By Jimmy Cunningham, howiGit New York Writer, Manhattan, NY
When Derek Jeter hit his 3000 hit last summer Mr. HowiGit tried to play devil’s advocate by saying that Jeter’s 3000th hit was “…at the end of the day a celebration of … a singles hitter with longetivity.” Yankee fans have also been criticized for treating Jeter like a “God” even if none of us have ever said that he is. However this past weekend Jeter hit his 250th career home run against the 4 games under .500, 3rd highest payroll in baseball, 4th place in the AL East side show that is the Boston Red Sox. By doing this Jeter put himself in elite company, very elite, as in only one other player has done it elite. That player is baseball “God” Willie Mays. With Jeter’s 250 home runs, only Jeter and Mays have hit 250 home runs, 3,000 hits, stolen 300 bases, and had 1,200 RBI. Not bad for a “singles hitter.”
Ahh, young J-bone. While Jeter’s feat is no doubt very impressive, your little article here serves little purpose except to prove me right. First off the notion that NY fans don’t look at Jeter as a god is silly – even try to criticize him in any way and any New York fan will immediately flip their shit. Earth to the present generation of New Yorkers – just because your daddy’s all had Mickey Mantle to idolize doesn’t mean that Jeter needs to be Mantle.
Moving on, 250 home runs is simply not very impressive when it takes you 18 seasons and 11,000+ at bats to get there – it’s impressive for the longetivity, whereas it’s relatively poor for power (as originally stated). Despite frequently leading MLB in plate appearances, Jeter averages about 14 home runs a year and has hit over 20 exactly 3 times in all those seasons.
As for Willie Mays, he is a God – maybe the best baseball player ever. On the home run front it was 660-250, and he was basically the best player in the bigs from the first day he showed up.
Jeter’s been a great all-around player for a long time. He’s a first ballot hall of famer with every credential imaginable, including championships. He’s talented and greatly durable. He’s a professional athlete in every sense. That said, probably because he plays New York, he has been overrated. His defense has never been great and they act like he’s an MVP candidate every year when he’s not. Willie Mays? No. But he’s still pretty good. Chris Kelley – Framingham.
Well said Chris.
The talk about Derek Jeters overrated defense has been talked about so much that it has become underrated. The guy was not booting the ball around the infield all game and when he did manage to catch it he threw it into the 12th row. He was one of the best fielding shortstops of this generation, but I know gold gloves, lack of errors, and fielding percentage dont count for Jeter.
That’s not true – Jeter had some good defensive years no doubt. But he’s not even close to the best defensive shortstop of his time, the best power hitter of his time, or the best baserunner of his time. He’s very high on the list with regards to hitting for average with longetivity, as originally stated.
Again if you can point to where anyone has ever said he was the best at anything you named feel free. I know I have never said that. Unlike you I have a pretty good idea of where my heroes stand instead of calling Tom Brady the best football player of the last 26 years.
Instead of putting words that no one has said in my anyones mouth, go ahead and name 10 better defensive shortstop careers since 96.
Omar Vizquel
Alex Gonzalez
Troy Tulowitzki
Orlando Cabrera
Jimmy Rollins
John McDonald
Adam Everett
Rey Ordoñez
Rafael Furcal
Jose Reyes
Asdrubal Cabrera
Jeter was a good, not great, shortstop when years back when he had a little range. He’s always had good hands, but his arm was never great. The gold gloves are a result of his all around play and his being overrated. The fielding percentage has always been good, but that ignores range. Who can forget 2006 when he got the gold glove over Alex Gonzalez, a truly great defensive shortstop? And Jeter over Vizquel any of those years? No way.
Put the man on payroll!
theres a difference then just naming short stops and looking at stats.
First of all I said career. Playing 6 seasons at one position before being crapped out of baseball or changing positions hardly counts. Half of the people you named: Tulowitzki (hes 27 let the man get to 30 please), Mcdonald (hes played 40% of his games at a position other then shortstop), Everett (he has played 4 years above 100 games at shortstop), Ordonez (6 full season), and A. Cabrera (hes 26 and has played 35% of his games at 2nd) are hardley career, or have had a full career at shortstop.
But i will ignore that, lets for poops and ha ha’s take a look at stats.
Jeter has a better error/game and fielding percentage then Gonzalez, Mcdonald, and A. Cabrera.
Better error/game then O Cabrera and Reyes.
better error/game and same fielding percentage as Everett and Ordonez.
better fielding percentage then Tulowitzki
Jimmy Rollins and Omar Vizquel are the only three on the list that beat Jeter in both catogories.
Jeter is the only one on the list that has not played a position other then short stop.
Keep your money Geoff
If your gonna come at the king you best not miss.
correction: i got my numbers wrong for Tulowitzki. He has a better fielding percentage then Jeter. hes still only 26, lots of baseball to play for him
another correction he is 27, still alot of baseball to play
Lots of fat middle aged guys in beer leagues have good hands and handle balls hit right at them. Nobody is nominating them for gold gloves. Take a look at Jeter’s zone rating. It’s been below average his whole career. Gold glove shortstops need to have range.
Is it better then nothing yes, but when the crux of you argument is something that a website that is all stats says can have substantial errors, that doesnt really do anything for your argument.
Would you take a medicine that could possibly have substantial errors? I doubt it.
Jeter catches balls better then everyone but two or three you listed, throws the ball better then everyone but two or three you listed, and we dont even know what those other guys zone ratings are. But thats good enough for you to say hes not one of the best since 96? Please.
from baseball reference: Note: Fielding stats are a combination of official records and RetroSheet records. Both are likely to have substantial errors and will not match perfectly.
I am not gonna waste my time looking up flawed stats. I will look at the cold hard stats where errors are errors and throwing a guy out is throwing a guy out. Those stats show that Jeter is better in one if not both of those standard and actually measurable categories then the guys you tried.
If fielding like Jeter is as easy as beer league, and all he is is a ho hum singles hitter, how come every team doesnt have multi world series, multi gold glove, 16 year veteran at shortstop?
So we’re supposed to evaluate defense at shortstop without considering range? Nah, Zone rating may be flawed but it’s better than nothing. Take a look at http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=y&type=0&season=2009&month=0
You’ll see Jeter has very poor range.
Is it better then nothing yes, but when the crux of you argument is something that a website that is all stats says can have substantial errors, that doesnt really do anything for your argument.
Would you take a medicine that could possibly have substantial errors? I doubt it.
Jeter catches balls better then everyone but two or three you listed, throws the ball better then everyone but two or three you listed, and we dont even know what those other guys zone ratings are. But thats good enough for you to say hes not one of the best since 96? Please
I would say that that those stats shows that Mays along with Jeter were players that had the best combination of hitting, speed, and power.
If hitting 250 home runs was so easy for every “singles” hitter then how come only Jeter and Mays have had the above stats?
Because there’s a lot more to it than just home runs and singles. Guys like Dave Winfield and Eddie Murray have 3000+ hits and double the home runs that Jeter has. The speed is what throws everyone off. Barry Bonds is another name worth mention, yet not worth mention.
yes if you take the speed out of the combination of speed, power and hitting it does allow for alot more people to be included.
JETER IS A GOD!!!!!
BEST PLAYER OF OUR GENERATION OR ANY!!!