Columnist and ESPN analyst Buster Olney wrote a book called “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”. It details the rise and the fall of the Yankees dynasty from 1996-2001 when they won 4 World Series in 5 years and made 5 World Series appearances in 6 years. Those Yankees teams will always be special to me. The run began in 1996 when I was in elementary school and stretched through my years in high school. Naturally, it was an awkward time for me as I was going through puberty and trying to deal with the imbalance of my hormones. However, one thing I could always count on and believe in during those years was the Yankees winning it all. There is nothing like playoff baseball and watching your team win it year after year. They need to be a great team and still need to have a lot of things break their way. The playoff wins were improbable and dramatic. Nevertheless, they kept on happening time after time and appeared to defy logic. It was like a religious experience. Whether it was because of mystique, destiny, or God, it felt like the Yankees found a way to win and would always find a way to win. As with most things in life, I did not fully appreciate those moments until they ended. While the Yankees won another World Series in 2009, time has proven that it is not as easy to win the World Series as the Yankees in the late 90s made it look. Olney’s book discusses how the Yankees loss in the 2001 World Series against the Arizona Diamonbacks changed the course of the franchise. Domineering owner George Steinbrenner took the defeat hard and fell back into his poor habits: overriding his front office by bringing in high priced stars and deviating from the principles that made the dynasty great.
While the heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series when Mariano Rivera shockingly blew the lead in the 9th inning, sparked by his own error, represented the end of the dynasty; Game 5 was the last great moment of the dynasty and thus its last night. For New Yorkers that lived through that Yankees playoff run, we will never forget the emotions of it since it also occurred right after the tragic events of September 11th and helped the city heal. Games 4 and 5 of the World Series were the pinnacle of the drama. After the Yankees lost the first two games in Arizona and fell behind the series 2-0, they pulled within 2-1 after winning Game 3. In Game 4, they trailed going into the 9th inning by 2 runs against the Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim. Kim dominated the 8th inning and had the Yankees down to their last out. However, Paul O’Neill got on base and Tino Martinez homered to tie the game. Derek Jeter would homer off Kim in the 10th to win the game. Due to the delay of the World Series caused by the cancellation of sporting events for a week after September 11th, Game 4 started on October 31st and ended right after midnight. As a result, it was the first time the World Series was being played in November. Accordingly, one of Jeter’s nicknames is Mr. November. On the very next night in Game 5, the Yankees were down by 2 runs and down to their last out again in the ninth inning. It was déjà vu all over again as Scott Brosius hit a 2 run game tying homerun against Kim en route to another extra inning comeback win. I vividly remember my body shaking and my heart pounding as these dramatic homeruns happened.
Game 5 was more improbable than Game 4. Surely, it seemed impossible that the Yankees could rally in identical fashion down 2 in the very next game. Accordingly, I was hoping for the best but was preparing to accept that the Yankees were going to lose the game. The Yankees fans at the stadium had the same idea. Consequently, they took the opportunity in the top of the 9th inning to say goodbye and thanks to one of our great Warriors during the dynasty, Paul O’Neill, who was retiring after the series. Yankee fans will never forget the chills we got when the stadium crowd chanted “Paul O’Neill” over and over again in that top half of the inning. All great things come to an end. O’Neill’s retirement began process of Yankees fans saying goodbye to those beloved Yankees from that dynasty. Similar to O’Neill, Scott Brosius would also retire after the World Series. Tino Martinez also left the Yankees after the series when they opted to sign Jason Giambi and Martinez signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. My favorite Yankee during the run, Bernie Williams, retired after the 2006 season. Manager Joe Torre left for the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2007 season. Jorge Posada retired after the 2011 season. Of course, Andy Pettitte left to sign with the Houston Astros after the 2003 season but came back in 2007. He retired after the 2010 season before making a final comeback and retiring for good after last season. Of course, the greatest closer of All Time in Mariano Rivera had a long and well documented farewell tour last season. As we expected all along, Jeter is the last Knight standing from that Yankees dynasty. As he is 40 years old and coming off a major ankle injury that robbed him most of last season, it is no surprise that he is ready to retire. When I heard the announcement, I was not shocked because it is time. Jeter’s retirement will officially mark the end of an era and he is the last link to those special Yankees teams. For me, he is also the last link to my childhood. While it is bittersweet because we need to say goodbye, we get one more season to celebrate Jeter’s great career and to say goodbye and thank you to the Yankees Captain.
