Don’t bet on Derek Jeter jumping into the baseball broadcasting booth any time soon.
The Yankees legend, who works on Fox Sports’ MLB pregame and postgame show, said calling games likely isn’t in the cards for his post-playing career television gig during an appearance on the SI Media Podcast with Jimmy Traina.
“Doing entire games and pre-and-post games are completely different,” Jeter said. “Doing an entire game, that’s stressful. You got to talk for two and a half, three straight hours and you have to be interesting. Whereas pre and postgame, you have a few segments where you can speak your mind. And post-game, you’re reacting to the game, the highlights and what you saw.
“I don’t have any interest at this point to do entire games — it’s just a lot of talking and dissecting. And I really enjoy what I do now.”
Jeter joined Fox Sports as a studio analyst ahead of the 2023 season after stepping down as CEO of the Marlins in 2022.
The Hall of Fame shortstop had previously been courted by YES Network, The Post reported in November 2022, but rebuffed.
Even when Fox came calling, it took some convincing before Jeter joined the network after balking at the offer off the bat.
“And then, I got a chance to think about it a little bit more,” he said. “It keeps you connected with the game. You still get a chance to watch games and be connected with the sport. I still think it’s the greatest sport in the world. So I was all in. I’ve had a great time.
“We have good chemistry. I’ve known Alex [Rodriguez] for a long time. I’ve gotten to know Kevin [Burkhardt]. Kevin is the best. He is the absolute best. To watch him on a daily basis, deal with the World Series and then have to leave to do a game with the NFL on Sunday — it’s remarkable what he’s able to do. And he makes it comfortable, he makes it easy. And David Ortiz … [He’s] one of the best people you’ll ever meet.”
In the same interview, Jeter also had a message for those still asking him about the anonymous voter that didn’t put him on his or her Hall of Fame ballot. Jeter fell that one vote short of being a unanimous selection like Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera.
“I don’t care that someone didn’t vote for me. I really don’t, but I do think what becomes annoying is I have to constantly answer the question. And I don’t think I should be the one answering the question. Whoever it is should answer the question. I don’t have a problem with it, but I get tired of being asked that question.”