Hall of Famer!
Derek Jeter got the ‘yes’ vote from all but one writer. He fell that short of being just the second unanimous selection.
I’m not sure Jeter much cares about that, after all, Mantle, Mays, Aaron, even Babe Ruth we’re not unanimous selection.
Only Mariano Rivera so far, and since he was the greatest ever as a closer, by a lot...
...maybe that’s good enough.
But things have gone south from there.
There are now people on social media saying that Jeter was overrated, and that if he weren’t a Yankee he’d be just another player.
That’s ridiculous.
It’s like Isiah Thomas saying that Larry Bird would’ve been just another player had he been black.
Senseless.
Jeter had more than 3,400 hits. He won 5 titles as the starting shortstop. He was clutch, hit .310 in the playoffs.
“He wasn’t even the best shortstop on his own team,” one genius posted, referring to A-Rod.
And of course, A-Rod was a great player, but he was also stained by steroids. He was also a lightning rod of trouble - even though he’s now a media darling - but I always think of them in this regard:
A-Rod was the guy standing near the stands with his hands on his head as Jeter dove in and bloodied himself making a great catch against the Red Sox during one of the greatest games I’d ever watched.
He’s the author of the flip play, roaming way out of position to shovel pass an errant throw to peg a runner at home - it’s still the greatest play I’ve ever seen a baseball player make.
He was a great player, and I enjoyed watching him play...
...every night.
I think of how he’d laugh when one of his own players did something crazy - like when A-Rod struggled to catch a pop-up, or when Luis Sojo just fell over in between pitches in a game against the Mets...
...Jeter was laughing so hard on that one that he had to cover his face with his glove.
He loved the game, and he treated it with respect. He played hard, was great with the fans...
...he took Matt’s cap off, rubbed his head, and pulled the cap way down. Matt turned to me, and said, “Did you see what Jeter did?”
The look on Matt’s face is something I’ll never forget.
Overrated???
No freaking way!
2nd best shortstop on his own team??
Not a chance.
I went to a Yankees game and at the bar before the game started we polled the bar.
You get one pick:
“Jeter or A-Rod?”
It wasn’t close...
...Jeter got nearly every single vote.
Just like he did at the HOF vote.
I take it back:
He should’ve been unanimous.
I’m not sure Jeter much cares about that, after all, Mantle, Mays, Aaron, even Babe Ruth we’re not unanimous selection.
Only Mariano Rivera so far, and since he was the greatest ever as a closer, by a lot...
...maybe that’s good enough.
But things have gone south from there.
There are now people on social media saying that Jeter was overrated, and that if he weren’t a Yankee he’d be just another player.
That’s ridiculous.
It’s like Isiah Thomas saying that Larry Bird would’ve been just another player had he been black.
Senseless.
Jeter had more than 3,400 hits. He won 5 titles as the starting shortstop. He was clutch, hit .310 in the playoffs.
“He wasn’t even the best shortstop on his own team,” one genius posted, referring to A-Rod.
And of course, A-Rod was a great player, but he was also stained by steroids. He was also a lightning rod of trouble - even though he’s now a media darling - but I always think of them in this regard:
A-Rod was the guy standing near the stands with his hands on his head as Jeter dove in and bloodied himself making a great catch against the Red Sox during one of the greatest games I’d ever watched.
He’s the author of the flip play, roaming way out of position to shovel pass an errant throw to peg a runner at home - it’s still the greatest play I’ve ever seen a baseball player make.
He was a great player, and I enjoyed watching him play...
...every night.
I think of how he’d laugh when one of his own players did something crazy - like when A-Rod struggled to catch a pop-up, or when Luis Sojo just fell over in between pitches in a game against the Mets...
...Jeter was laughing so hard on that one that he had to cover his face with his glove.
He loved the game, and he treated it with respect. He played hard, was great with the fans...
...he took Matt’s cap off, rubbed his head, and pulled the cap way down. Matt turned to me, and said, “Did you see what Jeter did?”
The look on Matt’s face is something I’ll never forget.
Overrated???
No freaking way!
2nd best shortstop on his own team??
Not a chance.
I went to a Yankees game and at the bar before the game started we polled the bar.
You get one pick:
“Jeter or A-Rod?”
It wasn’t close...
...Jeter got nearly every single vote.
Just like he did at the HOF vote.
I take it back:
He should’ve been unanimous.
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