Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Derek Jeter is revealing what happened behind the scenes of his 1996Seinfeldcameo The former MLB star tells PEOPLE that he had to "do over" his season 8 cameo with Bernie Williams after mouthing the phrase "Jesus Christ" in reaction to George Costanza's baseball skills "They were like, 'No, no, no, no, no,'" he says of those working on the show Derek Jeter's initial reaction to George Costanza's swing wasn't necessarily a home run for network television at the time. The New York Yankees legend, 51, reveals to PEOPLE that his memorable 1996 cameo on season 8 ofSeinfeld— as himself in "The Abstinence" — wasn't a one-and-done situation, as he actually had to have a "do over" when filming for his first official TV gig. As Jeter shares, he and fellow former YankeeBernie Williamsflew out to Los Angeles at the time to film the episode, which followed George (played byJason Alexander) and Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) each practicing sexual abstinence. Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty For George, that meant eventually hitting an open-air batting area supposedly at Yankee Stadium and showing a couple of players his newfound baseball skills (after an extended period without sexual activity appeared to impact his intelligence). In the scene, George — then an assistant to the traveling secretary for the baseball organization — drops some "simple physics" knowledge on Williams and Jeter before hitting a couple of homers. "It was me and Bernie and George Costanza, but we flew out to film it in L.A., and I remember they were telling us to react to George hitting the home run," Jeter recalls of the scene. "I mouth, 'Jesus Christ.' And they were like, 'No, no, no, no, no. We got to do it over. We got to do it over. We got to do it over. You can't say that, that's the thing.' I just felt like I made a big mistake," he adds. "I think that's what stood out for me." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Joseph Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Jeter and Williams weren't the only stars to make cameos in the episode either, as both David Letterman andAlex Trebekalso made guest appearances in "The Abstinence," which premiered on NBC in November 1996. The eighth season also marked the first following the departure ofLarry David. Filming the scene, Jeter says, gave him "much more respect" for actors and actresses. Now, as part of being named BetMGM's latest brand ambassador, fans can catch a glimpse of Jeter on TV screens with the company's newest "Legendary Plays" ad, in which the retired MLB star walks the field at Yankee Stadium and recalls "where it happened." While reflecting on his on-screen history, the former shortstop and sportscaster added that he once tried to secure a spot in aSpike Leefilm back in 1996, but it didn't go according to plan. "I met Spike Lee in 1996 at a Yankee game, and I was excited," Jeter says. "Everyone knows Spike Lee, and he was on the field, and I said, 'Hey, Spike, when are you going to let me act in one of your movies?' And he said, 'Try acting like a shortstop tonight.' " "So he put me in my place. And ever since that, I took his advice to heart, and I realized where my focus should be, and that should be on the baseball career." Read the original article onPeople