My Favorite Player Today is not a Red Sox

Derek Jeter has been a pretty good player for the New York Yankees for close to 20 years. This is like saying Eric Clapton plays guitar pretty good or Pavarotti sings pretty good. Jeter was drafted as a teenager, has played for only one organization for 20 years running, and is now set to retire as a 40 year old man playing the game he loves. In my opinion, Derek Jeter is the best player to have played in the last 20 years in Major League Baseball.

Jeter has set records and achieved many team and personal accomplishments. He is part of the 3,000 hit club, in fact, he is number 6 all-time. He was won 5 World Series championships. He is a career 300+ hitter. Jeter has scored runs, driven in runs, stolen bases with a very high proficiency over his career. To the fan of stats, Jeter ranks among the most accomplished players to ever play Major League Baseball.

But, I feel that Derek Jeter’s true values mostly did not and never will end up in a box score. The man seemed to be head and shoulders above his peers when it came to Baseball IQ. If there was an extra base to be taken on a line drive in the gap in right center field, Jeter would be standing on second. If there was a cut off play at the plate, Jeter was always in the perfect position to receive the ball and potentially throw out the runner. Jeter would take the most perfect angles running the bases, giving him a competitive advantage while he was on the base paths. Sure, Jeter was a physically gifted ballplayer as well. His amazing range at shortshop was often accentuated by his signature jump throw to first base. His hitting style was short and sweet and he consistently drove the ball to the outfield with authority. Taking nothing away from his physical skills, I would consider Jeter to be the smartest baseball player I have ever seen.

In addition, to his amazing skills on the field, his off-the-field persona has done nothing but enhance his legend. Jeter played in the most media scrutinized city in all of professional sports. He played for ownership that often grabbed more headlines than the players themselves. During his tenure, several high profile teammates have been accused of steroid abuse, drub abuse, and some have even passed away. Yet Jeter, who has had the spotlight shining on him for 20 years has never once been depicted as a poor role model, or someone who abused drugs, or even a spoiled brat athlete. Derek Jeter has respected his place in New York City and his place as the captain of the one of the most popular franchises in all of professional sports. This respect is so rare in today’s modern athlete that is must be noted here.

In closing, I would be hard pressed to come up with a man in Major League Baseball today with whom I can be as gushing about. Derek Jeter will retire officiallly after a 3 game series with my beloved Red Sox. And for once in my lifetime, for one short 3 game series, I will be cheering for a member of the Yankees. With all due respect to my boyhood idols - Yaz and Williams - I would say unequivocally that if Derek Jeter were a Red Sox, he would be my favorite player of all-time.