My favorite living player just tied my favorite player on the all time hit list (1 Viewer)

[Louis Badolato]

Derek Sanderson Jeter, the only player other than Mariano Rivera playing on the Yankees today that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath with the legends of the game, tonight tied my all time favorite player, the great Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig at the top of the Yankees all time hit list at 2721 (80hits ahead of Pete "Charlie Hustle" Rose, the all time hit leader, at this point in his career), in the same game where he stole his 300th base. And I missed it all while attending my kids parent teacher conferences. But your kids come first, and I'll catch it all on Yankees rewind.

 

[jazzeum]

Well, you couldn't have picked two more classy players as your favorites. Hope your kids did well also.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Stayed up working and watched the game on Yankees Rewind last night. You know what was really special: not only did the fans and his Yankee team mates give Jeter a standing ovation when he tied the record (which had stood for 72 years), the Tampa Bay players all got up on the top step of the visiting dug out and gave him a standing ovation as well. What a moment. I was at the game last year (one of the last 5 games at Yankee Stadium) where Jeter broke Lou Gehrig's record for hits at Yankee stadium (it was my son's first ball game) and it was an electric night. Friday night, when he has a chance to break the record, the new Yankee Stadium will be electric, but to me, it is better that he tied the record, and has a day off to think about being tied with Lou Gehrig, the first Yankee Captain, a player who set the standard for hard work, courage and class (and who, like Jeter, played most of his career in the shadow of super-star team mates). To think I got to see Cal Ripkin, Jr. and Derek Jeter break three of Gehrig's great and longstanding records (albeit only one in person, two on Television).

 

[lancer]

A great milestone for a great player. To go off course, but still NYY related, what's up with the odd-ball use of Chamberlain? He needs more work, not less. Restricting him to 3 innings per start makes no sense. It might keep him from rusting, but knowing that you are starting a game you can only lose has got to be hard on his morale. Are the NYY's hoping he will be rested for the post season? Are they going to move him to the bullpen? He needs to keep pitching and learning. He does not have many innings piled up and hasn't been terribly effective for several starts now. It is a little late in the season for the team to change how they use him and still expect him to be effective. -- Al

 

[Louis Badolato]

I totally agree about Joba. The guy is at best a 3rd or 4th starter, his stuff just doesn't translate to three times through a batting order, but he is a dominant relief pitcher. The Yankees should never have put him in the rotation (I think he has pitched into the 6th inning only once all year, and left 8 more games in a position to lose but was bailed out by late inning combacks), and their present use of him as a 3 inning starter is just ridiculous. I hope they have the sense to get a quality starter in the off season, and put him back in the bull pen where he belongs. The funny thing is Phil Hughes has the stuff to be a #2 starter, but has so excelled in the bullpen, he may end up there. Frankly, I would love to see them both in the pen, as the Yankees, who already have a solid bullpen, would have far and away the best pen in baseball with Joba and Hughes as the bridge to Mariano. It would be like 1996 - a six inning game for the Yankees' opponents (if the Yankees had the lead after 6, it would be game over).

 

[lancer]

It might be worth considering a move to set-up man for Chamberlain in order to groom him for the closers spot. Rivera can't last forever and Chamberlain could be the next closer-in-waiting. I agree that the NYY's need another quality starter, especially if Wang can't return to previous form. Anyway, I think their starting pitching could be a problem in the play-offs. If Burnett would just be consistent, they might make it with 3 good starters. Maybe the NYY's can swing a deal with SF in the off-season. SF has several good starters and maybe can be "persuaded" to part with one for a decent hitter or so. -- lancer

 

[Louis Badolato]

For purposes of the playoffs, a team with homefield advantage, which gets to choose the format of the first round series, can get by on 3 quality starters in the first round (in the 7 game series, a 4th starter will get one start). The Yankees have one proven playoff performer, who is having a good season, in Andy Pettitte. They have a true ace having a great year, who hopefully, since he is not being overused to make the playoffs, like he was the last two seasons in Cleveland and Milwaukee (three straight starts on 3 days rest to make the playoffs last year), will have a good playoffs, in C.C. Sabathia. Then they have a guy with #1 starter stuff, but who is inconsistent, in A.J. Burnett. The Yankees need all three of these guys to pitch well if they are going to have a chance in the playoffs. If they advance, they will try to get a win with Joba & the bullpen in the 4th game of the 7 game series, against their opponent's 4th starter, relying on this line-up's ability to hit any team's 4th starter.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Tonight I had the pleasure of watching Derek Jeter go 2 for his first 3 with an RBI, and pass Lou Gehrig for sole possession of #1 on the Yankees all time hit list. If he plays five more years and averages 180 hits a year, he will retire with the third most hits all time (around 3,800). If he plays eight more years (until age 43) and averages 178 hits a year, he will pass Pete Rose for the most hits all time.

