Derek Jeter News: Pro Sports Daily

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March 13

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"Remember when Jose Reyes was the shortstop of the future in New York and Derek Jeter supposedly was starting to slip? Now, things just keep getting worse for Reyes and the Mets while Jeter and the Yankees keep winning championships. No one knows better than Jeter what a difficult task it is to survive and thrive in New York and right now he feels for his sidelined Mets counterpart. "First and foremost is your health, and it goes beyond anything you do on the field," Jeter said yesterday at Steinbrenner Field. "You wish him the best. I don't like to see anybody go through that kind of stuff. It's just that he's had such bad luck. You have to assume that his luck is going to change here ..."

Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter scratched with flu

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March 12

Newark Star-Ledger

"Yankees captain Derek Jeter was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves with the flu. But the Yankees shortstop might not miss too much. With rain and thunderstorms in the weather forecast for Thursday night and Friday morning, the Yankees face the possibility of having scratching scheduled games against the Braves and Nationals. "I think we're paying," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, just as raindrops began falling on the tarp covering the infield. "I don't know for how long." Earlier, Jeter reported to the ballpark but was promptly sent home. "Anyone that's had the flu we've sent home," said Girardi, who welcomed back bench coach Tony Pena after he missed ..."

Yankees' Jeter scratched with flu

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March 12

New York Post

"Derek Jeter was scratched from the lineup against the Braves due to the flu that is circulating through the Yankees' clubhouse. "We sent him home,'' said Joe Girardi, who never saw the shortstop Thursday. "It's going around, it's either the flu or a head cold. One or the other. He came in and we kicked him out.'' Ramiro Pena would have replaced Jeter in the lineup, but the game was cancelled due to rain."

Alex's close again with old pal Jeter

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March 9

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"The bond of winning a championship together has created a tighter bond between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. They drove here together yesterday from Tampa for the Yankees' split-squad 6-0 win over the Pirates. And they left together. Before the game they played catch and long toss together, ran together in the outfield and even walked into the clubhouse together along the right-field line at 12:01 after they were done with their early work while a group of Yankees were still taking batting practice. "They've definitely grown closer," one Yankee official told me. They are laughing and joking together more, and during Sunday's workout in Tampa they spent a lot of time talking in short ..."

Five-time world champ Derek Jeter in running for title of 'Greatest Yankee'

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March 7

New York Daily News

"The kid was so skinny his uniform was baggier than a teenager's blue jeans. This guy, with ankles flopping around in the unorthodox high-top spikes he brought from home, was the Yankees' heralded top draft choice? A kid so shy he didn't say five words when his new manager picked him up at the hotel? "Is he really going to be any good?" Andy Pettitte recalls thinking 18 years ago. "That was my first impression." But that feeling was gone when Pettitte saw the then-159-pound Derek Jeter play, saw him slam a home run, dash behind second base to snare a ground ball. Talent was there, yes, obvious even all those years ago in Greensboro, N.C, Jeter's second pro stop. But this? That bony kid one ..."

Keep Jeter in pinstripes, even as owner

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March 3

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"The Yankees need to find a way to make Derek Jeter a Yankee for Life. There's really only one way. At some point the Steinbrenner family would have to take him into the ownership group. The Yankees will take the field today for the first time as defending 2009 World Champions when they host the Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner field. Fresh red, white and blue World Series Champions logos have been painted on the first and third base sides of the field. Jeter, of course, is in the final year of his 10-year, $189 million contract. The Yankees and Jeter will come together on a new deal at some point, but Jeter needs to be a Yankee for Life and there is a way to make him one. The Yankees need ..."

Blocked by Jeter, a Backup Finds Other Work

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February 27

New York Times

"Literally and figuratively, Mick Kelleher was once in Ramiro Pena's position. As a shortstop in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in the late 1960s and early '70s, Kelleher played four years in the minors behind the incumbent, Dal Maxvill. The day after Maxvill was traded to Oakland, Kelleher was promoted, and he started the rest of the 1972 season. "Something has to happen," said Kelleher, now the Yankees' first-base coach. "Somebody has to make a decision for you to get an opportunity." Pena will not have Kelleher's luck, at least not exactly. The Yankees are not trading Derek Jeter, so for the moment Pena has realized that there are worse things than being blocked by an eventual Hall ..."

