Derek Jeter

New York Yankees: 3 League format gaining strength, and baseball coming soon

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New York Yankees, Derek Jeter

New York Yankees fans are starved for baseball in any format that will allow games to start.  All across the country, the “boys of summer” are dearly missed.  With the coronavirus beginning to subside in many areas of the country, a starting date for games although still unclear, is drawing closer.  Many sources see a return to spring training happening in the next two weeks, and the start of the regular season in late June but at or before the July 4th holiday.

Although MLB has floated at least a dozen ideas on how to play a season and get in as many games as possible, while at the same time keeping players and fans alike safe, the newest plan seems to be gaining acceptance.  The plan calls for 3 Leagues representing geographic regions. This is not the first realignment plan, but this one clearly makes more sense and will severely cut down on air travel.  It calls for an Eastern, Central, and Western League.  The final plan may call them divisions or league, that remains to be seen.  Here is a lineup of the new divisions as provided on Twitter by USA Today Sports.

For this article, I’ll hone in on how it affects the New York Yankees.  The re-alignment would pit the Yankees against traditional teams in the AL East, including the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, and the Tampa Bay Rays.  With the new plan, the Yankee will also face the National League teams in the geographic region.  With the traditional National League and American League gone for the 2020 shortened season.  Interleague games will be gone, and the Florida Marlins, Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and last but not least, New York Mets would be included in the newly formed Eastern League.

The plan doesn’t present a lot of change for the New York Yankees as they will still play against the same rivals in the AL East.  They will not play against the weak Detroit Tigers this year, but that potential loss will be made up by the addition of playing the equally weak Florida Marlins. The Yankees will be playing against the teams in the East for about ten games during the season that hopefully will see 100 games televised in the shortened regular season.  The games, at least at the start, will most likely be played with no fans in the stands.

It is unclear at the moment if the resumption of spring training will happen in home parks or the traditional spring training locations.  If for the Yankees they do start at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Florida Phase 2 will go into effect tomorrow, which will allow a reduced number of fans able to view the games from the ballpark stands.  It is not likely that New York officials will allow in-stand fans before August.

One exciting aspect of the plan is that the sometimes rival New York Mets will become full-time rivals featuring many subway series during the season.  These games surely will draw huge crowds to capacity once it is allowed.  Even if fans aren’t allowed until later in the season, television revenues will go a long way to help support both teams that have already lost vast sums of money.

For the fans, most will just be happy to be able to watch our summer pastime.  They will enjoy playing the teams we always play and, at the same time, widen their baseball knowledge but getting to know new teams and players.  For the Yankees, they will get to play Derek Jeter’s Marlins, where they will see Jorge Posada, who is a special advisor to the Marlins.  While playing in Philadelphia, the Yankees will be reunited with former New York Manager Joe Girardi, who was hired to manage the Phillies this offseason.  Didi Gregorius is also now with the Phillies.

With in the next week or so, MLB will have to decide on a final plan to have a 2020 baseball season that will be like no other.  If the 3 division plan introduced, it will see an expanded playoff season that might reach into November. If the season goes late enough, we may see a World Series played in a neutral site in a warming climate.  Whatever happens, fans will be filled with joy as things get back to a new normal, and baseball can again be played in balls parks around the country.

The Yankees will be less concerned with the details of any of the plans to get baseball started.  They will be looking to put forth the best team they can field that will get them to their 28th World Championship.

New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter will have to wait for his Hall of Fame induction ceremony

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New York Yankees, Derek Jeter

Former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter will need to wait until 2021 for his Hall of Fame induction ceremony:

Derek Jeter nearly became the second player in history to be unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame this past winter. He missed the achievement by just one vote, but that doesn’t take away from his incredible career and the good he’s doing off the field. It was never a question if Jeter would make it to the Hall of Fame, but his induction will have to wait, as due to the coronavirus pandemic, all public gatherings have been called off for the foreseeable future.

Along with Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and former double MLBPA executive director Marvin Miller were all scheduled to join the ranks in Cooperstown this summer.

Jane Forbes Clark, a Hall of Fame chairman, presented a press release indicating the postponement of the induction.

“Induction Weekend is a celebration of our National Pastime and its greatest legends, and while we are disappointed to cancel this incredibly special event, the Board of Directors’ overriding concern is the health and well-being of our new inductees, our Hall of Fame members, our wonderful fans, and the hundreds of staff it takes to present the weekend’s events in all of its many facets. We care deeply about every single person who visits Cooperstown. In heeding the advice of government officials as well as federal, state, and local medical and scientific experts, we chose to act with extraordinary caution in making this decision.”

Jeter finished his career of 20 years with 2747 games played, 11,195 at-bats, 1,923 runs, 260 home runs, 1,311 RBIs, 3,465 overall hits, and a career batting average of .310. He was in the running for the MVP award ten times and partook in the All-Star game 14 times.

Jeter ranks in the top 10 all-time in plate appearances, singles, defensive games at shortstop, double plays turned at shortstop, assists at shortstop, at-bats, and ranked 11th and runs scored.

His career was remarkable, and while we will have to wait until 2021 to watch him enter the Hall of Fame, we all understand that he will get there nonetheless.

