Derek Jeter First Yankee To Be Named SI Sportsman Of The Year

By Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

SI Names Jeter Its '09 Sportsman Of The Year

Sports Illustrated has selected Yankees SS Derek Jeter as the '09 Sportsman of the Year, marking the first MLB player to win the celebrated annual award since the entire '04 Red Sox team won it. The selection, to be celebrated at an invitation-only event tomorrow night in N.Y., will honor Jeter's prominent role in the Yankees' recent 27th World Series win, as well as his ongoing charitable work through his Turn 2 Foundation. A profile on Jeter by SI baseball writer Tom Verducci is slated to appear in the magazine's upcoming issue. Jeter beat out several other prominent candidates including Lakers G Kobe Bryant, Colts QB Peyton Manning and sprinter Usain Bolt, and he is the first honoree from the Yankees in the magazine's 55-year history. SI announced its selection this morning on syndicated radio program "The Dan Patrick Show." Jeter said on the radio show, "This is tremendous award. For me, it means much more than playing sports and about how you conduct yourself as well." Meanwhile, Patrick pressed Jeter, who is entering the final year on a 10-year, $189M deal, on his contract status with the Yankees. Jeter: "It'll be addressed when the time is right. ... We'll see what happens."

WELCOME ABOARD: SI.com has hired several contributing writers to buttress its editorial roster, including Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy and former San Jose Mercury News columnist Ann Killion. Also recently added were Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press and freelance writer Jeff Pearlman, who previously wrote for Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com. The additions, unconnected to ongoing layoffs within Time Warner, are generally contract hires, and the newspaper columnists will retain the existing positions with their papers.