Jeter’s place in history was secured a long time ago. Without a doubt, he is a first ballot Hall of Famer. He is a 5 Time World Series Champion, 13 Time All-Star, 5 Time Gold Glove Award Winner, and World Series MVP. He has been the face of the Yankees since he entered the stage and the Yankees won the World Series in his rookie season. In Yankees history, Babe Ruth obviously ranks at the top since he is the greatest baseball player of all time and began the glorious history of the franchise. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle form the rest of the Yankees Mt. Rushmore and no one can ever knock any of them out. Jeter’s place in Yankees history belongs in the next group of legends that includes Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Mariano Rivera. Jeter grew up dreaming about being the shortstop of the New York Yankees. From the beginning, he was destined for greatness and the Yankees knew it as they assigned him number 2. The greatest Yankees of all time wore numbers 1-10 and most of those numbers have been retired. His career statistics are certainly impressive with a .312 average, .381 on base percentage, 256 homeruns, 1,261 RBIs, and 348 stolen bases. He also has over 3,000 hits with 3,316 and counting. His high average, on base percentage, and inside out swing made him an ideal number 2 hitter. For those same reasons, he was also an excellent leadoff hitter when the Yankees needed him to be. His power at shortstop was also a plus. On defense, he won 5 Gold Gloves. While there are valid criticisms about his range and ability to move to his left to field balls, he was very sure handed and made all the routine plays. As a Yankees fan, watching Eduardo have great range but boot routine plays makes you fully appreciate the value of a shortstop that makes all the plays on balls hit right to him.
In the end, Jeter is much more than statistics. You cannot fully appreciate his greatness unless you watch him play every day and observe the intangibles and leadership he brings to field. The best example of this quality is the 2004 regular season game against the Boston Red Sox. In the 12th inning, Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon blooped a ball near the left field line. Instead of allowing the ball to fall in and the Red Sox to take the lead, Jeter caught the ball but flew into the stands head first. No Yankees fan will ever forget him walking out of the stands with a bloody face. The Yankees would go on to win in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 13th. Jeter led by example, played fundamental baseball, and knew where to position himself. Due to the qualitative reasons that made him great, he was called underrated at the beginning of his career. Of course, he got described as underrated for so long that he would eventually be also criticized for being overrated at a point.
Another key aspect of Jeter’s legacy is his ability to excel in the postseason. In 158 postseason games, he has a .308 average, .374 on base percentage, 200 hits, 20 homeruns, 61 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. As the competition is stiffer in the playoffs and hitters are hitting against the best pitchers, it is very difficult to maintain your regular season statistics. Jeter did it and much more. He has many great postseason moments that will always live in Yankees lure. I will list some of my favorite. Of course, one of his first moments was due to luck. In Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS with the Yankees down 4-3 late in the game, Jeter popped a fly ball to right field off Orioles reliever Armando Benitez. While the ball appeared to be just short of the wall, a young fan [Jeffrey Maier] reached over the wall and hauled in the baseball before outfielder Tony Tarasco could catch it. Accordingly, the flyball was ruled a game tying homerun and the Yankees would go on to win the game en route to winning the World Series. Of course, it would never happen in today’s game with instant replay. The next of my favorite Jeter postseason moments was the 2000 World Series. The Yankees played against their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. As such, losing was not an option as it would have driven George Steinbrenner nuts. Joe Torre would later admit it was the least enjoyable of the World Series the Yankees played in due to the pressure to win. During the series, the Yankees won the first two games at Yankee Stadium. However, the Mets would win Game 3 at Shea Stadium to snap the Yankees 14 game winning streak in the World Series. Moreover, it was the first loss for Orlando Hernandez (“El Duque”) in the postseason. Accordingly, the Mets had an opportunity to build momentum off that win and change the course of the World Series. Before they could do so, Derek Jeter lead off Game 4 with a homerun on the first pitch of the game as the Yankees went on to win Game 4 then Game 5 by thrilling one run victories. The moment was a symbol that the future Yankee captain would not allow the Mets to get back into the series. Jeter would homer again in Game 5 en route to winning the World Series MVP.
