As much as most baseball fans admire Derek Jeter, the news surrounding his recently having reached 3,000 hits has been overkill.
This morning I was checking out the ESPN baseball site, one of the first things I do every day. Posted was the story "Jeter's Rank Among All-Time Yankees." Their were several top five lists, some from sportswriters and others from readers.
MY LIST
1. Babe Ruth
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Joe DiMaggio
4. Mickey Mantle
5. Not Derek Jeter
Number five could be several Yankees. I would lean toward Yogi Berra, but others who come to mind are Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford and Mariano Rivera.
So, I went through the posts by readers to see the various lists. One struck me:
Best Yankees Steroid Users
1. A-Rod
2. Roger Clemens
3. Jason Giambi
4. Andy Pettite
5. Bobby Abreu (probably)
Tonight is the All-Star Game which can be enjoyable. I am a National League fan and it helps our cause that several fantastic American League starting pitchers will not appear.
But it will be difficult to top the excitement of last night's Home Run Derby won by Robinson Cano. The Home Run Derby is basically a trash sport but it was thrilling to watch the action.
One last thought. I really don't get it about women's soccer. At least it's better than women's basketball. Don't get me started on women's basketball. Most people don't realize that the women use a smaller ball.
7 comments:
Darrell Berger wrote . . .
I think Derek Jeter is a first ballot Hall of Famer and I have deep admiration for his career and feel his character is also admirable and he has served his role as captain well.
That said:
He has been an under average defensive player almost his whole career, with limited range and poor footwork. His patented leap into the air and throw from the hole is impressive, and something he invented so he can make this play that shortstops with good range make easily.
He is now below replacement level and has been for over a year. I am amazed at many fans around here who just seem not to accept the aging process in Jeter. After having been a fine player well into his thirty's, esp. for a shortstop, many seem to feel that he is not supposed to EVER age, I guess. And that he "deserves" to hit leadoff. Somehow that choosing batting order on merit doesn't apply to Jeter. That his "track record" shows he should hit leadoff. Then Rickey Henderson should come out of retirement, I guess.
Want a difference between players today and 50 years ago? When the star struck fan who caught it gave the 3000th hit ball to Jeter, he accepted it and said, "It's nice to have it. It looks like every other ball." If Jeter had given the ball back this poor 23 year old guy could have auctioned it for perhaps $200,000.
When Sal Durante wanted to give the 61st homer ball to Maris he said, "Sell it and get what you can get." Yet Jeter is supposed to be a great guy and Maris the misanthrope.
I like Jeter. I just don't think he's a combination of Honus Wagner and St. Francis.
Arnie Galeota wrote. . .
I think Derek Jeter is in the top 5, why, because he plays hard, produces and helps bring people into the ball park. He also carries himself like a professional, not an ego maniac and he behaves himself in his private life. Other names that come to mind passed the 5th choice is of course Yogi, then Whitey and Phil all from the golden years of baseball. Robinson Cano, if he continues to play as well as he is now playing, will become another Yankee all time favorite, but that will be in maybe 8-10 more years of good baseball. No they won't retire his number but they will retire #2. While Rivera is the best ever as a closer, I have a problem with a guy who plays once every few days for 15 minutes or 1 inning, even as good as he is that doesn't qualify him for immortality like the others. Remember the days when a pitcher would pitch a nine inning game with no pitch count and a reliever came in for as long as he could, not for 2 or 3 batters. Bring back Stan Musial, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, and the like.
From Mel Solomon in New Jersey . . .
I am sure that you got some of the Jeter stuff on ESPN and MLB but the YES network was non-stop Jeter. They must have shown all of his 3,000 hits. Tim Kurkjian ranked the top nine Yankees on ESPN and had Jeter ninth. His list was 1. Ruth 2. Gehrig, 3. DiMaggio, 4. Mantle 5. Berra 6. Ford, 7. Rivera (they could have been reversed) 8. Dickey and 9. Jeter. Kurkjian also said that all of the first eight not counting Rivera made the Hall of Fame on the First Ballot which is not true. I think even DiMaggio did not make it on the first ballot he was on the second but there was no five year waiting period at the time. I know that Ford and Berra were not first balloters-- In fact Ford made it on the fourth or fifth time. Dickey had to wait until around 1965 and about ten times. I would see a close race between Mantle and DiMaggio. Mantle had better career numbers but Joe did miss years to the war. Mantle's 1956 season, the greatness of which fades with memory could be the difference. I would drop Dickey to nine. He was good but he was never more than the second best player on the team and may not have been the best catcher in baseball when he played. Ford, Rivera and Jeter are 6, 7 and 8. I would put Rivera six and maybe move him over Berra when you consider that he was the best at his position and have over 15 years at the top of his game at a position when most players hardly last five years -- think Eric Gagne and Ryan Franklin.
Jeter could be the most popular Yankee of all time. I do not remember the adulation for Mantle that there is for him. Mickey was booed a lot later in his career. Berra was never that popular when he played -- he is now.
I have been a Padres fan since 1982. If you made a list of the 50 best players combining Yankees and Padres, the only Padre to make the list would be Tony Gwynn.
But he would never have snubbed the fans who voted him to an All-Star team. At least Jeter should show up, tip his cap and fly home.
Toni Gelfer, ex New York but long time Texan:
It's scary how I totally agree with this whole thing..(including your top 5 list) especially..the women's basketball comment...words that come to mind about women's basketball are...placating, boring, unenjoyable, stupid, a big waste of time and money...ABHOR..just to name a few..As for a short Toni list..Cutest Yankee ever..Andy Pettitte..that glove over his face glance slays me.
Jay Barabash wrote:
He's on my 'other' list for now for snubbing the All-Star game .... he was voted to the team by FANS and has an obligation, in my opinion, to participate. It's an HONOR to be voted as an All-Star but in return, fans need to know you appreciate that honor.
Richard Bosworth wrote:
On any other team's list of players, Jeter would probably be top 5.......but on a team with the history of the Yankees players , probably not. But still great stats.
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