Newsday, March 15, 1993, pp 84.

Eighteen-year-old shortstop Derek Jeter was stunned. He thought he was here merely to observe and to learn. Never in his dreams did he expect to play with the major-leaguers, not even for a moment. So when Yankees manager Buck Showalter advised him to ready himself during a recent game, Jeter's response was, "Ready? Ready for what?" "I was surprised. I didn't think I'd play here," the Yankees' 1992 No. 1 draft choice said excitedly after his recent pinch-running appearance.

That cameo appearance was nice. Better yet is that Jeter apparently has overcome the severe homesickness that hampered his initial pro half-season in Tampa and Greensboro. Jeter has seemed happy here among the major-leaguers and major-league hopefuls, unlike last year, when he rang up $400 monthly phone bills with calls home to Kalamazoo, Mich.

While Jeter has beaten that first big obstacle, he still has a long distance to travel before he sees meaningful game action, before he can begin to return the $700,000 initial investment the Yankees made in him. Coaches here describe him as "raw."

Jeter was sent to minor-league camp in Tampa yesterday, along with much more publicized 1991 No. 1 pick Brien Taylor. It was an expected move as Jeter continues what might be a half-decade odyssey in his quest to make the majors.

"He's like a little colt," said Clete Boyer, who works with the infielders. "He's got raw ability. You just have to do it to get the smoothness you need. He's hearing things he's never heard before. He's got quite a ways to go."

Indeed, this has been quite a learning experience for Jeter, who is 6-3 and 175 pounds and may eventually outgrow the shortstop position.

The only thing as obvious as Jeter's potential is his inexperience. He isn't smooth turning double plays and he drags his feet while approaching ground balls. "He's just a puppy," Boyer emphasized. Jeter does have the good sense to know he won't be in New York anytime soon. His stated goal this year is merely "to improve a lot on last year." Jeter added, "It shouldn't be too hard. Last year I was pretty inconsistent."

Jeter's pro career began last year in Tampa and Greensboro, where he batted .202 and .243, respectively. If he was dissatisfied with his performance, he was even unhappier with his minor-league life. Jeter never before had spent much time outside Michigan and he couldn't wait to get back.

In his first season, Jeter rarely left Tampa's Radisson Bay Harbor Inn, spending his days eating, sleeping and calling. The highlights of his initial season were the two times his parents came from Michigan to visit, perks provided by his impressive contract, which also pays for his schooling at the University of Michigan.

During the first couple of weeks last year, there was almost no evidence why the Yankees worked so hard and paid so much to beat out Michigan for Jeter's baseball services. Jeter, the No. 6 overall pick in the '92 draft, started 0-for-14 at Tampa, a rookie league team. His final average was 306 points lower than his average during his senior season at Kalamazoo Central High. "I was homesick," Jeter said. "I was ready to go home when I got there. When I went to bat I'd be thinking about how many days I had left before I could go home."

In a big turnaround, Jeter said of his initial experience at major-league camp: "It's been a lot of fun."