Derek Jeter, One of the Best Ever?

Ever since 1996, Derek Jeter has been the face of the New York Yankees and every Yankee fan will tell you that he is one of the greatest players to ever put on a Yankee uniform. Then you have non Yankee fans, what I mean by non Yankee fans is people who hate the Yankees and who can't appreciate what the Yankees have done, who believe that Jeter is overrated and not even that good. But that is just stupid, because if you would have asked any GM in 1996 that they could have a shortstop for 15 years who averaged a .300 batting average, 180-200 hits a season and played above average defense, I'm sure they would have taken it, without taking a breath. But that's just me. But the question that I am bringing up is does Derek Jeter belong in the conversation of greatest players ever?

Now if you look at the statistics, Jeter is best producing shortstop of all time, but anyone who has read my blog before knows that numbers don't explain everything. But in Jeter's case the numbers only help, because Jeter is everything that a young and up incoming baseball player should strive to be. I believe that Jeter deserves to be in the conversations that you hear regular baseball fans discuss, who is the best baseball player ever? Ruth, Aaron, Mays.

If you look at Jeter's stats year in and year out throughout his career, you don't see one year that is different then the other. Jeter's whole career is based on consistency, and not consistently bad numbers but consistently great numbers for a shortstop. Consistency is why Jeter should be in the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) conversation. He is going to finish his career with over 3,000 hits and if he chooses to play till he is 40 years old he statistically has a shot to pass Pete Rose's all time career hits record. And if he does break Rose's record, its not because Jeter got 250 hits in one year, its because he on average gets 207 hits in a season. Jeter has only lead the league in hits once in his career, once. Just to show to relevance of that stat: Pete Rose lead the league 7 times in hits and also got 230 hits in one season.

Also one thing that people always say about players is that did they win championships in their career? I will let you answer that question yourself. Jeter has been the best overall player in baseball since 1996, and what makes players the G.O.A.T is consistently being the best player during their respected time periods and also Jeter has done this all by being clean. No connections to steroids, nothing, he goes out everyday and plays the game right. I have never heard anybody say anything bad about Jeter, never and I don't plan too. But the next time someone asks me who the G.O.A.T is my answer will be Derek Jeter and I can't wait to see his or her responses.

What was Cashman thinking?

It is always interesting to watch what the Yankees do around the MLB trade deadline every year. Last year, Brian Cashman made some small moves to help the Yankees towards the World Series championship, those players weren't big named but they were big contributors to the Yankees down the stretch and winning the championship. Eric Hinskie, Jerry Hairston Jr, and Chad Gaudin, did their jobs in helping the Yankees achieve their ultimate goal.

Now this season, Cashman again brought in three players, Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood. Berkman is a great player and everyone knows that, and it was a great move to get Berkman, kudos to him. Berkman fits great in the Yankees lineup batting 2nd. Kearns is also another great pick up by Cashman, a 4th outfielder, who can hit and maybe finally convince Giradi not to put Thames in the outfield ever again.

Now the one move that bothers me beyond anything is why Kerry Wood. Everyone knows that the Yankees needed help in the bullpen, especially in the 8th inning. Joba Chamberlain has been horrible in that role and David Robertson has been not as bad as Chamberlain but not that good either. So it’s understandable why they went after a guy for the 8th inning, but why Kerry Wood, he’s horrible straight up. The Rays went and got Chad Qualls who is decent, and the Rays gave up a player to be named later, I'm sure in all the Yankees organization we could have found a player to be named later, come on. Also Matt Capps was traded to the Twins for a decent prospect, who are the Yankees kidding holding on to these prospects. I am just saying that Kerry Wood was not the best the Yankees could do. This just reminds me of when the Red Sox traded for Eric Gagne at the deadline to be the 8th inning man for Jonathan Papelbon, how did that work out for them? Not to good, because Gagne was washed up and Wood is everything that describes a washed up pitcher, and it has nothing to do with his 6.30 ERA this season it has to do with the fact that he was activated off the DL again this season as recent as Saturday.

Also what was Cashman thinking not pulling the trigger on the Dan Haren deal? The deal was all set and ready to go, but Cashman wouldn't deal Chamberlain. At this point I think I would be ok with trading Joba to the Diamondbacks for their washing machine. What do they see in Chamberlain, it boggles my mind. Fine I understand why you didn't trade him to Minnesota after the 2007 season for Johan Santana after he was lights out all that year, but I think its pretty out there that he is nothing more than a middle reliever, a decent one at best. Does he still show the flashes of dominance? Absolutely but he’s a major league baseball player, he should be that good.

I hope for Cashman's sake that Wood pitches well, because Yankee fans will point fingers and the fingers will point to Wood then to Cashman. I just don't feel comfortable at all with this bullpen in the playoffs. Unless the Yankees starters go 7 plus innings in the playoff games and Mariano Rivera can pitch 2 innings in save situations then we will win games or if we out score teams by 5 runs or more. But if it comes down to Game 7 in the World Series against the San Diego Padres and in the 8th inning in a one run game and Kerry Wood is coming into the game, I will have my eyes closed and my rosary beads in my hand praying.

PS- Great move by Cashman to finally release Chan Ho Park, it was long over due.