The
Captain. Mr. November. Many call him the classiest player in baseball.
Some words that come to mind when thinking of the New York Yankees'
shortstop are leader and class act. Derek Jeter has avoided injury
for most of his career, but now in his 17th
season it is beginning to set in not only to him but also to all
Yankees fans that Jeter is not going to be around forever. A five-time
World Series Champion, Jeter knows what it's like to succeed. However,
he also knows what it feels like to fail. Growing up in Kalamazoo,
Michigan, Derek knew from a young age that he had a true gift when it
came to baseball. In 1992, when Derek was 18, he was drafted with the
sixth overall pick by the Yankees, and after a long talk with his
parents and a lot of thought, he chose to go professional instead of
going to college. In his first year with the club, Jeter truly
struggled. His average was nearly below the infamous Mendoza Line
(.200), and the next season was not much better; Jeter made 56 errors in
the Yankees' low A farm system in 1993. After many phone calls with his
encouraging parents, Jeter stuck with it and, in 1995, finally got his
call up to the big leagues (even if it was only for 15 games). In 1996,
Derek not only got the starting job for the Yankees at shortstop, but
also batted .314 and won Rookie of the Year, not to mention winning his
first World Series.
Throughout his career, Jeter has been more than consistent, avoiding
injuries for the most part. However, he is now 39 years old and he
simply can not do all the things he was able to do in his prime. During
the 2012 ALCS against Detroit, Jeter fractured his ankle going up the
middle for a ground ball, ending the rest of his postseason and putting
his future in jeopardy. He had surgery on his left ankle, and was able
to return for the 2013 season – only to suffer another injury, placing
him back on the DL for the rest of the season. Jeter played 17 games
this season. 17! Although that's not more than the rest of his team can
say. The Yankees have had numerous injuries this year, including
outfielder Curtis Granderson (who was able to return for the end of the
season), third baseman Kevin Youkillis, and first baseman Mark Texiera
(season-ending surgery). Not to mention third baseman Alex Rodriguez who
was out half the season, only to return with steroid accusations
looming over him, facing a possible lifetime ban from baseball.
Moreover, Jeter's shaky left ankle calls attention to the inevitable:
the New York Yankees are getting old. Almost every player in the
starting lineup is past his prime, with the exception of a couple of
players. With all the injuries, the Yankees have had to sign washed-up
players such as Vernon Wells, Alfonso Soriano, Ichiro Suzuki, Travis
Hafner, and Mark Reynolds (the average age of these five players is 36).
In addition, all-time Yankees greats Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera,
the best closer of all time, have announced their retirements at the end
of the 2013 season. Needless to say, times are changing in New York.
Franchise players like Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are moving out,
and young faces like Eduardo Nuñez and Ivan Nova are moving in.
What's next for the Yankees is hard to say. In a division with teams
like the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, New York has to be on top of
its game day in and day out if they want they want to contend. I would
not consider the Yankees to be in a rebuilding stage quite yet, but it's
looking like that's the path they are heading down. Players like Derek
Jeter come once in a lifetime. Not only has he grown and played his
whole career in the Yankees organization, but also he is a true leader.
He is the anchor of the team at the shortstop position, he is the guy
you want at-bat with the game on the line, and he has a presence on the
field that makes him one of the best of all-time. In an era where role
models are hard to come by, Derek Jeter proves the professional athlete
stereotype wrong. He leads by example and is truly one of the best to
ever play the game. Derek expects himself to be back on the field for
the 2014 season.
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