Former Baseball star turned American businessman Derek Jeter shared his jinx-breaking secret with Jimmy Fallon during the True Confessions segment of The Tonight Show. The 48-year-old reminisced on one of his career’s “worst” offensive stretches, saying a golden thong saved his reputation.
Two Truths And A Lie
Jeter picked one of two envelopes containing either a truth or a lie, with the host, Fallon, and fellow guest and singer, Rita Ora, guessing which was which. He read the prompter saying,
Where’s The Lie?
Jeter shocked Ora and Fallon when he confirmed the statement, saying he could explain. The former MLB star said he learned the trick from a new teammate, Jason Giambi, who told him that wearing a golden thong could change his luck.
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Taking Every Help He Could Get
Giambi convinced Jeter that the action would end his jinxed offensive stretch in 2004, so he decided to try it. After days of badgering from the former, Jeter finally succumbed and, as it turned out, smashed the homerun against Oakland Athletics.
Overcoming His Slump
Since then, the golden thong became Jeter’s cheat code for hitting a home run. Giambi seconded his teammate in an old interview, saying it was necessary that he overcame the slump because the team counted on his expert batting.
The Gold Thong Effect
The season of the gold thong gave Jeter his first Gold Glove Award after leading the Yankees to the ALCS. In Giambi’s words, the underwear is legendary.
Getting Married And Having Children
Since retiring from Baseball, Jeter became a businessman, and he’s been as successful in business as he was in sports. He married Sports Illustrated model Hannah Davis, with whom he has three children.
Launching The Player’s Tribune
Jeter launched the website, ThePlayersTribune.com , which updates fans about professional athletes. He also became a brand development officer for Luvo Inc. and invested in Whistle Sports Network.
Life After Baseball
Two years ago, the MLB player became a board member of Rockefeller Capital Management. He was the CEO of the Miami Marlins between 2017 and 2022 and sold his 4% ownership when he resigned. Later that year, he joined Brian Lee to start a sports card grading business.
Life After Business
Beyond business, Jeter is also a philanthropist who lends his wealth to various causes. Some of those include non-profit organizations that save children and teenagers from a life of drugs and alcohol. He also helped during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and continues donating to non-profits.
