Was Derek Jeters play on the field worth a big ceremony?
That is a big question on the mind of a lot of non-Yankee fans. Was Jeter overrated? I highly disagree with any of the negative comments about number 2. No one is claiming him to be the best ever or even the best Yankee ever. He does however deserve to have his number retired. The big ceremony was needed to immortalize the face of baseball in Monument Park.
His numbers speak for themselves and he is also one of the most clutch players to ever put on a uniform. He has won five world series titles, has over 3,000 hits, and is a 14 time all star. His resume also includes five gold glove awards, five silver slugger awards, rookie of the year, and a World Series MVP. He finished a stellar career with a batting average of .310. He’s had a multitude of highlight plays from “the flip” to “the dive.” Jeters last at bat at Yankee stadium was a walk off single to win. His career is something that can be found on a Hollywood script. Their is only one Derek Jeter.
Jeter in his famous batting stance. Jeter finished his career with 3,465 hits.
If you don’t believe Derek Jeter deserved to have his number retired than you are probably just a Yankee hater. That’s not to say their aren’t many valid reasons to say Jeter maybe wasn’t as great as many people will have you to believe. To start he never won an MVP award. People will say you can’t be an all time great without one. Another knock on Jeter is analytics show Jeter wasn’t a great fielder. He was a good one who could make a highlight play at a moment’s notice. Jeter has also struck out many more times than a lot of the other all time greats. Jeter haters can say what they want but the majority of people will disagree with them.
Personally, I believe people who hate on the Captain just nitpick at things he didn’t do great throughout his career. He is one of the most accomplished players in the modern era. He got to play shortstop for the New York Yankees which is every kids dream growing up. His is the most respected and recognized athlete in the modern era. Anytime you think of Number 2 you think of Derek Jeter. He was the face of baseball. His stats speak for themselves. Players like Derek Jeter only come once in a generation.