New York Yankees: Hall of Fame induction ceremony expected to be postponed until 2021

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New York Yankees, Derek Jeter

New York Yankees‘ legend Derek Jeter, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame earlier in the year, will likely have to wait until next year to be introduced to immortality.

Because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak affecting the United States and the world, virtually any gathering of multiple people is being avoided in most states, save for a few exceptions. MLB had to suspend the start of the season, for example, and it is still struggling to come up with a set date.

That means that the National Baseball Hall of Fame remains closed, and will likely stay that way for a while given the situation.

Yankees’ fans will have to wait

For Yankees’ fans, though, this year’s ceremony was going to be huge. Jeter, an idol for an entire generation, was going to enter the Hall in July. However, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports, the Hall of Fame is expected to announce this week that their induction ceremony weekend, scheduled to take place July 24-26, will be postponed until 2021.

The Hall will meet this week with board members to decide the fate of this year’s ceremony, but given the huge effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most likely outcome, per Nightengale, will be pushing it back to next year.

“How could you have an induction ceremony?’’ Hall of Famer Andre Dawson told USA TODAY Sports. “I wouldn’t want to see it happen. You got to look at well-being of people. You look at the older guys that come here. Think about the crowd. It’s just way too risky.’’

A total of 38 Hall of Famers are 70 years or older, and 19 are least 80 years old. There is little point in exposing these people to the risk of COVID-19.

“I know how important it is to the people in upstate New York for the induction, and how pleasurable it is to us to all of the Hall of Famers, but you can’t bring in everyone, not when people are dying at home,” said Dawson, who owns and operates the Paradise Memorial Funeral Home in Richmond Heights, Florida.

New York Yankees’ fans will likely have to wait until 2021 to see their idol immortalized.

New York Yankees: A history of great shortstops, find out the top 10

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Derek Jeter

The New York Yankees in their 107-year glorious history have had their share of great baseball players.  From Babe Ruth to Joe DiMaggio to Ron Guidry, Derek Jeter and dozens more, some of the best baseball players in history have graced Yankee Stadium.  In my other top ten columns, I’ve dealt with the pitchers, catchers, and baseman.  In this installment, I will attempt to identify the great Yankee shortstops.  With so many great shortstops, some writers will differ with the order of their preferences.  Here are this writers top 10.

One through five is relatively easy, beyond that gets more difficult as the New York Yankees are more known for their outfielders, 2nd and 3rd baseman.  If the Yankee has a position that is the weakest in their history, it is probably at shortstop.  Also, the Yankees have had players that were known for their offense and defense of their positions, but they were more well know at another position.  A good example is Alex Rodgriguez, one of the top five shortstops in all of the baseball lore, but he played 3rd base for the Yankees.  Joe Sewell, the Hall of Fame shortstop, could have been included in this list, but I did not consider him as he only played two years for the Yankees.

10.  Tom Tresh

First, let me say about Tom Tresh that he would have been in the top five with the exception that he played more in the New York Yankee Stadium outfield than in at short. Tresh played nine years for the Yankees with a career batting average of .247 with 140 home runs, five seasons with 20 or more, while being an excellent defender at both short and in the outfield.

9. Gene Michael

Gene Michael was valuable to the New York Yankees, as a player, coach, manager, and in the front office.  He was as much responsible for the last ’90s, 2000’s Yankee dynasty as anyone in the organization. Michael started his seven-year stint with the Yankees in 1968. He was not known as a hitter and less so as a long ball hitter.  What he was known for was his excellent defense at short.  He is another Yankees that could have ranked higher on this list if his offense was in line with his defense.

8. Mark Koenig

Many present-day fans don’t know Mark Koenig, he played for the Yankees for six years starting in 1925.  Koenig was an excellent hitter for that time, hitting .285.  He was not a home run hitter but hit for contact.  In 1928 he hit .319 for the season.   He was agile at short and played 2nd and 3rd when needed.  In 1927 he had third-most assists at shortstop in all of baseball (423).  In the World Series that the Yankees lost that year, he hit .500 without any errors in 28 chances.

7. Kid Elberfeld

Kid Elberfeld is another Yankee that few fans don’t remember.  He played short for the New York Yankees between 1903 and 1909.  In his seven years, he averaged .268 with 28 home runs.  As with many players at that time, he played all infield positions with the exception of the 1st base.  His fielding average was .938, which was excellent for shortstops at that time.

6. Bucky Dent

Some may say that Bucky Dent should be further down this list or not on it it all.  I place him sixth due to his exceptional spotlight play in the 1978 one-game playoff with the Red Sox. Dent hit .239 while with the Yankees and was an All-Star twice mostly because of his defense.  Dent was primarily known as a clutch contact hitter hitting 518 hits as a Yankee.