Alex Rodriguez says winning World Series was a relief, but New York Yankees need Derek Jeter

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February 26

New York Daily News

"Amid a sea of nondescript answers about his past, present and future, Alex Rodriguez was clear and candid Thursday when asked about the contract situation of his teammate, Derek Jeter. "Derek Jeter was born to be a Yankee and he was born to wear pinstripes," Rodriguez told a gathering of media. "He's our captain and we need him here. I envision he'll finish his career here. I can't envision him wearing any other uniform." That's a far cry from Rodriguez's 2001 comments to Esquire when he said the Captain "has never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun." He drew from the Yankees' past glories when he also told the magazine, "You go into New York, you want to stop Bernie ..."

Jeter says he wants to stay in pinstripes

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February 25

The Journal News

"From the moment Derek Jeter sat behind the microphone to the moment he walked out of the room, everything about his opening spring training press conference was both predictable and inevitable. This is Jeter's 15th season as the Yankees' starting shortstop, and those years have made him one of the most famous and highly paid athletes in the world, known as much for his Hall of Fame numbers as for his calm and cool persona. This is also the final year of Jeter's 10-year contract, a contract he signed when he was 26 and still 1,713 hits away from Lou Gehrig's franchise record. Whether he wanted to answer them or not, questions about Jeter's future with the Yankees were unavoidable, so he sat ..."

With Jeter, Tigers' tales never in play

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February 25

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Derek Jeter is a marvel — and he has 2,700-plus hits. Yeah, the baseball stuff is impressive. How can it not be with the five rings and the .317 lifetime average and the 10 All-Star games? But that merely puts him on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and there already are a couple of hundred guys in the Cooperstown club. What makes Jeter unique is having spent the past 15 years as a matinee idol and athletic superstar while preserving as pristine an image today as he had as a 21-year-old. How big is that club? Heck, Peyton Manning is pretty darn remarkable, but he does his work in Indianapolis. Jeter has been the biggest star in the biggest city in the age of TMZ and cell cameras (how would ..."

Questions loom as Derek Jeter enters final year of contract with New York Yankees

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February 25

New York Daily News

"Let's be real here: There's about as much chance of Derek Jeter going public with details of his love life, past and present, as there is of him playing for anyone but the Yankees next year and beyond. But that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of behind-the-scenes intrigue when the Yankees and Jeter get together at the end of the 2010 season to negotiate a new contract. In fact, while both sides obviously need each other, as Jeter climbs into the Ruth-Gehrig-DiMaggio stratosphere, there are at least a couple of potentially sticky questions that could make the negotiations difficult:"

Two Will Climb Ladder, but How High?

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February 25

New York Times

"In the first year of the new Yankee Stadium, its tenants won the World Series. In its second, Alex Rodriguez could hit his 600th home run. In its third, Derek Jeter should notch his 3,000th hit. More milestones will follow, and Rodriguez and Jeter will almost certainly be chasing them together. They have been connected since the beginning of their careers, when they were dynamic young shortstops, so why should this be any different? As soon as Jeter re-signs with the Yankees after this season - "I've never envisioned myself playing anywhere else," he said Wednesday - he and Rodriguez will be climbing parallel ladders toward baseball immortality even as both grow older on the same side of ..."

A Lot to Lose for Jeter if He Leaves the Yanks

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February 25

New York Times

"We want to believe that Derek Jeter is different. We want to believe that he represents the best in athletics: fair play, sportsmanship, loyalty. For 15 years, he has not let fans down. There are lots of reasons for that. Jeter joined the right team at the right time, on the cusp of the Yankees' reinvention as a dynasty. He came from a stable family, secure in himself and respectful of others. He gave up his right to free agency nine years ago, and does not seem interested in shopping himself. "This is the only organization I've ever wanted to play for, and that still is true today," Jeter said Wednesday, before the Yankees' first full workout of spring training. "I was a Yankee fan ..."