The final two postseason moments on my list occurred in 2001. In the ALDS, the Yankees were down 2-0 in the series against the upstart Oakland As. Ace Mike Mussina was pitching a masterful game shutting out the As. In the bottom of the 7th inning, the As had their best chance to score. With Jeremy Giambi on first base, outfielder Terrence Long hit a line drive down the right field line. Outfielder Shane Spencer fielded the ball but overthrew both cutoff men. Accordingly, the ball went up the first base line. Out of nowhere, Derek Jeter entered the picture to redirect the ball on a flip throw to catcher Jorge Posada who swiped Giambi on the back of his leg to record the final out of the inning. The Yankees would go on to win the final two games of the series and eventually advance to the World Series. Of course, my final moment is the walkoff homerun in the World Series, discussed above, which is the origin of the Mr. November nickname. Jeter was a great player who was also brilliant in the big game and the big stage. Despite facing immense pressure throughout his career, he remained poised and handled it flawlessly. Similarly, he has conducted himself like a gentleman with class on and off the field. He is the voice of the Yankees team and always knew the right thing to say. He has never embarrassed the Yankees off the field. Jeter is a great ambassador for the Yankees and the game of baseball. He was also smart enough to know that he was young and one of the most desired bachelors in the world. He knew it would be difficult for him to commit to one woman so he did not do so. The list of women he has dated is long and impressive. Some of the standouts include Mariah Carey, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Adriana Lima, and Tyra Banks. They form a pretty formidable All-Star team of superstars.
Of course, I cannot fully touch upon Jeter’s career without discussing his foil throughout it all, Alex Rodriguez. Both men started their careers as superstar shortstops and friends. Eventually, they became teammates on the Yankees. It is interesting to analyze how their careers intertwined and how their legacies have gone in completely opposite directions. Do not get me wrong. I have been a supporter of AROD over the years. Obviously, I cannot defend or condone his use of PEDs and steroids. However, AROD has received much more blame than he deserved for the Yankees not winning World Series at the same rate they were during the 1990s. The Yankees were just a better team during the dynasty. They had a much better starting rotation and bullpen. In addition, they received big hits from a lot of different players. It was not just one superstar hitting them to 4 World Series. As such, I thought it was always unfair for the Yankees postseason failures to be pinned on AROD when the collective team was just not as good. Nevertheless, I will return to discuss the intertwining careers of Jeter and AROD. Combined with Nomar Garciaparra, the three men formed the superstar trio of shortstops in baseball. AROD was clearly the most gifted of the three. He was a true five tool player with immense power and speed. He was a 40/40 man and the best fielding shortstop in baseball. On the other hand, Jeter got his share of the accolades winning World Series and performing big in the postseason. While AROD was definitely still the best shortstop and potentially the best player in the game, Jeter made his own claim as one of the best shortstops in history. Nevertheless, there was argument that AROD would have won just as much if he was the shortstop of the Yankees since those teams were completely loaded. Surely, the best shortstop in the game could do just as well as Jeter did. This question would not stay hypothetical as we would get an answer.