5. Frank Crosetti

Frank Crosetti is my choice as the 5th best Yankee shortstop.  Crosetti played his entire 17-year career with the Yankees, which brings him up on the list substantially. He hit .245 with over a thousand runs scored.  He was a two-time All-Star and a three-time MVP candidate.  Crossetti started his career at short for the Yankees in 1932, a position he held until a poor season in 1940 when Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto took over for him at short.  But he retook the job when Rizzuto left for the Navy. Rizzuto rejoined the club in  946. Crosetti then became a player/coach for the club when he retired in 1948.  He had a .948 fielding percentage as a Yankee

4. Roger Peckinpaugh

Roger Peckinpaugh was a Yankee for nine years and was an MVP candidate in 1914 when he was a player/manager.  He is the only one of the list to have managed the Yankees. He had a .949 fielding average while with the Yankees, which was quite good for that era.  He had a .259 batting average over the span.  He was known as a contact hitter with the ability to steal bases.  He stole 38 in 1914.  In 1921 Peckinpaugh led all of baseball with the most assists in one game (9).  After leaving the Yankees, he had a long managerial career ending with the Indians in 1941.  He later became general manager and president of the Indians.

3. Tony Kubek

Tony Kubek was one of the most beloved New York Yankees. He played 9 years with the Yankees in 1957 he won the Rookie of the Year award.  He played from 1957 to 1965.  He was an All-Star four times and was an MVP candidate three times.  Kubek is the first utility player to make the list, and although he played all over the field, 80% of his games were played at short, which is where he won all his awards.  The only position that Kubek did not play for the Yankees is that of pitcher or catcher.  In Game Seven of the 1960 World Series, he bungled a double play when he was hit in the throat by a bad hop that knocked him out.  At short, he had an excellent .967 fielding percentage.

2.  Phil Rizzuto

Known as much for his career in broadcasting and his onfield play at short. Rizutto can not be overlooked as one of the best Yankee shortstops ever. The “Scooter” had a .968 fielding percentage at short in his 13 Yankee seasons.  Rizzuto was of small stature, and the manager at the time that Rizzuto made his major league debut in 1941 Joe McCarthy once said Rizzuto was too small to be a good baseball player.  History has shown that McCarthy was very wrong.  IN 13 years, he had a fielding percentage of .968.  He hit .273 over the life of his career with almost 1,600 hits over the span.  Rizzuto the five-time All-Star was an MVP candidate eight-time capturing the award in 1950.  Rizzuto was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. When he left the Yankees in 1956, he had over 1200 double-plays under his belt.

He contributed to seven Yankee World Series championships and is sixth all-time in World Series games played, eighth in hits with 45, fourth in walks with 30 and tied for third in stolen bases with 10. Rizzuto would go on to have an exceptional 40 years broadcasting on radio and TV for the New York Yankees.  His folksy style embraced him to the Yankee fans.  His signature “Holy Cow” was known throughout baseball even to this day.

1.  Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter is the hands-down best New York Yankee shortstop ever.  This baby bomber spent his entire Hall of Fame career, 20 years with the Yankees all of them at shortstop. He is one of the very few career Yankees to have never played a game at another position at any time during there career.  Jeter was the most popular of all Yankees from the late ’90s to the present.  He was a member of the “Core four” that brought the Yankees to five World Series Championships.

After 20 years at short, he had the highest fielding percentage (.976) of any Yankee shortstop in the history of the club.  Add to that, Jeter was clutch at every important opportunity.  He hit an amazing batting average of .310, the eighth highest of any Yankee.  He led all Yankees playing 2,247 games while getting a historic 3,465 hits.  He was also number one with 544 doubles.

Getting back to Jeter being clutch, he had a unique ability to find himself in impact changing moments during the regular and postseason.  He seemed to relish it, although the shortstop was one of the most modest players always putting the team first.  A few examples include him getting his 3000th hit.  He didn’t just get a hit, he did it in style with a smashing home run.  When it came time for Jeter to retire in his last appearance at Yankee Stadium, he turned fantasy into reality when he hit the walk-off home run in his final game.

Jeter, during his career with the Yankees, was Rookie of the Year in 1996, he was an All-Star 14 times, a twelve-time MVP candidate, a five-time Gold Glove award winner, and a Silver Slugger award winner five times.  Jeter was one fo those unique players that played consistently throughout his entire career and retired at the top of his game.  Jeter became the second Yankee shortstop to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame to be inducted in the 2020 class.  He missed a unanimous vote by just one sour sportswriter.

In selecting my top ten, I valued time with the club, performance as per Baseball-Reference.com.  Peak career performance and performance in postseason play was also a factor.  Special situations like changing career positions were also a consideration.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

New York Yankees: Derek Jeter helps to fight Covid-19 and Mariano Rivera “devastated” by virus

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New York Yankees, Derek Jeter

New York Yankees legend and current minority owner of the Miami Marlins, Derek Jeter, fights Covid-19 via the “All In Challenge” while Mariano Rivera battles it close to home.

The All In Challenge has presented athletes with a method to give back to the community with awesome prizes, including Eli Manning’s Super Bowl-winning Corvette, batting practice with Aaron Judge, and Jeter’s 2014 All-Star Game jersey. This was his final appearance in the All-Star game before he retired from baseball.

“Look, there’s a lot of people struggling out there to put food on the table,” Jeter said. “Whether it’s kids, the elderly, or our heroes on the front line, we all need to come together to help out as much as we can.”

“As a player, you understand what an honor it is to play in an All-Star Game so that’s something that’s pretty special to me,” he added. “I hope everyone out there comes up with some huge bids on all these items because the more money raised is more people that can be helped.”

Jeter has always been good to the people, and he’s showing once more that he’s not only a legend on the field but off of it too.

