Derek Jeter won’t allow Colin Cowherd forget about the unfortunate mistake on air that happened two years ago.
Cowherd, 62, interviewed Jeter, 52, on Monday, July 13, ahead of the 2026 Home Run Derby, and the New York Yankees legend was quick to recall the moment Herd the host thought he was playing at the same time as Nolan Ryan.
“Before we get started, I just want to remind you … you just said, ‘Smart people make mistakes,’” Jeter said Monday. “Last time I was on your show you asked me about meeting Nolan Ryan, so let’s hope you got the facts straight this time.”
As Jeter spoke, Cowherd threw his hands in the air, chuckling playfully at the good-natured barb.
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And to be fair, Jeter didn’t miss Ryan, now 79, that much. MLB’s all-time leader in strikeouts retired in 1993 after a 27-year career. Jeter made his Major League debut with the Yankees in 1995.
Cowherd’s error occurred in 2024, also during MLB All-Star Week. He asked Jeter about his then-rookie. Paul Skens of the Pittsburgh Pirates, telling the former slugger, “You were obviously in the Nolan Ryan era.”
And then Jeter stepped in to correct him.
“I’ve never faced Nolan, slow down,” Jeter said. “No, I was way behind Nolan.”
Cowherd took the mistake in stride, laughing it off before moving on with the interview – likely unaware that Jeter would hold onto the talk show host’s eventual belief that he was several years older.
Jeter retired from Major League Baseball in 2014 after playing his entire career with the Yankees and winning five World Series rings and seven American League pennants along the way. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020, just one vote short of becoming the second player ever elected unanimously.
After retiring, Jeter worked for FOX as part of the baseball broadcast team and entered the world of business, purchasing a minority stake in the Miami Marlins in 2017. Although he sold his share of the franchise in 2022, he later joined the entrepreneur. Brian Lee launch a trading card company called Arena Club.
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Jeter even graduated from the University of Michigan in May 2025, 33 years after he first enrolled.
“Since enrolling at Michigan in the fall of 1992, it has taken me longer than expected to get to graduation!” he wrote then via Instagram. “Thank you @uofmichigan for the honorary JD degree and the invitation to give the commencement address. Congratulations Class of 2025. Go Blue!”
Jeter planned to play baseball for the Wolverines after high school, but the Yankees selected him sixth overall in the 1992 MLB Draft and he decided to turn pro instead.