Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger emerged as a breakout star during his rookie season in 2017, but it wasn’t his first time getting accustomed to a Major League Baseball environment.
Bellinger is a second generation player, as his father, Clay, previously enjoyed a four-year career that spanned in two different decades. As a child, Bellinger would often visit his father in MLB clubhouses and met plenty of other players along the way, including many Hall-of-Famers.
One player he encountered was former New York Yankees shortstop and current Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter. Bellinger has often called meeting Jeter, one of his childhood idols, a favorite memory of his.
With the Dodgers visiting Marlins Park this week, it gave the two an opportunity to reunite. That prompted Jeter to recall first meeting with Bellinger, via Glenn Sattell of MLB.com:
“I remember him coming around the clubhouse when I was playing with his dad. It’s great to see the success that he’s had. I remember watching him when he was in the Little League World Series. Time flies.”
Jeter, who spent 20 seasons with the Yankees, teamed up with Bellinger’s father in three of them from 1999-01. During the span, the two appeared in all three World Series while ultimately winning back-to-back championships in the former two years.
Clay would capture a third championship with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2002, capping off his final season as a big leaguer in grand style.