On the other hand, another Yankee legend, Mariano Rivera, who runs the Refuge Of Hope Church in New Rochelle, N.Y., stated that the virus has been “devastating,” as the area had to institute a 1-mile containment-perimeter to stop the spread of the virus.

“That’s basically our home,” he told the YES Network’s, Jack Curry.

“Knowing that the town got infected with the coronavirus, we had to bring confidence and people had started wondering,” Rivera said. “We had to bring peace in the middle of tough times.”

Athletes and teams across the country have begun lending a helping hand to communities and individuals struggling to survive. Many stadium-workers have been left without work and struggling to find food, leading to teams committing millions of dollars to help those in need.

Yankees News/Rumors: Yankees Spring training, Granderson retires, and Are Jeter and A-Rod friends again?

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

A Daily look at New York Yankee News and Rumors of interest to Yankee fans.

Pitchers and catchers report on February 13.

Pitchers and catchers report in just twelve days with the full squad reporting to spring training on February 18 at the Tampa, Florida training facility, George M. Steinbrenner Field.  Workouts will begin immediately with the first game on Saturday, February 22, at home against the Toronto Blue Jay.  In the first week, they will play the Jays, Pirates, Nationals, Tampa Bay, and the Tigers.   The Yankees will play twelve games that will be televised by the YES Network, and one game will be on ESPN.  The Yankees regular-season opener will be away at the Orioles Park at Camden Yards on March 26.

Manager Aaron Boone and the coaches will be watching closely to evaluate all the players.  Although the Yankees are relatively set in the lineup, they will be watching first base players Luke Voit and Mike Ford to see who will win out for the opening day start at first.  They will also look at the hot corner, and Gio Urshela, who they have already said will start at the hot corner, and that it is his to lose.  That being said, they will also be watching Miguel Andujar closely as they try to figure out where he will best play.  They have options, including trying him at first and in the outfield.  He, of course, will be available to play at third base.  Many that watch the televised spring training games will be looking for the Yankees to win their games, but that is not the primary objective.  Preparing players for opening day is tantamount when the games count.

Curtis Granderson retires!

Curtis Granderson was a beloved Yankee on and off the field.  He was the Yankees ambassador here and around the world.  Curtis loves baseball and has promoted it everywhere.  He has traveled to England, Italy, the Netherlands, France, South Africa, China, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan to promote baseball.  He has worked tirelessly to support inner-city black children through his Grand Kids Foundation.  Yesterday he announced the end of his 16-year baseball career as he retired from the game.  He played the bulk of his career with the Tigers, the New York Yankees and the Mets.  In his later years, he played a year for the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers, and finally, last year in the minors for the Marlins.

In announcing his retirement, he said in part: “As I close out this wonderful chapter in my life and step away from the days on the field, I know that my role in this game is only just getting started. I look forward to continuing my work helping to diversify the sport, paving the way for young kids to learn and grow. Thank you — to the MLB, MLBPA, my teammates and coaches, front office staff, members of the media, partners, and the fans — for the ride of a lifetime.  This journey would not be possible without those who came before me, breaking barriers to allow a young Curtis Granderson to live out his dream. It’s been an honor to wear my socks high.”

Have A-Rod and Jeter patched things up?

As many of you may know, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have been on and off friends, both on the field and off.   First, here is the back story.  Both Jeter and A-Rod were superstar shortstops, one for the New York Yankees and other for the Seattle Mariners.  In many ways, their careers had many parallels at the start.  Before their debuts in the majors, they both met for the first time in 1993 at a college baseball game between the University of Michigan (Jeter went to high school in Kalamazoo) and the University of Miami (Rodriguez went to high school in Miami).  They were somewhat fascinated with each other.

They broke through and became superstars in 1996 and 97 and were featured together on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  They became inseparable and great friends.  As time passed, Jeter, because of playing in New York and not Seattle, was getting all the attention, especially with his string of girls following him.  Apparently, A-Rod started to become jealous as he wasn’t getting the attention he thought he should be getting.   Their relationship started to become strained.  For the next several years, their relationship would be best called a roller coaster.  After having huge years with the Texas Rangers, A-Rod would go to the Yankees who would take on his $252MM contract, but again he would be overshadowed by Jeter when he had to relinquish his position at short to Jeter, moving to third base.  In an interview with ESPN, A-Rod said: “He just doesn’t do the power numbers,” in reference to why he deserved a more significant contract than Jeter.

In 2001 A-Rod offered to Esquire Magazine: “The thing about Mike Lupica (Lupica writes the “Sporting Life” for Esquire) that pisses me off,” he says, “is that he makes me look like the biggest dickhead in the world, and then he takes a guy like Jeter and just puts him way up there.” “Jeter’s been blessed with great talent around him,” Alex said. “He’s never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun. And he hits second — that’s totally different than third and fourth in a lineup. You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie and O’Neill. You never say, Don’t let Derek beat you. He’s never your concern.” From here on, their relationship was pretty much like toast, even if it didn’t appear that way on the field.