During the offseason leading up to the 2004 season, third baseman Aaron Boone suffered an unexpected injury playing basketball. Accordingly, the Yankees had a need for a third baseman. Weary of losing with the Texas Rangers, AROD wanted to join a contender. After a trade to the Boston Red Sox was nixed by the Players Association since it included an agreement that would have devalued the worth of AROD’s contract, the Yankees were able to acquire AROD and convinced him to convert to third base. The arrival of AROD was supposed to show the baseball world how great he was and dwarf Jeter’s greatness. Ironically, it did the opposite and has actually elevated Jeter’s legacy even more. Despite AROD’s gaudy regular season numbers and two MVPs with the Yankees and his brilliant 2009 postseason in the World Series win, AROD’s struggles in the postseason with the Yankees has been well documented. Accordingly, it has reinforced the belief of Yankees fans that Derek Jeter is a great big game player while AROD’s accomplishments are diminished because of his choking in big spots. Again, I believe that perception is unfair but it appears to be the general consensus of the baseball world and especially Yankees fans. There are two postseason moments that symbolizes the perception. The first occurred in the 2004 ALCS. With the Yankees trying to stop a historic Red Sox comeback and down 4-1 in the 8th inning, Jeter singled in a run to cut it to 4-2. On the very next play, AROD hit a dribbler down the first baseline. As Bronson Arroyo went to tag AROD, AROD swiped the ball out of Arroyo’s hand. It killed the Yankees rally and was embarrassing for a player of AROD’s stature to resort to such a bush league tactic. Of course, the Red Sox would hold on to win Game 6 then blow out the Yankees in Game 7. The next moment is Game 5 of the 2005 ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels. With the Yankees down 5-2, Jeter homered in the 7th inning to cut the deficit to 2 runs. In the 9th inning, Jeter lead off with a single. However, AROD immediately grounded into a double play to kill the momentum of the rally. These moments are very symbolic of the reason Jeter is held in high esteem and AROD is held in disdain by Yankees fans. On one hand, you had a proven clutch player beloved by the fans in Jeter performing well again in the postseason while the player who is supposed to be fair superior [AROD] is negating Jeter’s work. Although AROD has the ridiculous statistics, his time with the Yankees actually elevates Jeter’s reputation for being much greater than his numbers. It gives credence to the argument that Jeter’s intangibles and leadership make him even better than his already Hall of Fame numbers suggest.
Of course, there are also other reasons Jeter has a positive image while AROD’s has been tarnished. Both men are well spoken. However, AROD has a problem putting his foot in his own mouth. He tries too hard to make people like him and appears arrogant. Combined with his large contract, he gives a lot of reasons for baseball fans and other players to hate him. On the other hand, Jeter handles himself with grace at all times and seems to do it without trying. He has the respect of his peers and fans. While opposing fans boo him because he is a Yankee, they completely respect him for the person and player he is on and off the field. Similar to Mariano Rivera, you will see that esteem as Jeter visits opposing ballparks this year. Moreover, AROD’s PEDs scandals have embarrassed himself and the Yankees. When it was revealed AROD used PEDs right before the 2009 season, he had a chance to redeem himself by performing afterwards and never using PEDs again. However, he got caught again with the Biogenesis scandal that resulted in his suspension for the 2014 season. Accordingly, his legacy is in complete ruins and he is a complete embarrassment and disgraced player for the Yankees. It completely contrasts with how Jeter has maintained his clean cut image his entire career and is absolutely revered. AROD’s raw numbers completely dwarf Jeter’s. However, AROD will be remembered as a loathed cheat while Jeter will be revered and loved. AROD’s flaws help fans appreciate Jeter even more.
As we enter Jeter’s final season, expectations should be tempered in regards to how well he can perform. He suffered a devastating ankle injury in the 2012 ALCS. He only played in 17 games last season. He is a 40 year shortstop coming off major injuries. Moreover, he has put a lot of wear and tear on his body. Throughout his career, he has played through injury and it has put a strain on a body that is at the end of the line on what it can give. Consequently, it is highly uncertain whether he will be able to perform well in his final season the way Mariano Rivera did last year. Next, Jeter started his career by winning the World Series in his rookie season. Of course, the goal will be for the Yankees to bookend his career with a Championship in his final season. While the Yankees spent a lot of money in the offseason and are playoff contenders, they still have a lot of holes. While they made significant additions on offense with Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Brian McCann; they lost Robinson Cano via free agency to the Mariners. Nevertheless, the offense should be much better. While they signed Masahiro Tanaka to a monster contract, it is not sure thing that he will succeed against the deep and powerful lineups of the AL East. In general, there are a lot of question marks on the rotation. CC Sabathia is aging and needs to show he can pitch with diminished skills. Hideki Kuroda is their best starter but tired at the end of last season. They also need to figure out the back end of the rotation. Moreover, the bullpen is much weaker than last season. David Robertson will have the tall task of taking over for Mariano River. Nevertheless, the real problem is the rest of the bullpen. Shawn Kelley is currently the setup man. He is inexperienced and the relievers behind him are suspect at this point. Accordingly, I will warn Yankees fans to manage their expectations and just go into the season appreciating every last moment we have to watch Jeter play.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.
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