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Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 29, 2009 
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Jeter baby. I was a hater now a lover.
The Captain showing no signs of stopping, and thats a good thing.
What can you say about Derek Jeter? The guy just produces and goes out there and does his job every day. And all he gets is people complaining about his range…I would rather have an SS who tries hard than a guy like Reyes who may have better talent but is kind of soft.
I feel so lucky that I’m a Yankee fan in the Derek Jeter era. Words can’t describe the respect I have for him as a player and for the guy he’s turning out to be – it’s been fun watching him grow up.
“This Lisa from Whitestone is scary”
she makes Jerome from Manhattan, sound like a Noble Prize winner
It’s going to be some moment when Jeter becomes the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits during the 2011 campaign. I’m not sure how much longer he’ll play so it’s hard to know just how high his career stats might go.
If he plays to age 40 3,500 hits and 300 HR/300 SB are possible.
“I hate hearing ‘being on a pace’ about stats,” Jeter said. “Maybe I’ll have an even better month in June or maybe I won’t. What matters is whether you win the game that day. The statistics will be whatever they are.”
Jeter’s makeup/mentality/approach are unreal. Its a pleasure watching him play. I really hope Jeter can “win one for the thumb” and maybe start working on his other hand before he rides off into the sunset
There was a time not too long ago when a few analysts gave Jeter a shot at 4,000. It wasn’t very realistic then, but it seems totally out of the question now.
Derek Jeter is the best player the Yankees have had in my lifetime; 42 years. He is probably top 5 all time. The only thing he did not do is win the league MVP, but he should have.
I hope the Yankees have a spot for him after next year.
He will be the starting SS next year but not beyond.
Maybe he can become the super utility guy and DH. I bet he can play until he’s 40 and get darn close to 4000 hits…
@ “Wow”: I Couldn’t have said it better myself. Jete’s has been my idol since i was ten. I shudder thinking about his retirement in a few years. I can guarantee that the tears will be flowing…
All – Maybe Derek can be the manager in 5 years?
I always love it when “experts” say you can’t pay attention to stats when talking about Jeter.
And why not, exactly?
He’s got some of the best stats of any shortstop in the history of the game.
He’s been projected to finish his career with more than 3,200 hits. He’ll likely finish with somewhere between 1,800 to 2,000 runs scored.
And despite being a table-setter, he’s going to drive in about 1,400 RBIs before it’s all said and done.
Offensively, he’s going to be one of the top five shortstops of all time. Who has better stats than that among shortstops other than Honus Wagner, who is the greatest shortstop of all time.
And here’s something that’s never talked about. Derek Jeter is a better hitter than Cal Ripken. Ripken has more home runs and RBIs. He also played 21 seasons.
Jeter has a better .OPS, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, batting average and OPS+ than Ripken.
So when people say Jeter is all about intangibles, they simply don’t know what they are talking about.
Jeter is at 2,592 and for arguments sake let’s say he gets another 125 before the end of the season.
That’s 2,717 meaning he’d have to average 160 hits for eight more years to reach 4,000. Hard to see that happening.
A more realistic target might be 3,316 which would be four more seasons at 150 hits per after this one. That would put him in the All-Time top ten… not bad!
I know most folks assume his last day as Yankee shortstop will be whatever the last game he plays in 2010, but if he stays healthy, he’ll be around 100 hits short of 3000 heading into 2011.
I can see both he and the Yankees wanting that moment to happen while he’s still their shortstop.
Now any 35+ year can decline quickly or suffer injury, but if he can approximate this level, I think he can play for another couple of years.
Not like he’s got anyone pushing him in the minors or a prime free agent is presenting himself.
I strongly suspect barring injury or rapid decline, he’ll be the SS in 2011.
yeah imagine that, he wasnt actually declining last year he was just *gasp* hurt!