In 2007, Rodriguez admitted that his relationship with his old best friend wasn’t what it used to be. “People start assuming that things are a lot worse than what they are, which they’re not,” Rodriguez said. “But they’re obviously not as great as they used to be. We were like blood brothers.” Since both have retired, many things have changed.  Jeter went on to marry his wife Hannah, a model, the pair have two children, and Jeter became part-owner of the lowly Florida Marlins.

A-Rod became a successful broadcaster and is engaged to be married to one of the most beautiful and talented women in the world, Jennifer Lopez. On Wednesday night in Miami, Jeter and A-Rod would be seen together at Rao’s at the beach. Rao’s is a restaurant notorious for not being able to get a table unless you know someone.  The restaurant is charging $10k for a table of six this week during the Superbowl.  Jeter, who is now 45, was seated having dinner with friends, and A-Rod, who is now 44, walked up.   Page six was told the two sluggers “engaged in quite the friendly conversation” for about five minutes at the beachside restaurant. Apparently, time heals old-time jealousy and wounds.

 

 

New York Yankees Great Ended Relief Pitcher’s Career

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Derek Jeter

The New York Yankees saw ANOTHER member of their historic franchise enter Cooperstown with Derek Jeter’s inauguration. With storybook moment followed by storybook moment, Jeter’s life seemed absolutely charmed. Even his last game at Yankee Stadium featured an incredible end to the captain’s amazing career. But, that iconic hit was also the last we saw one major league pitcher.

Who Was This Pitcher?

At the bottom of the 9th, Buck Showalter brought in relief pitcher Evan Meek. Meek was a former All-Star reliever in Pittsburgh. But a few injuries resulted in him bouncing around. But September 25th, 2014, on an RBI single to right field, he would never pitch in Major League Baseball again.

He would spend the next season pitching in the minor leagues for Syracuse and in Korea. By 2016, he was throwing in independent leagues. By 2017, he hung up his spikes for good.

He’s At Least Good Natured About It

In a phone interview with the New York Post, Meek was asked about his final Major League appearance as a pitcher. His response was:

“I could tell you I didn’t really want to be remembered that way, but baseball’s bigger than all of us, it was a really cool moment to be a part of.”

“It was a pretty damn incredible moment in sports.”

He may never get to the Hall of Fame, but he’ll forever be an interesting part of Major League Baseball trivia. And that’s better than nothing.

New York Yankee Andy Pettitte’s Hall Of Fame Case

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With the Hall of Fame results released on Tuesday, January 21st, the New York Yankees have an icon inducted into the Hall of Famer for the second year in a row. The buzz in New York seems to be surrounding Jeter however, is he the only Yankee that should’ve gone in? Fellow Core Four member, 3x All-Star, and 5x World Series Champion Andy Pettitte have a very strong case for Cooperstown.

Getting Over The PEDs

When Andy Pettitte is mentioned, the first thing that shoots his case down is the use of Growth Hormones for an elbow injury in 2002. This can deter voters from putting Pettitte on their ballot, however, the context of how it was used is important. Pettitte using the growth hormone is very different from Mark McGwire or Jose Canseco who used PEDs while playing throughout their career. Pettitte’s use was in the hopes of recovering faster, there is no report of him using it to improve his on-field performance. His growth hormone use shouldn’t dampen his Hall of Fame case, especially with how rampant PED use was. The MLB let this problem happen, and if voters could cast votes for Andy Pettitte in Cy Young races and All-Star games, then they would be hypocritical to not vote for him into the Hall of Fame.

Well Above HOFer Standard

When looking at player value, fWAR (Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement), can show how valuable a player was in their era. When you think Hall of Famer you think of greatness, and Andy Pettitte’s fWAR shows that. With a 68.2 fWAR, he ranks 32nd amongst all pitchers in MLB history. Right now in the Hall of Fame are 83 pitchers, meaning Pettitte is above a lot of Hall of Fame arms right now. He’s ahead of HOFers such as Tom Glavine, Jim Palmer, and Roy Halladay, all of whom are deserving candidates. With WAR being a major factor in a player’s value and greatness, it’s hard to believe he could be ahead of so many HOFers, yet not be in the Cooperstown.

Postseason Hero

With 276.2 postseason innings and an MLB best 19 wins, Pettite is one of the best postseason arms of all time. Despite most of his outings coming in the Steroid Era, he still was able to post a 3.81 ERA. He was a stellar postseason arm and with 5 World Series Championships he was a hero in October. Andy Pettitte’s postseason dominance has to play a factor in his case for the Hall of Fame. The Yankees’ rotation was anchored by their longtime ace for years and was instrumental for those championship squads.

No Awards, No Induction?

I really despise this argument about the number of awards a player gets. Nolan Ryan, Mike Mussina, and Juan Marichal: What do they have in common? 0 Cy Youngs, yet they are still Hall of Famers and some of the game’s best arms ever. You don’t need Cy Youngs to be a Hall of Famer. What about his mere 3 All-Star appearances? Ferguson Jenkins, Robin Yount, and Bert Blyleven are all Hall of Famers with 3 or fewer All-Star appearances. Care to tell me how suddenly it’s an issue for Pettitte? Awards can’t tell the whole story of a player as no matter how many they have, it’s overrated.