Jeter says Bronx is where he wants to be

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February 25

New York Post

"Mickey. Whitey. Joe D. Gehrig. Scooter. Donnie Baseball. Some time in November, you can add Derek Jeter to the list of Forever Yankees. And make room for Mariano Rivera. What, you don't think the 27-time world champions and the captain will agree on a multi-year extension that will keep Jeter in pinstripes until the day he retires? If you want to bet the other way, send your wager to the e-mail address at the end of this story. "I've said from Day One, this is the only organization I've ever wanted to play for, and that's still true today," Jeter said yesterday before the team's first full-squad workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. "I was a Yankees fan growing up. This is where I want ..."

Jeter concerned with Yankees, not contract, as free agency looms

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February 24

New York Post

"If Derek Jeter's future beyond this upcoming season makes your skin tingle, be prepared to soak in this morning's words. That's because the Yankees' captain vowed never to talk about his expiring contract and possibly free agency until after this season is complete. Like Mariano Rivera and Joe Girardi, Jeter is in the final year of a deal and eligible for free agency this coming November. Citing organizational policy, GM Brian Cashman refuses to discuss new deals with any of them. And like Rivera and Girardi, Jeter has no beef with the policy. Nor does he believe the issue will evolve into a distraction."

Derek Jeter set to talk on walk year

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February 24

New York Daily News

"Derek Jeter is expected to discuss his contract situation Wednesday morning when he meets the media at Steinbrenner Field, then not address the topic again until the end of the season. Jeter is entering the final season of the 10-year, $189 million deal he signed in 2001, putting him in position to become a free agent for the first time in his career. "I'm sure he doesn't want to answer those questions all year," said Joe Girardi, who is also in a contract year. "Derek is prepared every day, he has a great attitude and he loves to play. I don't think it's going to be a distraction for Derek." The Yankees are holding firm to their policy not to negotiate with players until their contracts ..."

Jeter's Next Contract Is About More Than Money

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February 14

New York Times

"It is, all at once, the biggest issue and the biggest nonissue that will hover over the Yankees this season: Derek Jeter is in the final year of his contract. What Jeter seeks in a new deal could reflect his relationship with his teammate Alex Rodriguez, left. That fact by itself is important. But the Yankees have said for months that they will not break precedent and negotiate an extension for Jeter before his contract ends. It is a sensible stance, considering that Mariano Rivera, the indispensable closer, and Joe Girardi, the champion manager, are also on expiring contracts. It shifts the topic to the background. In some ways, Jeter's performance will affect the size of his next ..."

Yanks target Cuban SS as Jeter's heir

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February 13

New York Post

"Do the Yankees have their sights on Derek Jeter's eventual replacement, who also could be a future center fielder who nudges Curtis Granderson to left? According to the multiple members of the international scouting community, the world champions will be serious bidders on Cuban defector Adeinis Hechavarria when the Office of Foreign Assets Committee (OFAC) allows him to sign with MLB clubs. MLB sent a letter to teams on Jan. 22 telling them Hechavarria and other Cuban defectors have not been "unblocked" by OFAC. OFAC has to verify his age, identity and residency -- in this case, Mexico. It is believed OFAC might have everything done next week. "The Yankees have been on him for a while," ..."

New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter's only goal is to repeat as he enters final year of contract

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February 11

New York Daily News

"For Derek Jeter, there is no time for wallowing in the confetti of a championship parade, no lingering over the toasts to another Yankee title. Jeter took just four weeks off after the World Series and did only a little celebrating - "Just relaxed, really, because it was a long year," he said - before getting back to the basics of fitness and baseball in preparation for 2010. "You really don't have much time to sit around and focus on last season," Jeter said Wednesday. "That's when you get in trouble as a team, when you get happy with what you've been able to do. "Our job is to try to win again. It was great. Last year was a wonderful year, but last year is over with." Jeter, 35, knows ..."

