discussed his religious roots. His grandmother is the one that inspired him since she used to take Jeter to church. The Captain grew up going to Catholic schools and while he admitted he was religious, he didn’t necessarily want to push it onto anyone else.

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