Will He Get In? A Message to the BBWAA

Most likely no, the MLB voters still refuse to vote arguably all-time greats Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds in. This means Andy Pettitte being merely tied to growth hormones will keep him out. They need to move past the PEDs, as the MLB not only took a blind eye to it but these same voters cast votes for these players to win awards and praises even as it was clear as day that they were on PEDs. There were no drug tests for these substances, and therefore no accountability. When everyone is doing it, the only way to compete and provide for a family is to do the same. Let Pettitte in and allow him to join Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter in the Hall of Fame. Not only is he one of the greatest LHP in MLB history, but he was a generational talent.

New York Yankees: The baseball life of newly elected HOF Derek Jeter

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New York Yankees, Derek Jeter

“Baseball is a lot about attitude — not getting too up or down, enjoy each game, then forget it and go on. Review the game, learn from your mistakes, but don’t let it burden you. A lot of things matter more than talent: work, education, never being satisfied. These intangibles have made Derek what he is.”…Charles Jeter, 2002. I start with this quote to demonstrate the influence that Derek’s father and mother had on shaping the man we call Mr. November.

Derek Sanderson Jeter was born in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, on June 26, 1974, to a mixed-race couple, Dorothy Connors Jeter, an accountant, and Sanderson Charles Jeter, a substance-abuse counselor. His father had played shortstop at Fisk University in Tennessee. When Derek was a child, his parents made him sign a contract each year that defined acceptable and unacceptable forms of behavior. Charles Jeter outlined the terms of the agreement: The contract outlined study hours, and participation in school activities. The Jeter’s moved from New Jersey to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when Derek was four years old. Derek and his sister lived in Kalamazoo with their parents during the school year and spent their summers with their maternal grandparents in New Jersey. It was during these summers that Jeter became a fan of the Yankees.
Derek starred at Kalamazoo Central High School and, in his junior season, batted .557 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. When not on the diamond, he participated in cross-country and basketball. As he began his final year of high-school play, Jeter, who had been named a “Super-25 Player” by USA Today, was attracting scouts from most major-league teams. As April turned into May, he was batting .643 and was the top prospect in the country. In the 1991 draft, the Yankees had the sixth pick. It was a no-brainer. On the recommendation of scout Dick Groch, the Yankees offered Jeter $800,000 to sign and take a road that would see him playing at Yankee Stadium during the 1995 season.

Jeter, after signing on June 28, 1992, did not get off to the best of starts in the minor leagues. He began with the Yankees’ entering the Gulf Coast League. Errors in the field and frustrations at the plate led him to question whether he had made the right decision in forgoing the scholarship offered at the University of Michigan. Jeter finally got to play on July 2, 1992. He was hitless in his first 14 at-bats. As the summer wore on, Jeter, under the tutelage of manager Gary Denbo began to find his stroke at the plate and finished with a .202 batting average. The Yankees sent Jeter to Greensboro, where he would play eleven games and meet fellow teammates, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte.  In 1993 he would play the full year with Greensboro; he would also meet another teammate Mariano Rivera. That year Derek would bat .295, and a team-best 11 triples punctuated his 30 extra-base hits. Jeter’s fielding was not on par with this hitting; he had 56 errors. 1994 was a whirlwind. He would start at Tampa and go on to AA Albany, and then to triple-A Columbus. For the year, he would bat .344 with 43 extra-base hits and 50 stolen bases. By the time the dust had settled, Jeter was named minor-league player of the year. In 1995 injuries to the shortstop and second baseman would cause the Yankee to call up Jeter to the Stadium. He played in his first game on May 29, 1995, and went 0-4. After the injured players returned, Jeter would be sent back to Columbus. With the Clippers, he posted a .317 batting average with 38 extra-base hits in 123 games. He rejoined the Yankees for the stretch run but played in only two games, getting a double in his only at-bat. He was not named to the postseason roster.

The 1996 season upon the urging of “Stick” Michael Yankee owner George Steinbrenner would start Jeter at short where he would play for the next seventeen years on his way to Cooperstown.   He would be the first rookie to do so since Tom Tresh debuted in 1962. At the beginning of the year, the Yankees would have a new manager in Joe Torre, Torre would take the number 6, and with only one other single-digit number left, Derek would select the number 2.  During June, Derek Jeter would play his first game at Tiger’s Stadium.  It would be the first time his parents would get to see him play in the majors.  It certainly wouldn’t be the last, as his parents were often in the stands at Yankee Stadium during many of the critical moments in his illustrious career.   It would be an excellent year for Derek as in 1996; he would be the American League Rookie of the year.  The Yankees would win the World Series that year for the first time in eighteen years.  They did it with the help of Jeter as he drove in the winning run in the sixth and deciding game of the series against the Atlanta Braves.  It would be one of the first times that Jeter would tend to always be clutch at crucial times for the Yankees as well as signature moments in his career.  At the beginning of the year, the Yankees would have a new manager in Joe Torre.

