Jeter is just a magnet for positive energy. Whatever he actually does on the field, fans and teammates believe in Derek Jeter because he believes in himself. When he jogged back to the dugout after his groundout, his pace and cadence were the same as they would have been if he’d knocked the winning run home. He’s always like that. Jeter, above anything else, is a study in the power of human confidence. He has become the hero of the Bronx because he effortlessly exudes the qualities we wish we had ourselves: He is always confident, always composed, always in control. Baseball is an unpredictable game; failure is a constant. But Jeter doesn’t allow himself to absorb it, or even really acknowledge it. He just keeps cruising along, as if playing shortstop for the most scrutinized, glorified sports franchise in the world every day for the past fourteen years is the most natural thing on earth.
…Then Jeter showed up, in 1996. He was a fully formed True Yankee from the get-go. Jeter had been a Yankees fan all his life, which, considering how miserable the team was during much of that time span, showed real commitment for a kid who grew up in Michigan. Jeter was instantly the face of a franchise that, with the retirement of Don Mattingly, desperately needed one. Jeter was everything a marketer or a fan could hope for from a baseball superstar: humble, fresh-faced, energetic, bi-racial, constantly hustling, seemingly innocent, entirely devoted to the game of baseball…he was a new kind of Yankees hero. He was not a hulking slugger or bigmouthed self-promoter. He was the Professional. He was, for a franchise always eager to bulk up its own iconography, the ideal brand, someone willing to play the part as long as you let him play his game. The titles came, and the Yankees were shaped in Jeter’s image, intense competitors devoted to the team at all costs. He was—instantly—the true New York sports hero.
I can understand the Yankee-haters dislike of Jeter since Yankee fans think he's the greatest thing since Mickey Mantle. Still from 1996-2001, my love for the Yankees wasn't all about the winning, although that was very nice, it was also about their character. I know many people don't believe character has anything to do with winning, and you certainly can't prove that it does, I was still proud of the way that Yankee team acted on and off the field. I loved the fact that as much as they won and as much as they were hated by fans around the country, they were mostly respected (Clemens was an exception). I think Jeter (and also Mo) most reflect the character of those Yankees. They are great players and they are great people (as far as we can tell from this distance and from what other people who have crossed their paths say about them). I know other teams have great players of good character, but Jeter (and Mo) are ours. I couldn't really care less if other people think they're overrated, Jeter for me will always be the G(SS)OAT.
So, I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, but I never "got" Derek Jeter. A-Rod I understand. He's got a combination of prodigious talent and personal insecurity that makes him, if not beloved, at least comprehensible. But Derek Jeter? He seems, to me, to be exactly the same person that arrived in Yankee Stadium 1996. I find that unnerving, and it makes it hard for me to identify with him as a fan.
I guess, in some sense, he encompasses the problem with icons. A player who is an icon while he's active is, in some sense, inhuman. The Babe had his booze, Joe had Marilyn, Gehrig his ALS, all qualities that humanized them. But Jeter? He just is. The stats change, but the man remains the same. And it's exactly the qualities that Leitch extols that prevent me from feeling any emotions warmer than admiration and respect for Jeter.
(2) You have a problem with Jeter because he keeps his faults to himself? Obviously Jeter is not a perfect human being ( I would guess there hasn't been one, not even Ghandi). Yet your problem with him is that he is on his best behavior in public, he avoids the spotlight away from the ballpark, tries to keep a clean image, forgoes controversies and he is a private person who keeps the fans and media at arms length when it comes to his and his families' personal life. Also, you would like him much more if he had a terminal disease, or a substance addiction, or if he was more of a self-promoting asshole? Write him a letter maybe he can oblige.
[3] I don't know why you're taking this finger-wagging tone regarding my comment. I'm just expressing an opinion, that "icon" is an inherently distancing label (at least for me) in a profession where the lives of the players are already very distant from our own. The extent to which Jeter lives up to that label makes it hard for me to identify with him.
You can argue that "identifying with the players" shouldn't be a part of why I enjoy baseball, or that I should prioritize Jeter's quantifiable virtues over intangible factors like "getting" or "not getting" him. But I think misrepresenting my comment as wishing a terminal illness on one of the best players on my team is an ugly and uncivil thing to do.
4 I apologize fo my tone. I am one of those who fails to live up to his own standards. You most certainly can and do have your own valid reasons for not liking or identifying with Jeter. When I first read your post I took it as if you were saying that you did not like Jeter because of the way he portrays himself publicly, and that is also ok, some may see it as him putting on an act or not being himself. When you listed why you liked Ruth, DiMaggio, and Gehrig i took it as that you wanted to see his faults to prove he was human. While I can see your point, I found myself thinking of all the impolite people and those who put their personal lifes on display for ecveryone to see. Whether it is someone yelling at someone else when they could have asked politely first, a drunk staggering on the street or worse causing an accident, or just Paris Hilton flashing her vagina to whomever has a camera, I find Jeter's run in NY and avoidance of controversy rather refreshing. I would like to be as successful in minding my own business and being polite and decent. So I apologize for the way I sounded, you have every right to like or dislike or not care about Derek Jeter. I took your comment the wrong way and let my emotions have the best of me.
