Try Yahoo Sports on Firefox
It's probably impossible for Derek Jeter to go anywhere in the United States without getting recognized. Though Jeter has now retired from baseball, he's still one of the most recognizable athletes to have played the game.
That's less of an issue for him in Japan, though. The Captain attended a sumo match Thursday, and met Chiyomaru, a wrestler who had never heard of Derek Jeter according to the Japan Times.
“I didn’t realize who it was,” Chiyomaru told reporters. “You have to tell me earlier.”
Top-ranked maegashira Tochiozan recognized Jeter as a ballplayer but was fuzzy on the details.
“He was a catcher or something like that, wasn’t he?” Tochiozan asked with a straight face.
Jeter played 20 years in the majors. He never once appeared as a catcher.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]
Jeter is in Japan to promote his upcoming charity baseball game, which will feature his former teammate Hideki Matsui. The game will benefit survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Until then, Jeter has to deal with the anonymity, which is probably a nice change. If only Jeter had played a position where your face is covered by a mask ... like catcher ... he might be able to enjoy the same freedoms here.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
- - - - - - -
Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
- Sports & Recreation
- Derek Jeter