In 1997 Jeter would become the regular leadoff hitter for the Yankees.  He would hit .291 on the year and would hit two home runs in the ALCS, but the Yankees would lose to the Cleveland Indians.  1998 would see the Yankees return to the World Series in a year that the team would win a record 114 games.  Although Jeter batted .324 during the season, he would not play well in the ALDS or the ALCS.  Luckily for the Yankees, they didn’t need him as they advanced to the Fall Classic. Jeter would not disappoint in the World Series against the San Diego Padres.  He would bat .353 as the Yankees swept the Padres in four games to win the series.  Before the 99 season, Jeter would be first eligible for salary arbitrations and would receive a $5MM contract, his first big money in baseball.  In the year, Derek would have a career-high 24 home runs.   The Yankees again would reach the postseason.  Jeter in the ALDS would bat .455, in the ALCS .350 and .353 in the World Series against the Atlanta Braves.  The Yankees would win the World Series, Jeter’s third in his young career.

With Jeter becoming the Yankees star player after the 99 season the Yankees wanted to lock him up with a 118MM dollar seven-year deal, but that fell through, and he agreed to a $10MM one year contract.  In 2000 Jeter would be the first Yankee ever to win the All-Star MVP  Award.  During the season, he would bat a team-best .339.  The 2000 season would see the Yankees and the Mets in the famous Subway World Series between the two New York teams.  Jeter would hit .409 in the series and hit his first home run on the first pitch he saw in game 4.  In game 5, he would get his 14th consecutive hit in 14 World Series games.  The hit was a longball that led the Yankees to their third World Series in four years.  Jeter’s greatness would lead him to be the only player to win the All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP Awards in the same season. After his excellent performance, the Yankees were not going to lose it’s greatest player.  They offered Jeter a contract extension for $189MM for ten years, making Jeter the second-highest-paid athlete in any sport at the time.

2001 would see one of Jeter’s signature moments.  In a game against the Athletics during the 2001 ALDS, Jeter would make one of the most iconic defensive assists ever in baseball.  On a ball caught by Shane Spencer in the outfield, Spencer would make an errant throw that would miss the cutoff man. Jason Giambi was racing past third on his way home.  Jeter would race across the field to the first baseline, grab the rolling ball, and underhand it to catcher Jorge Posada and Posada would tag out Giambi as he reached home plate.  It would later be called the famous “Jeter Flip” and be one of the ten best defensive plays in the game.  2001 was also the year of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center.  The postseason would be delayed and would go beyond a reasonable timeframe.  The Yankees would face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series.  By the time game four came about, it would be the first game played during November.  After an injury, Jeter would not perform well in the series, and the Yankees would lose to the D-Backs in seven games.  When Jeter hit a home run in that game 4 to win the game, the words “Mister November” would flash across the scoreboard.

Another iconic moment in Jeter’s career happened during a July game against the Red Sox at the Stadium.  It was the top of the twelveth inning, and Trot Nixon would hit a pop fly down the third baseline.  Jeter would jet from his position at short and run full force and make the overhand catch while diving over the rail and into the stands.  With the fans in shock as well as ough, he suffered a facial laceration as Alex Rodriguez immediately called for medical assistance.   After police, fans, and players pulled him out of the stands he was, he was stunned and helped off the field bleeding by medical staff.  No one looked more concerned than his parents, who were in the stands. The Yankees eventually won the game in the thirteen innings.

In 2006 Jeter would get his 2,000th hit.  2006 would also see him win the Hank Aaron Award for superior offensive performance.  He earned his third consecutive Gold Gold for his defense at short. After the 2007 season, the Yankees could not agree on a contract with Joe Torre, and Joe Girardi would take over as the new Yankee skipper.  On July 8, 2008, he would get his 200th home run.  On September 14th Jeter would tie Lou Gehrig for the most hits at Yankee Stadium with a hit off Tampa Bay’s David Price.  The Yankees would not reach the World Series in 2008, and after the last game in the old Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter would step up to a mic and make a Lou Gehrig type speech thanking the Yankee fans for their support of the team.  Yankee fans would call it the moment of the year.

2009 would see the Yankees in a sparkling new Yankee Stadium that tried to create the feeling of the old Stadium but with greatly enhanced amenities. It would be Joe Girardi’s second year as manager, and the Yankees would again be in the World Series after not winning the Championship in the past nine years.  Jeter would start in the 2009 All-Star game at short.  He would be named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated after he batted .407 (including 3-for-5 with a double in Game Six) in the World Series, as the Yankees defeated Philadelphia in six games for their 27th championship.

In 2010 Derek would become the all-time Yankee hit leader when he passed Lou Gehrig’s 2,722 hit record.  On July 9, 2011, he would be two runs short of his chase to 3,000 hits.  He would be playing against the Tampa Bay Rays.  He would get his second hit of the game to reach the magical 3,000 mark and tie the game up. He would end up with the win, and 3,003 hits going 5 for 5 with adoring fans and his parents cheering him on.  In 2012 he would bat a team-leading .316 and would lead the American League with 216 hits.   In 2012 Jeter would reach his 17th postseason with the Yankees.  In the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers and during the 12th inning at the Stadium, Jhonny Peralta would hit a grounder to the left side, and Jeter would dive for it and remain motionless.  It turned out that he had broken his ankle, which would be a season-ending injury.  In 2013 still rehabbing from the broken ankle, he would only see action in seventeen games.  After the season was over, he would announce that he would retire from baseball after the 2014 season.