[2] I feel similar in that I don't have the same hero worship for Jeter as many others do, partially because of the NY hype, and because I thought Nomar and ARod were both better SSs. But Nomar got injured and fell off the map, and ain't it a pisser... ARod gave up SS to defer to the Yankees and Jeter.
My hero was the Mick, who certainly proved to be a flawed human. And part of my liking and admiring ARod is that he is a great and famous player but still struggles with personal issues (although ARod's issues are really not bad... not a druggy or wife beater, and doesn't go out drinking with Miggy).
What I get from Jeter is his parenting. Derek is definitely a finely molded person. He does indeed personify many of the traits that we all wish we had. But it's no accident of birth. You can't be as solid as Jeter without fantastic parenting (young parents take note). Personally, I'd like to see Jete's parents get some play, and maybe give courses, write a book, etc on parenting.
It's interesting that ARod's problems stem from lack of parenting, or rather the abandonment by his father, and Jeters fame comes as much or more from the person he is, rather then the greatness of the ballplayer.
Jeter at times seems aloof, but I'm beginning to see it's just his intelligent avoidance of media hoopla and bullshit, that has him remain rather stoic and above it all. Actually, as he ages I'm beginning to like and respect him more.
There are many fine people in baseball. If Michael Young or Tejada were playing in NY, would they get the hype? How about if Jeter played in Seatlle his whole career. Would he be 'Derek Jeter the Icon'? I think not. He is a product of NY... but that is not his fault. My guess is he would be the same guy on any team.
Statler's comment is probably the worst thing I've read about Jeter in a long time and he didn't even say anything that bad.
2) I actually agree with a lot of what you said here and I don't think you need to apologize.
And BuckFoston, props to you, man, for being a good dude. It takes some thoughtfulness to back down off a defensive stance and see it for what it was.
You guys make me love the Banter more every day.
[6] Well, your point is well-taken, OYF, but still, 3000 hits (inevitably) is pretty hard to hide, even in Seattle, no?
[8] Hear, hear.
I know I'm late to the party, but I had to say that Leitch's piece was spot on for me. I am a big defender of Jeter, I never had to defend Jeter's character or personality till A-Rod came to NYC. It's unfortunate that these two are constantly compared to each other, they are both so uniquely talented that I find there's little to compare between the two. It just doesn't make sense to compare the two players. It's like comparing Ray Allen to Chris Paul, both play the game differently.
But as BuckFoston says so well, Jeter just does it all right and is always composed, I find those qualities to be something I admire.
I think Alex had posted an article on or about the time of the Jackie Robinson celebration, it had to do with Jeter's quiet contributions to the Jackie Robinson foundation - Jeter doesn't need any attention, he's so balanced that he knows that just by playing baseball for the New York Yankees then the attention will automatically come. I find it comforting to have players like Bernie, Jeter, Mo, Posada, those guys make you proud to root for your team. I have to give A-Rod credit because this year he's kept his mouth shut and gone about his business. Now people are noticing all the things he does really well, like running every ball out, giving it his all each and every day, and letting his talent do the talking.
For me Jeter is the embodiment of class, I know he's not perfect, he's no more perfect than any one of us here, but where he excels is in how balanced and confident he is, I would want my kid to be just like that.
[11] I just wanted to point out something in this thread that strikes me--both you and OYF speak aspirationally about Jeter, about seeing his parents in his attitude and wanting to see that attitude in your kid. While that's totally different from the way I see Jeter, I think it's great. I guess I'd just foreclosed on the idea of athletes as role models, and you're right, it IS great to see someone keeping that torch lit and raised.
Just like anyone else, athletes can be role models, you just have to learn to pick the right person to emulate. They're human, they have their flaws, true, but so do policemen, firefighters, soldiers, teachers, or whomever is viewed as a "role model" type.
Great conversation here and I want to echo [8]. I shared BuckFoston's point of view but was relieved to see the contextualization and depressurization. nice. Jetes would be impressed!
I guess, though I shudder at the thought, that Jeter is a bit of a role model.
There's lots of things. He seems to handle his two race parents background so well that's it's not a major issue. Which I can't say of many of my friends or even really of myself. He seems to date both black and white women, which suggests to me a racial ease you don't often see in athletes (or others) of any color. They tend to go one way or the other for social and aspirational reasons (or whatever).
And his handling of his own success is breathtaking. I'm pretty successful in my little muddy pond, and I still get ahead of myself, while he's hugely successful in a huge competitive ocean and never seems to get in front of that. There are so few people that I know or that I read about in the media that seem able to not let their success change how real they are. It takes a very serious humility to do that ( I really have a hard time fathoming that humility).
A guy in a grad school class I was in at Michigan took a spanish class with Jeter in the few months he was at U. Mich. He was a great promising player then, and the chicks really liked him apparently, but the feeling of my friend was that Jeter was still funny and relaxed. When my friend asked him to sign a ball, somehow he did it while just being a classmate and still being chill. He was cool with my nerdy asian buddy at the age of 18 when in most people at that age all the status hype really comes out. That's really hard to do. When I got to college, I certainly had a hard time not leveraging my (very modest) status despite having a deep interest in things like noblesse oblige.
And Jeter is still hustling and working and he almost doesn't have anything to prove. That's just hard to do, and it's why I'm such a fan. He's an incarnation of noblesse oblige.