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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Have We Seen the Last of Derek Jeter?










 


 


By Rich Mancuso


 


BRONX, NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER
10-
Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees GM said Monday, Derek Jeter the
captain is not done for the season. He would not go further as to what the
future holds for the eventual Hall of Famer and one of the greatest to wear
Yankees pinstripes. However, the question remains
: Have
we seen the last and best days of Derek Jeter?


 


The
Yankees may be considering shutting down Jeter for the remaining 19 games of
the season. He has not been in the lineup the last two games with Boston and
Baltimore. The ankle that required surgery and put him Jeter on the disabled
list twice this season may never be the same.


 


And
Jeter may never be the same player that has been so instrumental in the success
of the Yankees the past 15 years, including those five World Series titles that
go back to 1996. The issue is, if and when it is over, Jeter is the one
who will decide when this marvelous career is over, and he will do it the right
way.


 


However
the more you see Jeter on the field, and it is quite obvious, he is favoring
the ankle. The hustle is not apparent, the desire to be in the lineup is, but
the Derek Jeter that is capable of sparking a rally is no longer evident.


 


He
has more
strikeouts than hits
in the 17 games he has played this season. And, those who know Jeter will say,
it is more than the disturbing statistics that bother him. It is the inability
to drive in the run, the lack of getting on base though the .191 batting
average does not reflect his ability to still get on base with the walk.


 


Opposing
pitchers still view Jeter as a threat in the lineup. They don’t give him anything
good to hit. That is a good sign, and the Yankees lineup, which has showed
signs of life in this late season playoff run, is that much better when the
Jeter name is penciled in the lineup.


 


But,
it is disturbing to see Jeter struggle down the line to first base, or for that
matter taking the extra base.  Let’s be realistic because a 39-year old
coming back from a surgically repaired left ankle is not the same as a 21-year
old trying to do the same thing.


Jeter
would be the first to admit that. But, he is the first to admit that his role
in the lineup is to help his Yankees team win ballgames, pivotal games in the
remaining three weeks and the current
series-taking place down
in Baltimore this week. But Jeter is not at 100 percent and the name in the
lineup is not producing the Jeter like numbers that can help this team down
this stretch of pivotal ballgames.


 


The
fans will never boo the Yankees captain, and Jeter will never ask to be removed
from the lineup, unless the pain and extra strain forces him to leave on his
own will. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, “I don’t think you will ever get
him to concede.”


 


The
ankle and the leg, an injured quad, have been a problem. And at his age
Jeter should have expected this. The Yankees obviously were aware and his range
at shortstop seems to not have had an impact, though there has been more time
off the field and in Giaradi’s lineup as a designated hitter.


 


So
the prevailing question is, are these the last days of Derek Jeter in the
Yankees lineup? That is an answer that will remain to be answered for the
remainder of this season. As for next year, with a good off-season regiment of
rest and strength, Jeter will return for another try at it.


 


We
may never see Jeter like numbers again, but there will still be some
outstanding plays in the infield from their all-star shortstop. The Yankees
will not force him to leave the lineup, or to call it quits. But if Jeter is
not productive and continues to favor the ankle, then he becomes an aging
player on a Yankees roster that will try and get younger in the years ahead.


 


Jeter
wants to go out a winner, and the Yankees want him to be a part of that. These
next few days with more rest, and with a latest CAT scan result showing no
further damage to the ankle,  point to Jeter returning to the lineup soon.


 


In
the end, Derek Jeter in the Yankees lineup is positive. The decision to
continue this season, or as to how many more there will be is in his hands. The
Yankees will not make the decision.




This
is Derek Jeter, and his body will determine where he goes from here. That may
not be easy to do, and for the Yankees and their fans it is that more difficult
to comprehend.


Comment
Rich Mancuso:
Ring786@aol.com 
Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso


 


 

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