Baseball
Derek
Jeter
In
1996, Jeter became the first rookie in 34 years to start at shortstop
for the Yankees (since Tom Tresh in 1962), won Rookie of the Year
honors, and hit .361 for the postseason. In 1998, he finished
third in American League MVP balloting as the Yankees won their
second World Series in three years. Banking on his popularity,
in the off-season he made an appearance on "Seinfeld"
with teammate Bernie Williams.
In 1999, Milwaukee
Brewers manager Phil Garner said, "I thought A-Rod was way
ahead of Jeter, that he (Alex Rodriguez) was always going to be
a better all-around player. But now Jeter has come on and caught
him."
Jeter's patience at
the plate and quick bat have created a quandary for pitchers.
"You can throw him inside as much as you want, and he can
still fist the ball off," said veteran reliever Jesse Orosco.
A Kalamzoo, Michigan
native, Jeter comes from the Lou Gehrig branch of the Yankees'
family tree. Shy and protective of his image, Jeter is accessible
to fans and the press but keeps away from the back pages of the
tabloids. Just as Babe Ruth had passed the torch to Gehrig, and
Gehrig passed it to Joe DiMaggio, and DiMag to Mantle, so too
was the Yankee torch passed from Don Mattingly (who retired after
the 1995 season) to Jeter. Jeter quickly ran with it — winning
the Rookie of the Year Award behind a .314 average in 157 games.
The Yankees responded with their first World Series title in 19
years. They have been winning ever since.
Jeter slumped to .291
in 1997, but improved his power numbers and stole 23 bases in
159 games. In 1998, the Yankees were back in the World Series
as their shortstop banged out 203 hits — his first of three
straight 200-hit seasons. Jeter hit .353 in the 1998 World Series
sweep of the San Diego Padres.
In 1999, it was another
four-game sweep, this time at the expense of the Braves. Jeter
hit .353 again, and .375 overall in the post-season. The 1999
season was one of Jeter's finest, as he paced the league in hits,
finished second in batting, second in OBP, second in runs scored
and triples, and fourth in total bases. There was more of the
same in 2000, as the Yankees won their third straight World Series
title. Jeter was named MVP of the five-game Fall Classic win over
the Mets, hitting .409 with two homers. For the first time, in
2000, Jeter suffered an injury, missing a few weeks of the regular
season with elbow problems. He continued his post-season success
by hitting in his 14th straight World Series game.
In 2001, the Yankees
were a year older, which meant Jeter was a year closer to his
prime. Surrounded by veterans, Jeter and double play partner Alfonso
Soriano helped spark the Bombers to their fourth straight Fall
Classic — just the fifth time that had occurred in baseball
history. In the ALDS against Oakland, the Yanks were pushed to
a fifth game for the second straight season. Jeter made one of
the greatest defensive plays in post-season history in Game Four,
ranging past the first base line to re-direct an errant throw
from the outfield. Jeter shoveled the ball to Jorge Posada, who
tagged out Jeremy Giambi at the plate. The amazing heads-up play
helped the Yankees avoid elimination, and they eventually defeated
Oakland.
In the 2001 World Series,
Jeter was held without a hit in Game One, stopping his 14-game
World Series hitting streak (the third highest in history). The
Yankees rallied for two dramatic wins in New York, and in Game
Five Jeter's home run helped the team win. The Yankees were stretched
to seven games by the Diamondbacks and lost a heartbreaking seventh
game — just the second time Jeter's Yanks had been eliminated
in 16 post-season series. In the "Jeter-Era" (through
the 2003 ALDS) the Yankees had posted an amazing 59-27 record
in the post-season, and 19-7 in the World Series.
Through 2003, Jeter
owned a .317 lifetime batting average with 1,546 hits, 127 homers,
and 178 Rstolen bases. Jeter had hit safely in 74 of 86 post-season
games through the 2003 AL DivisionS ereis win over Minnesota.
Played
For
New York Yankees (1995-)
Post-Season
1996 ALDS, 1996 ALCS, 1996 World Series, 1997 ALDS, 1998 ALDS,
1998 ALCS, 1998 World Series, 1999 ALDS, 1999 ALCS, 1999 World
Series, 2000 ALDS, 2000 ALCS, 2000 World Series, 2001 ALDS, 2001
ALCS, 2001 World Series, 2002 ALDS, 2003 ALDS, 2003 ALCS
World
Champion?
Yes, 1996, 1998-2000 Yankees
Ultimate
Games (2-2)
1997 ALDS Game Five, 2000 ALDS Game Five, 2001 ALDS Game Five,
2001 World Series Game Seven
Honors
All-Star (5): 1998-2002; Rookie of the Year 1996, World Series
MVP 2000, All-Star Game MVP 2001
Position
Shortstop
Major
League Debut: May 29, 1995
Uniform
#'s
#2 (1995-)
Best
Season, 1999
In the sandwiched season of New York's threepeat, Jeter batted
.349 with 24 homers, 102 RBI, 219 hits, and a .552 slugging percentage.
He also swiped 19 bases and clubbed 37 doubles while fielding
brilliantly. Jeter finished 6th in MVP voting.
FACTOID
When Jeter won the 2001 All-Star Game MVP award, he became the
first Yankee so honored.
Subway
Series Hero
In the 2000 World Series against the Mets, Jeter had nine hits
in 22 at-bats (.409), including two doubles, a triple and two
homers. His first-pitch homer off Bobby J. Jones set the tone
for the Yankees' 3-2 victory in Game Four, and his one-out homer
off Al Leiter created a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning of Game Five's
4-2 clincher. The homers supplied his two runs batted in for the
Series and sparked his .864 slugging average. He also walked three
times. Jeter's 19 total bases set a five-game Fall Classic record.
He also tied five-game WS records with his nine hits and six runs
scored.
FACTOID
In the Fall of 1992, Jeter briefly attended the University of
Michigan, before leaving school in the Spring of 1993 to play
for the Yankees' Class-A team in Tampa.
Replaced
A myriad of average shortstops in the Yankee organization in the
mid-1990s.
Replaced
By
Maybe Jeffrey Maier, the kid who caught his flyball in the 1996
AL Championship Series, turning an out into a controversial home
run.
Best
Strength as a Player
His instincts.
Largest
Weakness as a Player
Range defensively.
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