Comments on: Derek Jeter

By: Harry Agganis

Harry Agganis — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:30:59 +0000

As a die heard Red Sox fan, the last person I want to see at the plate with the game tied in the 9th is Jeter. His inside-out swing has given the Sox fits for 10+ years. He is a true team leader (the anti-ARod) who always has his head in the game. In my opinion, he is first ballot HOFer and although he is despised in Beantown, he will always be respected.

By: JohnnyTwisto

JohnnyTwisto — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:33:34 +0000

No, Jeter's a not a perennial MVP candidate, but how many players are? He had a very good case to win two MVPs (1999 and 2006) and also received 1st place votes in a third year ('98). Defensively, he's not good, and he has had some seasons when he appeared really bad ('07). Nevertheless, he's been competent enough to remain at the position into his mid-30s. That may be damning with faint praise. I'll concede he's likely among the worst defenders to play as many games at SS as he has. But those who are even worse don't last at the position that long. When I am considering the best Yankees, I am considering performance as a Yankee. Jeter might not be as good a player as Johnny Mize, but Mize was a reserve for NY, so he doesn't get considered for their all-time team. Jeter has 14 seasons with an impressive peak. If you really don't think he's among the top 20, you must be giving a lot of credit to guys who only played here a few seasons. ------------------------------ David, that's odd about Bernie's ALDS lines. He played in 12 ALDS's, and the two lines show 7 and 5, so I assume if you add them together you get his total totals. Obviously they should already be combined, however.

By: David in Toledo

David in Toledo — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:48:14 +0000

Rather than make a list of who ranks where, why not make up a 25-man roster of the greatest Yankee players? Jeter and Rizzuto are the shortstops. In fact, 21 of the 25 are (or will be) in the Hall: Gehrig, Lazzeri, Gordon, Jeter, Rizzuto, A-Rod, Berra, Dickey, Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio, Combs, Winfield; plus the 8 pitchers Ford, Gomez, Ruffing, Hoyt, Pennock, Chesbro, Rivera, Gossage. Who's the third catcher, Posada or Howard or Munson? Which two more pitchers among Guidry, Reynolds, Righetti, Lyle, etc.? Who gets the 25th roster spot? (My rule: you have to have played more of your career as a Yankee than you did with any other team to be eligible. No Reggie, no Roger.)

How more hits does Jeter need to become the all-time leader WHILE PLAYING shortstop? (I assume people know that Ripken had 345 home runs as a shortstop and A-Rod is stuck on 344.)

I looked up Bernie Williams's postseason stats and am confused by the two lines for ALDS? Why two? (

By: tomepp

tomepp — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:01:01 +0000

I have to disagree with you, JohnnyTwisto. Offensively, Derek Jeter is a very good player – a perennial All Star candidate, but not a perennial MVP candidate. (At least, he shouldn’t be – and wouldn’t be if he played in Minnesota instead of New York.) Among his contemporaries I would say he’s in the top 20% in offensive value, marginally in the top 10% when considering shortstops only. In today’s game, shortstops are often offensive contributors, unlike in years past. (Cal Ripken, Jimmy Rollins, Hanley Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, etc.)

Defensively, however, I’d say the guy is way over-rated. He has marginally average range at best, and he makes his share of errors. He should never finish in the top 10 in Gold Glove voting, let alone actually win some. The Yankees would have been much better off when they acquired Alex Rodriguez if they had moved Jeter to third and kept A-Rod at short instead. The Yankees apparently succumbed to the idea that A-Rod’s stats “looked more like a third baseman’s stats” than A-Rods.

Where Jeter does earn bonus points is in leadership. As best I can tell, Derek is a stand-up guy and a genuine team leader. I have not heard or read any serious disparaging things about his character; and when you play in New York for that many years, that’s saying something.

Overall, I would say Jeter is an asset to any team he’s on, but considering the glorious history of the Yankees franchise and the many Hall of Famers that played for them, I would be hard-pressed to find room for him in my top 20 All-Time Yankees, let alone my top 10.

By: Jgeller

Jgeller — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:47:54 +0000

It's hard to completely compare Jeter to other great Yankees. He's probably overtaken Rizzuto as the greatest shortstop the team has had. But he was never considered a power threat and i don't think he was ever feared on the basepaths as a threat to steal at will, yet he's racked up 210 HR and 281 SB. Because he was never truly dominant, something Mantle, Gehrig, Berra, Ruth, and DiMaggio all were, I find it hard to put Jeter ahead of any of those 5. Also Mariano Rivera and Whitey Ford were much more dominating than Jeter ever was. So that's the Top 7. He's definitely in that next group of Williams, Mattingly, Dickey, Lazzeri, Rizzuto, and Munson, along with a few other pitchers.

By: JohnnyTwisto

JohnnyTwisto — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:22:19 +0000

Jeter's the best Yankees SS and should go down as one of their 10 best players ever.