May 3, 2019; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter walks onto the field prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve known about ESPN’s upcoming Derek Jeter docuseries The Captain for a while now.

The project, set to arrive this summer, feels a bit like ESPN trying to revive the magic of The Last Dance, taking a deep dive into a sports icon. Last night during ESPN’s first Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the 2022 MLB season, we got our first slight teaser for the series.

There’s not much to it; Jeter talking directly into the camera, some quick-cut archival footage, and a list of former teammates, opponents, executives, and famous New York voices who will take part.

If there’s one takeaway here (beyond the fact that a documentary has a presenting sponsor), it’s that the way Jeter’s framed (directly in the center, in front of some sort of teal void) is going to take some getting used to, if that’s where he is for the entire run of the doc.

For more on the project, from ESPN’s original release:

ESPN Films today announced a multi-part documentary series that will tell the story of one of the greatest icons in modern sports and reveal the man behind the icon. Derek Jeter’s arrival with the New York Yankees helped transform a struggling franchise into a storied dynasty, all within a time of great change in New York City.

As Jeter forged a Hall of Fame career, he established himself as the model Yankee both on- and off-the field, with his style, class, and charisma. Jeter’s commitment to winning came with a rare combination of competiveness and cool, traits he has taken with him into retirement as he tackles new tests as a team owner and executive with the Miami Marlins and as a father. As he prepares to enter Cooperstown this July, he is pulling back the curtain to reveal what it was really like to be “The Captain.”

The other takeaway from the trailer is that this project feels a lot more reverential than, say, The Last Dance was. Hopefully that’s not the case; six episodes of talking about how Derek Jeter was nothing short of heroic would get very old. Then again, Jeter has held the public at such a distance that it’s hard to even know what to expect from him here in terms of revelations or insight. Maybe we’ll be surprised!

The Captain is set to debut the first of its six-episode run on Monday, July 18th.

[ESPN]

About Jay Rigdon

Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.