Jeter's pride makes next pact tough

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February 10

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"The biggest drama of the Yankees' 2007-08 offseason played out publicly and messily with the divorce of Joe Torre. Joe Girardi took over and Brian Cashman felt it was improper to drop another longrunning drama onto the to-do list of a new manager, especially since the star of this drama was a player as important as Derek Jeter. After all, it was not just statisticians working at Web sites who felt Jeter's defense had atrophied to an unacceptable level. While no member of the Yankees family broke a pinstripe commandment — thou shalt not publicly criticize Jeter — it was not much of a secret that his defense was a concern from the executive offices to the clubhouse. Even his most loyal ..."

Cashman: No new pacts for Jeter, Rivera, Girardi

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February 9

New York Post

"When Brian Cashman looks at Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joe Girardi, the Yankees' GM paints his shortstop, closer and manager with the same brush. And with spring training opening next week in Tampa, Cashman has no plans to stray from his plan of not negotiating with them. All three contracts are in the final year. "I don't think you can separate one from the other," Cashman explained. "I am not saying they are the same, but the questions will come, 'If you did one, why didn't you do the other?' If this was Kansas City, it would be different — but it's not." Cashman doesn't fear Girardi's lame-duck status will become a distraction for the players when the annual slide surfaces and ..."

Free agent Johnny Damon hopes New York Yankees give Derek Jeter his dough when time comes

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January 30

New York Daily News

"While acknowledging that Derek Jeter "absolutely" is a special case and not comparable to his situation, Johnny Damon fired a warning flare Friday anyway. The departing outfielder hopes Jeter doesn't encounter similar negotiating difficulties with the Yankees when the franchise's all-time hits leader becomes a free agent next winter. "Hopefully this doesn't happen with Derek next year," Damon said during an interview with WFAN. "I say there's no way Derek can go anywhere else. "... I hope he's not offered a 40-45% pay cut. But I know Derek's going to go out and produce this year and I know they will treat him with respect." Damon also reiterated what he told the Daily News earlier this ..."

Derek Jeter, Minka Kelly set to become Mr. and Mrs. 'November'

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January 11

New York Post

"Women of New York, start weeping. After months of speculation that the Yankees' hunk and his sexy steady Minka Kelly are headed to the altar, The Post has learned that the super couple may have settled on a wedding date -- Nov. 5. And while it may bring little solace to Jeter's legion of female admirers, fretful Yankees fans will be glad to note the date is at least two days after the World Series ends. After getting a tip about the upcoming nuptials, The Post confirmed the date by spotting a curious entry in the official calendar at the ritzy reception palace Oheka Castle in Huntington, LI, for the first Friday in November that read simply "JETER wedding." Page Six broke the story of ..."

Derek Jeter waiting to see Yankees' new roster

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December 2

Boston Herald

"As the newly crowned Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year," Derek Jeter didn't make any grand proclamations about how the Yankees should pursue their winter course. Naturally, he'd like to be reunited with certain key teammates from the 2009 world champions. And there's a right-hander in Toronto who wouldn't look too shabby in pinstripes. "I don't ever like to speak in hypotheticals, but it goes without saying if you add a guy like that to any team he's going to make them instantly better," Jeter said when asked about Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay on Tuesday night. "He's going to make a great team even greater (and) a good team even better. You can't say enough (good) things about him ..."

Honor should be A-Rod's

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December 1

New York Post

columnist Joel Sherman

"Fourteen years into the existence of the Turn 2 Foundation, Derek Jeter finally received the Roberto Clemente Award for community service on Oct. 29. Two days later, he was handed the Hank Aaron Award as the American League's top hitter. Why now for the Clemente Award or why not, say, Barry Zito, who initiated Strikeout for Troops and recruited more than 60 players to help wounded vets being treated at military hospitals? Why now for the Aaron Award? Jeter was not even the Yankees' best offensive player, much less better than Minnesota's Joe Mauer. And now Jeter was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. Why should he even win the Yankee version of that award over, say, Mariano ..."