Jeter is 408 hits away from 3000, the only way he sniffs 4000 is if he plays another 9 to 10 years. I don’t see him doing that. I can’t say he is the best player I’ve seen in a Yankee uniform. Ricky Henderson, Dave Winfield had better careers sorry to say.
The funny thing about Jeter is that he doesn’t wow you with his skills he is just a consumate professional.
To put Jeter’s greatness in perspective, he became the all-time leader at short for the Yanks in every meaningful offensive category about 5 years ago.
rconn23, there are a multitude of players that were better hitters than Cal Ripken. He had “the streak”…that’s about it.
I dunno, Jeter’s been wowing me with his skills for quite some time…he may be losing a little range, but he can still make some great plays, and offense has never been a question.
Rickey Henderson a better Yankee career? In just 5 years with the team? He was certainly more explosive, his talent was more obvious, but not a better Yankee career. And, if you say Winfield, I think you would have to say Arod as well, unless this winter’s admission erases everthing for you.
Sorry, didn’t mean Yankee career..just meant player in pinstripes. I didn’t want to open the whole Arod v. Jeter can of worms, but now that you mention it..he is a better player.
What caught my attention was the statement by Long saying it used to be only Alex who was in the cages all the time…goes to show how hard that guy works, steroids or not.
Did you really have to put the “for now” part Pete? Good article.
Derek will be selectively rested to extend his career as much as possible.
He should get 3,000 easily enough but 4,000 is a stretch.
What everyone forgets is that he plays hurt all the time, with injuries that other players won’t even attempt to play with.
He doesn’t bring them up either. The hand injuries from being hit took a big toll on him last year. But not a peep!
He’s a different player when healthy.
DB,
Oh, I know. But there’s a perception that Ripken was a “great” hitter. He wasn’t.
Ripken was a better defender than Jeter is, but Jeter is a vastly superior hitter.
Jeter, quite simply, is the best shortstop of his generation. All the other guys that used to be mentioned in his class have had to answer for PED’s.
“So when people say Jeter is all about intangibles, they simply don’t know what they are talking about.”
Jeter’s agent is the one who started the intangibles discussion.
“Is the best player the most valuable player or the one with the best stats?” Close asked a Newsday reporter. “Derek’s value increases because he makes 24 other players better. I think Alex in part does that. I know Derek does that.”
I don’t agree Ripken was a better shortstop. Actually they are quite similar in their fielding percentages, errors and so forth. Ripken was better to his left, Jeter better to his right. Jeter received three gold gloves, Ripken two.
Offensively Derek has a pretty big edge in OPS (.845 to .788)
If you like OPS + as a stat… Jeter 120, Ripken 112
Ripken hit many more homers (431 – 213). Jeter stole many more bases (285 – 36). Interestingly Jeter turns 35 this year and age 35 was Ripken’s last as a shortstop. He played five more seasons.
“The funny thing about Jeter is that he doesn’t wow you with his skills he is just a consumate professional.”
That’s pretty much how I feel about him, I don’t overhype him, he’s a professional that benefited from his skills + the batters around him, Jeter alone doesn’t really wow you but when he’s protected he stands out.
Hey in this league a SS that can hit .300 + and have an OBP % of .340 – .380 is rare, wierd that this is so rare, I mean to think if Tulowitzki would have been in the AL he’d be the best SS in the game but he’s in the NL. Troy right now he’s a career .270 AVG, a .342 OBP % w/ no real protection, could you imagine if one of the NY teams acquire him or worst Boston ?
Not to mention he will be the ALL-Time Leader in hits for the Yankees – Yes THE NEW YORK Yankees! – if he reaches 193 hits this year. WOW just WOW.
Jeter’s on a mission,2 more rings before he hangs up the cleets.
