Derek Jeter Met with George Lombard Jr. in Offseason, Yankees SS Reveals Advice from MLB Legend

New York Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. revealed the offseason advice he received from Yankee legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter during a meeting in Miami over breakfast last January, per an exclusive from Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

"The big one—and it seems pretty simple and probably one of the most important things—is to be a stand-up dude," Lombard revealed to Kuty as the two spoke Monday in Minneapolis, where the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 8-3.

"Whether that's in the clubhouse or with the media or the fans, whatever it is. Be authentic and be a good person. It goes a long way, doing those little things. Whether that's always being upfront and honest or remembering people's names. Just being an overall good human being. It keeps you grounded and keeps you humble and it allows you to keep doing the stuff on the field and producing on the field and helping out the team wherever you can, while keeping all the unnecessary distractions away."

Jeter is a good person to take advice from, of course. Over his 20 seasons in New York, Jeter won five World Series titles and made 14 All-Star Games. He's also a five-time Golden Glove winner and five-time Silver Slugger.

Lombard raved about Jeter, telling Kuty that he was a "a great dude" and "a normal dude" and adding that he was also "humble and down to earth."

Playing in a big market like New York can be tough with the spotlight shining bright, and Jeter handled it very well. Lombard spoke with Jeter about how he handled the off-field responsibilities as well

"I think the better questions — and the ones that are more valuable — are all the non-baseball (questions)," Lombard said. "How he approached dealing with New York. Dealing with everything that comes with it. The media. The off-the-field stuff. How, in his case, being the captain, dealing with all of those responsibilities. All of it. Just good conversation. Very insightful. Definitely someone that you can take a lot from having a short conversation."

Lombard added: "In New York, the on-field impact is extremely important. But the character and who you are person-wise is just as important."

Jeter has made a positive impact off the field and still does to this day. Of note, his Turn 2 Foundation is now celebrating 30 years of existence. Per MLB.com, it has "awarded more than $48 million to create and support signature programs that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and 'Turn 2' healthy lifestyles."

Lombard is now the Yankees' shortstop of the present and future as the Bronx Bombers, who clinched a playoff spot yesterday, look to win their first World Series since 2009 and 28th Fall Classic overall.

The 21-year-old arrived in the bigs on Aug. 4 and hit a solo homer in his first game, a 2-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Lombard's bat has slowed a bit (.211 average, .624 OPS), but he's come through in the clutch, including a grand slam last Wednesday in a 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.