Jeter named SI's Sportsman of the Year

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November 30

MLB.com

"Derek Jeter's ultimate goal for the 2009 season has already been fulfilled, having had the opportunity to hoist the World Series championship trophy into the sky on a chilly November evening in the Bronx. But the accolades continue to pile up in what has been a banner year for the Yankees shortstop and captain. Sports Illustrated announced on Monday that it will honor Jeter with its Sportsman of the Year award. Jeter is the first Yankee among the magazine's honorees, dating back to 1954. The Dec. 7 issue is scheduled to hit newsstands on Wednesday, featuring cover art of Jeter leaning against the 161st Street Yankee Stadium subway stop in full uniform, a photo that was taken after the ..."

Contract showdown looms for New York Yankees as Derek Jeter enters final year of deal

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November 12

New York Daily News

"If Brian Cashman thinks he's got his hands full figuring out what to do with free-agent fan favorites Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte, imagine what he'll face next year when Derek Jeter's contract expires. The Yankees have had a long-standing practice of not negotiating extensions with players until their current deals expire, and after holding firm to that two years ago with Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, it's hard to imagine that they would alter their approach with Jeter. "There's no reason to believe that would be different, but I haven't talked to ownership and no one has knocked on our door about it," Cashman said. "I expect that's the way we'll go unless somebody ..."

Jeter & Teixeira are solid 'Gold'

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November 11

New York Post

"Defense wins championships -- even in baseball. Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira won't argue that point. Less than a week after helping the Yankees win the World Series, they were named yesterday as AL Gold Glove winners at shortstop and first base, respectively. "I've said it time and time again: Playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense," said Jeter, who won his fourth Gold Glove. "Those two components were certainly the foundation of our success in 2009." Teixeira, who won his third Gold Glove, became the first Yankees first baseman to win the award since Don Mattingly took four straight from 1991-94. The Yankees gave Teixeira a $181 million contract last ..."

Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira win Gold Glove awards

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November 11

New York Daily News

"Statisticians may not think much of Derek Jeter's fielding, but managers and coaches in the American League still think pretty highly of the Yankees' captain. Jeter won his fourth AL Gold Glove Wednesday, while Mark Teixeira took home his third. The Yankees were the only team in the AL with two winners, with both players earning their first Gold Glove award since 2006. "I've said it time and time again, playing championship-caliber baseball starts with pitching and defense, and I think those two components were certainly the foundation for our success in 2009," Jeter said in a statement released by the Yankees. "I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with ..."

Jeter and Teixeira Receive Gold Glove Awards

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November 11

New York Times

"Derek Jeter, whose defense has been criticized in recent years through statistical analyses, won a Gold Glove award for his defense, joining Yankees teammate Mark Teixeira on the list of American League recipients released Tuesday. No other team had multiple winners. At 35, Jeter became the second-oldest shortstop to win the award; Luis Aparicio won it at 36 in 1970. Jeter has won four Gold Gloves, collecting the others from 2004 to 2006. "I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook," Jeter said in a statement."

Captain's contract a big deal

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November 6

New York Post

"A year from now, the Yankees and Derek Jeter will be involved in the mother of all contract negotiations. Next season will be the last on Jeter's 10-year, $189 million deal that will pay him $21 million. Fifteen days after the 2010 World Series is completed, Jeter will be able to negotiate with every team. And though it's hard to believe Jeter would ever leave The Bronx, it's not likely the Yankees will get his name on an extension before next November. "We have had no discussions," general manager Brian Cashman said. Anything involving Jeter is always delicious the farther you get away from him. And this has the legs to be tantalizing, because the 35-year-old shortstop and captain is ..."

