By all accounts, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a bro’s bro, whether he’s doing everyone a favor by releasing Minka Kelly back into the wild or handing out autographs after one-night stands. And sure, being a Yankee legend in this frenzied media era means that he’s subject to more criticism and scorn than any Bombers of the past, but he’s played it pretty cool when the NY Post has called him a fat ass or when he’s been criticized by fans (and the media) for his drop-offs in numbers, because God forbid a guy show his age.
But those are sexy stories, written to cause controversy and scandal and ultimately sell ad space, so today the New York sports media is going to have to settle with a simply awesome story about Jeter. Victoria Soto was a 27-year old teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT before she was shot and killed last week while shielding children from a gunman. She was also a lifelong Yankees fan, and when Jeter heard about her, he reached out to Soto’s mother and family.
Excuse me for a second, the sinks in my eye bathroom are dripping.
“Vicki loved the Yankees — that was part of her eulogy,” her cousin James Wiltsie said Wednesday night. “No one in the family reached out, so (Jeter) must have heard about it and … reached out.
Wiltsie did not give details of the conversation but did say it was uplifting.
“It was a surprise and unexpected. Donna was ecstatic over it and very happy. She spoke to him for quite some time.”
Vicki’s sister Carlee tweeted the family’s excitement.
“Derek Jeter just called my mom!!!!! Thanks Vicki, she needs it thank you @yankees this meant a lot to my mother and all of us.” (Via the NY Daily News)
Obviously, a lot of athletes have been showing their support for the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting, but many of their efforts have just been passing blurbs. We should talk about guys like Jeter and Victor Cruz for things like this as much as we talk about their missed swings or dropped passes. It’s not scandalous or outrageous, but it might make us feel better.
