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Holding on to Jeter

   

Garth McLennan
Editor in Chief

nlike 2009, 2010 wasn’t exactly

a banner year for the New York

Yankees. Despite securing the
AL wildcard spot and ensuring a berth in
the playoffs, they failed to repeat as AL
East division champions, and following
that, they flamed out in the ALCS against
Cliff Lee and the upstart Texas Rangers.
After winning the World Series in 2009, it
wasn’t a stellar way to follow up.

Now, as is tradition when clubs with
heavy expectations of glory lose long
before they are expected to, change has
been promised in New York. The Yankees
are expected to take a run at Lee when the
superstar pitcher enters free agency this
winter and they are, much like they did in
the winter of 2008 (which preceded their
championship season in 2009), expected
to load up for 2011.

One name has so far flown somewhat
under the radar in the wake the Yankee’s
premature playoff exit: Derek Jeter. The
captain of New York since 2003 and
inarguably one of, if not the, greatest
Yankees of all time, Jeter is about to hit
the free agent market for the first time in
over a decade with the expiration of his
previous $189 million, ten year deal.

Realistically speaking, it is unlikely
that the Yankees will let their captain,
the man who has authored more historic
and memorable moments in Yankee
history than perhaps any other before
him, just walk away from the franchise.
After all, Jeter has been an integral part
Yankees for hi entire career, which have
famously included five World Series
Championships along the way.

However, there is a feeling that at

_ age 36, Jeter’s best days may be behind

him. After all, he, along with the team,
struggled this year. His .270 average was
the lowest he’s ever had as a full time
player and his home run production fell
from 18 last year to just 10 this season.
His on-base percentage fell a full 66
points in 2010 and mirrored his batting
average at his lowest ever. Simply put, it
was a hard year.

However, the Yankees, or anyone
else for that matter, shouldn’t be quick
to just dismiss Jeter. Assuming that this
year was a not-so-pleasant aberration,
Jeter has been remarkable in his ability to
defy father time. He hit .407 in the World
Series in 2009, and his overall post-
season mark that year was an admirable
.355. To cap it all of, he was named
Sports Illustrated’s sportsman of the year
for 2009.

Odds are, Jeter and the Yankees
won’t part ways this offseason. Jeter is
different then past Yankee legends who
became embattled and embittered with
the organization after times turned hard.
Jeter isn’t Bernie Williams. He’s not
Billy Martin or even Joe Torre. More
than anyone man who has come before
him, and that includes Ruth, Gehrig,
Mantle and the rest, Derek Jeter is the
New York Yankees. No one before him
has represented the team, the city and the
game of baseball quite like Jeter has. He’s
the epitome of the Yankees, the perfect
example of exactly what a professional
athlete should be.

One thing that Jeter has always said
is that he doesn’t believe in impossible.
However, it is impossible to see a future
with separation between him and the
greatest franchise in professional sports.

 

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