What about moving Jeter to 3rd in 2011? It seems that ARod’s range is very limited (I understand he just had surgery) and who knows what’ll he’ll do next year (will he have additional surgery during the offseason). Shouldn’t the Yanks consider giving ARod one more year at 3rd base and then moving him to DH full-time 2011, opening a spot for Jeter 3rd.
if he reaches wow ? Johnny Damon is the #2 hitter, you think the league wants to pitch to him and Tex ? I’d be shocked if Jetes doesn’t get 200 hits this season.
“Shouldn’t the Yanks consider giving ARod one more year at 3rd base and then moving him to DH full-time 2011, opening a spot for Jeter 3rd.”
LOL no. If anything LF/SS.
I’m not so sure about this assessment of Jeter as ageless.
When I watch him running down to first base and getting beaten on some slow infield ground balls, I’m always thinking “a few years ago he would have beaten that out.”
Same thing when I am watching him in the field — not even trying for some things that a couple years ago he would have gotten to easily.
Brandon, Arod cant play shortstop anymore. His range is bad for a 3rd baseman (even before the injury), never mind SS. If the Yanks are going to move Jeter off of SS because of his range, they’re not going to put another player there that’s range challenged. When Jeter moves it will be for a great defensive player with an avg or above avg bat. Your LF guess is probably on the money though.
You would think at some point Derek or Alex would be the every day DH, but I suspect that year is 2012.
Next year I’d like to see Damon as the primary DH and occasional LF. The primary off-season target will be acquiring a top notch every day RF… at least it should be.
I agree with Country Club that ARod is not looking so good at third. Maybe partly it is due to his injury, but why then is he always playing so far off the line if he knows he can’t get over there? How many hits have breezed right by him down the line the last couple of weeks?
I hope so!
Jeter is the every day SS next year but not likely beyond that.
He will be a Yankee for 4-5 more years.
Problem with this (old) team is that in a year or two, everyone is only suitable for a DH!!!
“What about moving Jeter to 3rd in 2011?”
How does putting a guy with worse range and a weaker arm at 3rd help the team?
If Jeter saw 3rd base as his future, 2004 was his opportunity to do that.
“I agree with Country Club that ARod is not looking so good at third.”
He looked pretty good diving to his left on a play this week and the Kinsler pick off looked pretty good too.
The bench positions players. If they wanted A-Rod playing the line, he’d be there.
Here’s my take. If this has been mentioned already, then someone actually agrees with me! (Haven’t read the posts yet, just Pete’s lead in.)
Derek Jeter is nothing if not competitive. He hears things and reads things, and he also is a pretty astute guy. His GIDP/kill rally last year was frightful. He does his least damage that way batting lead off (and especially since Gardner had initially won the CF position and except for first AB, Jeter would be following Gardner, so the chances for a DP would be greatly mitigated.
If there is any player on the Yankees who knows how to raise it up five notches, it’s Jeter. I think his being moved to leadoff (with the things it likely signified) was just what it took for him to prove to everyone that he still has what it takes to be the face of the Yankees.
That just thrills me to death.
GOOD ON YA JETES!!!!!!!
Sandy — I think you are overstating it. 3B will be fine for several more years. I’m ok with two more seasons of Jeter at SS with Damon and Posada sharing DH duties in those seasons. I can see Posada catching about 108 games and Damon in LF about 50-75 times.
“The only thing he did not do is win the league MVP, but he should have.”
Two, actually.
umm a 34 almost 35 year old suddenly getting the power stroke
86w — of course, your scenario is barring injuries, which as we know, just isn’t realistic.
So, you’d drop Matsui? And Damon may not be back next year because his contract is up.
How many games has Posada actually been healthy for in 2008 & 09? I would take that more as an indication of his playing time next season than just a wish as to how many games you’d like him to play. The catcher problem is one of the most interesting the Yankees will face, but as in the recent past, injuries may solve it for us.
I think in two years, Jeter becomes a liability at short and he is not really suitable for a DH. Since he is “untouchable” what do you do?
The starting lineup IMHO will look very different in two years time, especially the outfield with possibly only Melky still around.