Jeter wins first World Series title as captain of New York Yankees

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November 5

New York Daily News

"It had been nine long seasons. Nine campaigns without experiencing baseball's ultimate victory, without a parade through the Canyon of Heroes, without being the last team standing at the end of the season. After four championship rings in his first five seasons, Derek Jeter had to wonder if the success he enjoyed early in his career would ever come around again. Wednesday night, the world championship finally returned home to the Bronx. Jeter singled twice, doubled and scored twice as the Yankees nailed down their elusive 27th world championship with a 7-3 victory over the defending champion Phillies in Game 6 Wednesday night at the Stadium. Finally, Jeter has one for the thumb. And his ..."

Derek's DP in 9th squashes Yanks' comeback bid

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November 3

New York Post

"Derek Jeter occasionally wears postseason goat horns, too. Last night the Yankees captain had a chance to embellish his November legacy -- he is, after all, the original Mr. November -- but couldn't produce in the ninth inning. Jeter hit into a double play, all but killing the Yankees' comeback hopes in their 8-6 loss to the Phillies in Game 5 of the World Series. The Yankees had runners on first and third with no out after Jorge Posada doubled and Hideki Matsui ripped a pinch-hit RBI single off Ryan Madson. Jeter worked ahead in the count before hitting into a 6-4-3 double play. This certainly wasn't what the Yankees expected from a clutch performer. "We felt pretty good about [the ninth ..."

Roberto Clemente Award suits Derek Jeter just fine

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October 30

Chicago Tribune

columnist Phil Rogers

"No one looks sharper in expensive suits than Derek Jeter. Yet there he was Thursday before Game 2 of the World Series, facing the public in a pair of blue sweats, the ones he wears in the indoor batting cages. Usually gracious with his time and expansive with his comments, Jeter seemed preoccupied as he accepted the Roberto Clemente Award from Commissioner Bud Selig and Clemente's widow, Vera. He was being recognized for the work being done by his Turn 2 Foundation in New York, Tampa and Western Michigan. His mind was clearly more on Pedro Martinez and the night's work ahead than on trying to influence teenagers to avoid drugs and alcohol. Jeter directed questions to his sister, Sharlee, ..."

Series pits shortstops who love the spotlight

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October 28

Philadelphia Inquirer

"Jimmy Rollins is back in the spotlight, and he loves it there."He likes the moment," said Charlie Manuel. "He wants it."Derek Jeter doesn't just thrive in the spotlight, he lives in it, in the constant glare of New York, the Yankees and the career-long expectations that his No.2 would one day join the franchise's litany of retired single digits.Tonight, when the 2009 World Series begins at Yankee Stadium, those two shortstops, the building blocks and linchpins of their pennant-winning teams, will experience the glow together."Rollins and Jeter, there's two great players right there," the Phillies' Shane Victorino said last week. "They've been around longer than anybody, and they're the ..."

Jeter Returns to Series, but Stays in His World

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October 28

New York Times

"The last time Derek Jeter watched a complete World Series game, he was playing in it. Jeter's last lengthy World Series visual came in 2003, when the Florida Marlins eliminated the Yankees in six games for the title. Since then, Jeter said he had refused to watch a full nine-inning World Series game because, quite simply, the Yankees were not involved. He has seen highlights, but he has never plopped on his couch with a pizza to watch a game in which he wanted to be a participant and not a spectator. "Man, I don't want to watch," Jeter said. "I've said it before, you feel like you're a little kid and your parents won't let you go outside and play. So I don't want to look out the window ..."

Hot Captain steers way

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October 17

New York Daily News

"Even when the Yankees were making it look easy, Derek Jeter understood it was not. The shortstop said that when the Yankees were winning four World Series in five years, he knew it was a lot harder than it seemed. "We knew it was tough," Jeter said. "We made it look easy, but we knew it was hard to get to this point of the season. It's something you don't take for granted." Back in the American League Championship Series for the first time in five years, Jeter did not waste the opportunity. He continued his playoff hot streak with two hits Friday night. He drove in a run and scored one himself as the Yankees beat the Angels, 4-1, at the Stadium Friday night. "It's important to get off ..."

Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte & Mariano Rivera carry Yankees' banner

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October 13

New York Daily News

columnist Filip Bondy

"The Yankees have been a brilliant, cohesive unit this season, but really they are three teams masquerading as one. They are the young kids, like Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, on their first winning joyride. They are the veteran mercenaries, like A.J. Burnett and Johnny Damon, having a good-old, pie-faced time, with one eye on the paycheck. And, of course, they are the Core Four - Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. For much of New York, a lot of the fun comes with this last group, the link to four championships and what we remember as the very best things about baseball. Without the Core Four, the Yankees are just another big-money, revolving-roster ..."

Heads-up play in 8th preserves lead for bombers

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October 12

New York Post

"Derek Jeter's instincts strike again. This time the Yankees captain managed to catch a glimpse of Nick Punto motoring around third base in last night's eighth inning. Jeter had just snared Denard Span's grounder through the middle and realized he had no play at first base. So he threw home. By the time Punto hit the brakes, between third and home, it was too late. Jorge Posada's throw to Alex Rodriguez nailed Punto, and the tying run was removed from scoring position. "It's great to have a smart guy in the middle of the infield," manager Joe Girardi said, referring to Jeter, following the Yankees' 4-1 victory over the Twins in Game 3 of the ALDS. Even if this defensive gem didn't rate ..."

Old guard glory never grows old

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October 12

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"The celebration on the field was muted and reserved, the nine men in road grays honoring the old directive to act like they had been here before. Derek Jeter fielded the ball, fired to first, pumped his fist in postgame delight the same way he has been doing it since Opening Day in Cleveland in 1996. Mariano Rivera was stoic as always, cracking a thin smile as the Metrodome quieted for the final time in its baseball life, this 4-1 Yankees victory over, this 3-0 ALDS sweep complete. He shook hands with Jorge Posada, then let it morph into a hug, a most familiar postgame ritual. Andy Pettitte? "I just couldn't stop smiling," Pettitte said. "It's always so . . ." He smiled, looking for the ..."

Bombers end ALCS drought

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October 12

New York Post

"Alex Rodriguez wrapped his dock rope of a left arm around Derek Jeter's neck and let out a howl right before the best player in pinstripes showered the smartest in champagne. A 4-1 victory over the pesky Twins in Game 3 of the ALDS had propelled the Yankees into the ALCS that starts Friday night in The Bronx against the Angels. Shortly after the sweep, bedlam broke out in the clubhouse, which is barely bigger than a suburban two-car garage. Though some Yankees fans believe it's their birth right to win the World Series every year, the players understand the difficulty of winning and advancing. And a big reason was Rodriguez, who supported a pitching gem by Andy Pettitte with an ..."

Yankees' stars, A-Rod and Derek Jeter, align in ALDS with Minnesota Twins

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October 11

New York Daily News

columnist Mike Lupica

"There was all the talk on Friday night, after Alex Rodriguez hit one against the Twins and then Mark Teixeira hit one in the bottom of the 11th, about what a 1-2 punch the two of them are at Yankee Stadium. And they are, the new Mantle and Maris, just way more expensive. But the most fascinating combination on the Yankees remains their two biggest stars: A-Rod and Jeter. There are other stars on the team, so loaded that it makes you remember something Torii Hunter once said when he was a Twin, playing against the Yankees in the Division Series of '04: "Their $194 million against our $50 million. You do the math." But even money can't buy you real star power, in baseball or anything else. ..."

As usual, Derek Jeter leads Yankees' march toward parade

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October 8

New York Daily News

columnist Mike Lupica

"He had singled in the first, starting the big month off that way, Derek Jeter starting things the way he had on a lot of other nights like this. But it was when he came up in the bottom of the third that he officially started October for the Yankees, hit a loud two-run shot into the left-field seats that tied the Twins at 2-all. Right out of the blocks, the captain of the team let you know how much he had missed nights like this, how much he absolutely hated missing the playoffs even once in his life. It always starts with him at this time of year. October's official starter in the Bronx. "We get a 2-0 lead and then as soon as we go back out, right away it's 2-2," Twins manager Ron ..."

