Was it ever there to begin with?

This is somewhat irritating, at least to me Mr. Obsessive Baseball Guy, who is known to punch walls when the Yankees lose - in Spring Training. Recently, a study was conducted at the esteemed University of Pennsylvania confirming what other number gurus and zone rating aficionados have purported for years. Better yet, the report validated the two cornerstones that zone masters swear by; numbers do not lie and Derek Jeter cannot play shortstop (defensively).

But this my friends is hardly the point, what is really drawing my ire is the sudden epiphany that this so-called NEWS represents the unearthing of secret knowledge that has long been guarded by the Priory. The fact is Rob Neyer, Bill James, and company have been saying since the turn of the Millennium that #2 is not a good defensive shortstop, and that his 3 Gold Glove awards (2004, 2005, 2006) are a disgrace to those who can really flash the leather. Since the 2000 campaign, Jeter has consistently ranked somewhere in the bottom half of starting defensive shortstops in the American League (even finishing last). This latest report out of Penn, declares Derek the Model Slayer, is the WORST shortstop in all the land. Whether or not you buy into the voodoo, it still does not determine what side of the fence you are on. This is what makes Derek’s defense (ha get it) so unique.

With the paradigm shift that is occurring right now in baseball, the Derek Jeter Debate perfectly represents the tussle between the old and new school. Are you a numbers guy, or do you need to see it with your own eyes? This overly simplistic division works under normal circumstances, with your run of the mill ballplayer. But Derek Jeter is a special case, because well he is Derek Jeter. Whether beloved or loathed, he has been Baseball’s marquee for 10 plus years. He is the poster boy of both the game and its greatest franchise - a franchise that is fiercely loyal to its natural born sons.

Jeter is a purebred, drafted out of high school and sixth overall by the New York Yankees in 1992, and the fans idolize him for it. He burst on the scene, parted the Red Sea, delivered the Yankees from nearly two decades of ineptitude, producing 4 championships by the time he was 26. He built his reputation on clutch hits, big time relay throws, and the Jordanesque jump-pass from deep in the hole. He hit home runs that weren’t really home runs, and carried an aura of greatness. It was apparent very early that an edifice fitting of his likeness would one day rest in Monument Park.

This is exactly the problem, all of this gushing from the Yankee Faithful (myself included), has galvanized our emotions spawning ironclad bias - even within the organization. Super scout and Yankees Senior Advisor Gene (Stick) Michael rushed to Jeter’s side in an effort to debunk the U Penn report:

You simply can’t do that by those charts, that’s a bunch of baloney,” Michael added. “It’s disgraceful. You have to use a scout’s eye to determine range.

This irrational love affair has given fans the best pair of rose colored glasses ever made. But the cold reality is that Jeter has never been a great defender - he couldn’t catch a cold if it was hit more than one step from his glove side. But that does not mean he is not valued as a shortstop.

As a matter of fact, there are 4 plays he makes as well as any defender in the league:

  1. The play deep in the hole
  2. Shallow fly balls into the outfield resulting in over the shoulder catches Jerry Rice would be proud of
  3. Weak ground balls that he must charge and fire to first
  4. Excellent accuracy and arm strength on relay throws (just ask Jay Payton)

Now for the glaring weakness:

  1. Zero range to his left - if it’s hit up the middle it is going to be a hit
  2. Poor positioning based on pitch selection and the hitter
  3. Slow first step

And now for the spectacular: Jeter in the Clutch

  1. The Flip - Game 3 against the Oakland Athletics in the 2001 ALDS. The Yankees went into this game in a 0-2 hole, facing elimination in the best of 5 series. Mike Mussina was on the mound pitching an absolute gem against Barry Zito in a classic pitcher’s duel. Locked up at 1-0 on the strength of Jorge Posada’s solo home run, with two outs in the 7th inning, Terrence Long laced the ball down the right field line with Jeremy Giambi on first. After rattling around in the right field corner, outfielder Shane Spencer air-mailed the throw missing two cut-off men, when Derek Jeter came streaking in front of Posada, caught the ball back-handed and flipped to Jorge preserving the shutout and the win. The Yanks went on to win the series, and the legacy of the soon-to-be Captain was immortalized.
  2. The Dive - What was just an average July night in 2004 between the biggest rivalry in sports, transformed into an epic battle (one of the greatest games I have ever seen). It was an extra-inning clash between the BoSox and Yanks, each going at it in classic fashion. Late in the game, a pop-up was hit down the third base line, when Jeter came flying into the picture and dove head first into the stand smashing his face on a seat while making the catch. Jeter sold out, sacrificing his health and his face for an innocuous out in a regular season game. This moment typified what Derek Jeter is all about - heart and soul.

The evidence widens the divide and makes it very difficult to choose a side. Understandably Jeter’s reputation has risen to the point where he is beyond rebuke, fitting that he’s nicknamed Teflon. The minute one speaks ill of the Captain, militant Yankee fans spring forth to shoot you dead in your tracks. Even worse they label you as poorly-informed, a mere baseball know-nothing. On the flipside, Jeter haters have their rallying cry; they have their U Penn report to point to and act smart. But they aren’t smart, where the hell were they 7 years ago when Rob Neyer and the gang first hoisted the Jeter stinks flag?

Yes Derek Jeter has no range; yes Jeter does not make the plays every other shortstop can make. BUT Derek Jeter makes the great plays no one else has the balls to make. This is a first ballot Hall of Famer and a legend in his own right and the paralysis by analysis needs to stop. Love him or hate him, let’s appreciate a gritty ballplayer that has played the game the right way.

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