Derek Jeter is boring. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure his life far exceeds my wildest dreams regarding everything fame and fortune affords the long-time shortstop for the New York Yankees. But you’re not going to see him in the headlines, find him near the top of very many statistical leaderboards, or witness him showering “Jazmine” at the gentlemen’s club near you. He just works, and it’s the way he goes about it that baseball will miss when “The Captain” steps off the stage he made bigger, nearly 20 years ago.
Roughly a week ago, Derek Jeter announced via Facebook that this would be his last season playing Major League Baseball. He did so in a manner befitting the 13-time All-Star; amidst a plan for his future and without the fanfare he’s been hiding from for most of his 19 seasons in professional baseball.
It’s not that he doesn’t still love the game, nor that he wants to quit playing it, but more so that he understands what it takes to play it at the highest level, is no longer willing to commit that time, and won’t cheat the game by half-assing a process he built a career perfecting.
It’s that process, and his unwillingness to deviate from it that made Jeter a hero in an era lacking true ones. During a time when the marquee was covered with paper champions, the former first round draft pick from New Jersey earned his stripes, when so many of his peers were looking for the easy way out. There were no home run chases or gaudy statistics, but nor were there the murmurs, failed tests, or “Mitchell Reports” which hovered so ominously over so many of Mr. Jeter’s compatriots.
He hasn’t been great at anything, yet has been good at everything. Barry Bonds took the art of hitting to a new level, players like McGwire and Sosa epitomized power, and A-Rod exemplified an all-around game nearly no-one prior had even approached. But Jeter has been a stalwart in the field, averaged .315 at the plate, offered a legitimate threat to steal, and no one was better when it mattered the most. “Mr. November,” as he was dubbed for his propensity to perform in the post-season, has hit .309 in said post-season, and his .351 World Series average ranks him amongst the best in history with similar or more at-bats. He has epitomized consistency, and has done so without the aid of the “extras” so many others needed.
I’m not a Yankees fan, nor have I really been a fan of Jeter for most of his career. But in recent years it’s become more difficult to ignore his contributions, and virtually impossible to deny what he’s meant to his team and more importantly the game itself.
Professional sports lacks role models. I know; Charles Barkley told us long ago that athletes weren’t and shouldn’t be who our kids should look up to. But in spite of what should or shouldn’t be regarding who our youth idolize, the fact remains they don’t always care what Mom and Dad do on a regular basis, but what celebrities and athletes do is on the radio, on television, and on their damn phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So would you rather they be consumed by the immature and irresponsible behavior commonly found in pop culture, or would you prefer they read and hear about the work ethic, accountability, and humility of one of sports’ most notable figures? Sorry Charles.
Derek Jeter has held himself to the highest standards, and has met or exceeded them every step of the way. His on-field performance has made him a virtual first-ballot Hall Of Famer, and his performance on the field has been exceeded maybe only by his performance off of it. Is he perfect? No, nor has he denied himself a few fruits of his labor in New York. (Have you seen his list of discarded femme fatales?) But he’s managed to consistently succeed, rarely disappoint, and always impress both in the midst of the former, but more impressively amidst the latter as well. And all on the biggest stage.
Good luck Mr. Jeter, I may not miss you, but the game will have a big void to fill.