 

[gk5717]

Louis, was Jeter named after the hockey player Dereck Sanderson?
Gary

 

[lancer]

Tonight I had the pleasure of watching Derek Jeter go 2 for his first 3 with an RBI, and pass Lou Gehrig for sole possession of #1 on the Yankees all time hit list. If he plays five more years and averages 180 hits a year, he will retire with the third most hits all time (around 3,800). If he plays eight more years (until age 43) and averages 178 hits a year, he will pass Pete Rose for the most hits all time.

If Jeter stays around 5 or so more years, where do you see him playing? DH? I do not think he will last too much longer as SS, not 5 more years anyway. It is hard to see him at another position since he is so good where he is, at present. On another subject, I sure hope A-Rod stays hot and does not slump again in late and post season. The NYY line-up is just a killer, 35-5 against lefties! GO YANKS! -- Al

 

[Louis Badolato]

Louis, was Jeter named after the hockey player Dereck Sanderson?
Gary

I have no idea, Gary. Would make a heck of a trivia question if he was.

 

[jazzeum]

Louis, was Jeter named after the hockey player Dereck Sanderson?
Gary

I have no idea, Gary. Would make a heck of a trivia question if he was.

There was a story going on about that but Jeter himself denied it. Just a strange coincidence I guess.

 

[Louis Badolato]

If Jeter stays around 5 or so more years, where do you see him playing? DH? I do not think he will last too much longer as SS, not 5 more years anyway. It is hard to see him at another position since he is so good where he is, at present. On another subject, I sure hope A-Rod stays hot and does not slump again in late and post season. The NYY line-up is just a killer, 35-5 against lefties! GO YANKS! -- Al

Al,

Jeter is athletic and pretty fast, with a great arm. I figure he has 2-3 seasons left at shortstop, and then I figure he will move out to right field. It is fairly easy to move from an infield to an outfield position (much harder to do the opposite). From the way he ranges out into left field to catch bloops and short fly balls, he will not be a defensive liability in right field, has a right fielders arm (better than any of the Yankees present outfielders), and if a team has a right fielder batting .300+ with 15+ homers, 70+ RBI's, 20+ stolen bases and 100+ runs scored, the team is doing just fine. He can play out another 2-4 seasons in right field at the end of his career, just like Yogi Berra did at the end of his career.

 

[lancer]

Al,

Jeter is athletic and pretty fast, with a great arm. I figure he has 2-3 seasons left at shortstop, and then I figure he will move out to right field. It is fairly easy to move from an infield to an outfield position (much harder to do the opposite). From the way he ranges out into left field to catch bloops and short fly balls, he will not be a defensive liability in right field, has a right fielders arm (better than any of the Yankees present outfielders), and if a team has a right fielder batting .300+ with 15+ homers, 70+ RBI's, 20+ stolen bases and 100+ runs scored, the team is doing just fine. He can play out another 2-4 seasons in right field at the end of his career, just like Yogi Berra did at the end of his career.

Yeah, RF, I didn't even think of it. I'm just conditioned to the DH, I guess. I gotta say though, Jeter impresses me as the sort who might want to go out on top ala Mussina, instead of hanging on into his forties. I think if his skill level starts to slip, his pride would lead to retirement. He's earned that right. But that is all speculation on my part. Right now he's still the best. -- Al

 

[Louis Badolato]

Yeah, RF, I didn't even think of it. I'm just conditioned to the DH, I guess. I gotta say though, Jeter impresses me as the sort who might want to go out on top ala Mussina, instead of hanging on into his forties. I think if his skill level starts to slip, his pride would lead to retirement. He's earned that right. But that is all speculation on my part. Right now he's still the best. -- Al

Al,

I see your point, but remember, Jeter's skills as a hitter are not diminishing at all. He is a career .317 hitter, with a career .389 on base precentage and this season he is hitting .330 with a .396 on base percentage. If you project his career average numbers out for 3 more seasons (to age 38) he should have 3,320 hits. If at age 38, he is still a .300+ hitter, I could see him wanting to play three more years (to age 41) to have 3,800 hits and pass Hank Aaron for 3rd on the all time hit list, or five more years (to age 43) to have 4,000+ hits and be 1st or 2nd all time.

He already has more than 2700 hits as a shortstop (the most all time), and will undoubtedly have more than 3,000 hits as a shortstop. He will also have 250+ homers and 350+ steals as a shortstop, along with 4 gold gloves. I could see him shooting for 3rd or better on the all time hit list, especially if the team is still winning and has a shot at more titles. Could you imagine if Jeter is in the top 3 all time for hits, and lets say the Yankees win another 2 championships before he retires, so he has 6 championships? I think he moves past Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle, maybe even past Joe DiMaggio on the unofficial list of Yankees greats (there is no way he could ever pass Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig). He also passes Cal Ripkin, Jr. and Honus Wagner to become the best shortstop ever. As competitive as Jeter is, the possibility of winning more titles and being the best ever to play his position could keep him playing to 41 or 43.