Kevin Elster tells how his departure from the Yankees opened the door for Derek Jeter

A few years ago while Kevin Elster was in New York for a 1986 New York Mets reunion, we discussed about his short tenure with the New York Yankees in 1995 that was hastened by Derek Jeter's arrival. On the day that the Yankees will retire Jeter's number 2, I am sharing a story that I wrote for metroBASEBALL magazine, where Elster recalls how he received a very clear message from the Yankees that Jeter was his replacement and that his services were no longer needed by their organization.

While his tenure with the Yankees was met with little fanfare, sporting a .057 average (2-for-37), Elster’s departure from the Bronx allowed for a legend’s career to begin. He knew his time was running out during a road trip when the hotel staff mistook his identity for someone named Jeter.

“We were in Seattle around Memorial Day weekend in 1995," Elster said. "A bellhop knocked on my door and said, ‘Mr. Jeter, your luggage is here.’ I told the guy that he had the wrong person, and being around the game, I immediately knew something was up.

"Jeter was staying next door, so I knocked on Derek’s room and told him I had his luggage. He knew the deal and gave me a big hug. When I got to the ballpark, Showalter brought me in his office and told me I was going to be released. Jeter made his debut and the rest was history.”

Pushed aside for a rookie, a veteran might harbor ill feelings towards his replacement, but not Elster.

“I was a backup at the time and just getting back to the majors. He deserved to be there.”