As he prepares to retire Derek Jeter's Irish roots are worth examining.

3,000 hit hero Derek Jeter is African American and Irish.

His mother Dorothy is an Irish American accountant nammed Conner from New Jersey.

It was his mother's father, Sonny, a church handyman who inspired Jeter to take up baseball.

In his biography Jeter writes about his grandfather drilling, training and encouraging him for hours and instilling his passion for the game.

Jeter's father Charles, is African American and a substance abuse counselor.

Jeter refers in his biography to his Irish roots joking most people think he is either Italian or Hispanic and Black.