The 2014 season would be a goodbye season for Jeter.  At most all away parks, he would be honored in one way or the other.  He filled stadiums all over the country as fans of all teams wanted to get one last look at one the best baseball players ever to play the game.  Jeter had had so many iconic moments in this career, and he wasn’t done quite yet.  On September 25, 2014, Jeter would play his last game at Yankee Stadium against the Orioles.  The game would be tied in the ninth at 5-5 with a runner on second.  Jeter would step toward the plate, and the voice of God, Bob Shepard in a prerecorded  announcement, would state, “Now Batting for the Yankees, Number Two: Derek Jeter, Number Two.”  The Yankee faithful, including his parents in the stands, would rise to their feet to see the last ever at-bat at Yankee Stadium of their beloved Derek Jeter. As if it had been choreographed, Jeter would hit a walk-off single to win the game.  The Yankees players would rush to first base to congratulate their long-time Captian.  It was a fitting end for Yankee fans.  Curiously he got the hit off of Oriole pitcher Evan

In Derek Jeter’s 20-year career, all spent with the Yankees he would end his career hitting .310 with 3,465 hits while hitting 260 home runs and driving in 1,311 runs.  He would be an All-Star in 14 of those seasons, an MVP candidate 12 times, a Silver Slugger five times, and a Gold Glove Award winner during five of his seasons.  He would also win the Babe Ruth Award, the Roberto Clemente Award, the Hank Aaron Award, the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, and, in 2014, the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award.  All of these awards on his way to being a sure bet to make the Hall of Fame.  On January 21, 2020, in his first year of eligibility, Derek Jeter would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, one vote short of unanimously.

After Jeter retired, he would become a part-owner of the Florida Marlin baseball club in Miami.  During his entire baseball career, Jeter would be known as the face of the Yankees.  He would handle himself on and off the field with grace and confidence.  He would freely speak to the media with a calmness no matter the situation.  He was such an icon to young ballplayers that they would request his number 2.  Famously, future Yankee Troy Tulowitzki when a young Colorado Rockie would select number 2 as Jeter was his favorite player, and he wanted to emulate him both on the field and off.   Yankee fans will always remember him as their Captian.  Thank you, Derek Jeter, for playing the game the way it should be played and providing us with 20 years of great plays and memories.  Derek Jeter would be the last of the “core four” of Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada to leave the game of baseball.

EmpireSportsMedia.com columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

Yankees News/Rumors: Catcher Competition, A-Rod to Jeter, Another Yankee to the Phillies and more!

by
New York Yankees, Zach Britton

A Daily look at a summary of News and Rumors of interest for New York Yankees fans!

Catcher Competition: Spring Training is just weeks, and George M. Steinbrenner Field will see several Yankees compete to be at Yankee Stadium on opening day.  At first base, there will be a competition between Luke Voit and Mike Ford as to who will operate that base.

At third base stand out Gio Urshela pretty much as the job nailed down, but Miquel Andujar will try to wrestle it back to the hot corner after missing all of last year.  But maybe the most prestigious competition will be for who will replace Austin Romine as the backup catcher to Gary Sanchez.  One would assume it would be Kyle Higashioka who had some time behind the plate last year.  The 30-year-old has been with the Yankees for three years now and has played in only 56 games over the span.  During the offseason, Austin Romine signed with the Detroit Tigers leaving Higashioka, the only backup catcher.

Meanwhile, the Yankees acquired 39-year-old Erik Kratz, who has caught in 316 games in the past ten years.  During January, the Yankees acquired Chris Iannetta, the 36-year-old veteran who has played 1200 games with the Rockies and the Angels.  The Yankees are happy with Higashioka’s defense at backstop but would like to see him be more productive with the bat.   Iannetta is a better hitter and has the most experience.  The three will work hard to get that opening day start.

A-Rod to Jeter:  Two days ago, Derek Jeter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Jeter and Rodriguez spent ten years next to each other manning the left infield at Yankee Stadium and have had an up and down relationship.  Tuesday evening when Rodriguez learned of Derek’s election to the Hall sent this message to Jeter:  “To The Captain Derek Jeter – congratulations on taking your rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame where you will be, for eternity, as one of history’s greatest players, at any position, in any era.”  A-Rod who had at an equal star career to Jeter’s may never see baseball’s highest honor due to his involvement in the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Jeter on missing by one vote:   Derek Jeter missed by one vote of becoming the second Yankee ever to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame unanimously, the other was Mariano Rivera who was elected unanimously last years  Since the vote, the Internet and Yankee fans have been furious that he missed by one vote.

Everyone wants to know who didn’t vote for him.  The Hall does not give out the names of those that vote for or against anyone.  As I said, everybody is upset, that is, except Derek Jeter.  In a statement, he said, “See, that’s where our minds are a little bit different,” I focused on the ones that did. I mean, it takes a lot of people to all agree to get you to this point. So, as I sit up here on this stage right now, that’s just something that doesn’t cross my mind.”

Another Yankee to the Phillies:  Many of the Yankee faithful may remember super-utility player Neil Walker who played with the Yankees in 2018.  Walker can play all infield positions and is the newest of former Yankees to join the Philadelphia Phillies.  He will join former Yankee manager Joe Girardi, last year’s shortstop Didi Gregorius, Andrew McCutchen, Ronald Torreyes, and reliever David Robertson. However, Robertson will be out most if not all of the 2020 season recovering from surgery.