Just another big moment for Jeter

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October 8

New York Post

columnist Mike Vaccaro

"THERE are 49,464 people scattered across the city this morning who will tell you they walked into Yankee Stadium with a swagger and they left with a swagger and they never had any question about what they would see last night. That in their minds the Yankees are that much better than the Twins, that the final might have been 7-2, but it could have been anything the Yankees wanted it to be. This is what you would call selective amnesia. "Our guys were into it," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We were battling pretty good. We got a 2-0 lead [in the top of the third inning] and wanted to go back out there and shut them down." Gardenhire smiled, a bitter smile, not a ha-ha smile. "And ..."

Captain Derek Jeter calling for Yankees to win one for George Steinbrenner

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October 7

New York Daily News

"It wasn't exactly a Knute Rockne moment, but Derek Jeter Tuesday described a slice of his motivation on the eve of the playoffs and it sounded a bit like Rockne's famous speech, with a pinstriped twist: Win one for The Boss. Jeter badly wants to win another World Series and said it would be sweeter this year because it's the first at The House that George Built, and George Steinbrenner himself would get to enjoy it at the new Yankee Stadium. "We have a brand-new Stadium and the main reason we are in this Stadium is because of him, so it would be great to win a championship here," Jeter said. "Every team is trying to win a championship, but, yeah, I would like to see that happen." ..."

Big three plus Swisher add spark to title quest

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October 7

New York Post

columnist Kevin Kernan

"EVERYONE gets blinded by the money ($423.5 million) when it comes to Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. That's understandable. But leave it to Derek Jeter to make it clear why the Big Three have been successful in their Yankee debuts this season as free agents."They can play," Jeter said. "They've pretty much done what they've always done," added the king of baseball common sense. "That's why we got them." Of course, ultimate success comes only in the postseason in The Bronx. That's when free agents earn their pinstripes and their cash. All this can still blow up in the face of the newcomers. It all starts with Sabathia's Game 1 performance today. "I think CC's been that true ..."

Jeter, Yankees steal the show

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September 26

New York Post

"In typical fashion, Derek Jeter led off the game with a single. The trend the Captain started afterwards was anything but typical. Setting a tempo of high-energy and unpredictability that would last the rest of the game, Jeter stole second and scored on an Alex Rodriguez single. It was the first of a season-high seven stolen bases the Yankees accumulated and the first run of a lead they would never relinquish in their 9-5 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium last night. "That's what my job is. It's to try and get on base and try and make things happen," Jeter said. "We wanted to be aggressive and get on and try and run and score some runs early to try and give Joba [Chamberlain] some ..."

Derek Jeter a hit with Don Zimmer going back to the very start of Yankee career

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September 14

New York Daily News

columnist Bill Madden

"For the better part of the past ten days, Don Zimmer was laid up in a St. Petersburg, Fla., hospital having the first, second, third and fourth lumbar disks in his back readjusted to relieve the excruciating pain that had threatened to turn him into an invalid. When he finally did get to go home last Wednesday, the 78-year-old former Yankee bench coach for Joe Torre was supplied a walker from his doctors and instructed to begin physical therapy immediately. To hear him tell it, the best therapy he could have gotten was from the comfort of the couch in his living room where he got to watch his favorite son "pupil" Derek Jeter tie, then break Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankee hits record. "He ..."

Yankees' Derek Jeter likes his current title, but wants a World Series ring

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September 13

New York Daily News

"Definitely not a regular day. Jeter lit the Stadium up Friday night with its biggest moment to date. He laced a single down the right-field line to pass Lou Gehrig as the franchise's all-time hits leader. It made memorable a cold, raw night that ended around 1:30 a.m. Saturday because of two rain delays. As always, Jeter would like to step out of the spotlight and return the focus to a pursuit of a championship. "We haven't finished anything or won anything yet, so our focus has always remained to try to win games and win the division," he said. "That's what everyone's looking forward to. I enjoyed it, but it's time for everyone here to make our focus winning games." Little things about ..."