Derek Jeter‘s first post-baseball venture is into online media:

This morning, Jeter announced that he’s going into the newspaper business. Sort of. Jeter is starting an online publication called The Players’ Tribune, which seems to be basically an attempt to let players tell their own stories and offer their own perspectives without the filter of a reporter. I’m not entirely sure how it will work — how many players are going to write their own stories mid-season? — but it’s an interesting concept from a guy who’s clearly thought a lot about the impact of media.

“I realize I’ve been guarded,” Jeter said in a letter announcing the new publication. “I learned early on in New York, the toughest media environment in sports, that just because a reporter asks you a question doesn’t mean you have to answer. I attribute much of my success in New York to my ability to understand and avoid unnecessary distractions.

“I do think fans deserve more than ‘no comments’ or ‘I don’t knows.’ Those simple answers have always stemmed from a genuine concern that any statement, any opinion or detail, might be distorted. I have a unique perspective. Many of you saw me after that final home game, when the enormity of the moment hit me. I’m not a robot. Neither are the other athletes who at times might seem unapproachable. We all have emotions. We just need to be sure our thoughts will come across the way we intend.”

I’m impressed. Jeter has the name recognition to bring a lot of eyeballs to the site, and he’s media savvy enough to likely keep players from writing things that will really get them in trouble. (“Mr. Rocker, I’m looking at the post you submitted, and before we put this online, do you really want to criticize these groups?”)

My guess, too, is that this could expand into something bigger eventually. Podcasts, videos, his own Oprah Channel. We’ll see.