Royce Lewis took a long journey to get to Yankee Stadium, but the Twins third baseman is making the most of it.
Growing up as a shortstop in southern California to biracial parents, Lewis idolized Derek Jeter, so on his way to The Bronx for the first time Tuesday, Lewis made up his mind to honor his hero.
“I knew about the respect he earned from, it seemed like, the whole league,” Lewis, who did not play Thursday in an 8-5 loss to the Yankees, of why he revered Jeter. “He was a shortstop and his parents were black and white, like mine. I felt like I was him and I wanted to be like him.”
Minnesota Twins’ Royce Lewis bats during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in New York. Like many infielders of his generation, Lewis grew up idolizing Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter
So before the first pitch he saw from Luis Gil, Lewis put his right arm up toward home plate umpire Chris Segal, just as Jeter often did during his career.
Unfortunately for Lewis, Segal misunderstood the action and granted Lewis time.
