Countdown to 3,000!

**White Knight** · 05-11-2011, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by NJYankeeFan

Nobody with an IQ higher than McCarver cares about batting average. He needs to actually hit with pop or have speed. Neither of those describe him at this point. I hope he turns it around but an empty batting average is meaningless.

The only negative is it allows his ego to justify going out there everyday and continue hurting the team.

RBI is a bit meaningless, but not BA and OBP. If he can hit .310 and have an OBP of .360, he is helping his team out quite a bit. He's scoring runs at a pretty good pace. I don't think he will steal more than 10 bases, but we'll see.

So if Ty Cobb didn't have speed, you wouldn't like him? Joe Jackson? Pete Rose? All useless? Now, in no way am I comparing Jeter to the first two. Rose he will surpass, however.

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-11-2011, 07:02 PM

Batting Average is meaningless. OBP is probably the most relevant basic stat.

Jeter is not likely to have a high OBP if he is only raising his batting avg with lucky dribblers. Basically no one will risk walking a guy with no power.

Even then a guy with no power needs a real good OBP to make up for lack of power. Or at least play good defense. Jeter is not likely to do either.

Right now, he is a bad hitter and bad fielder who is paid like a star but not willing to work on adjusting his game.

**White Knight** · 05-11-2011, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by NJYankeeFan

Batting Average is meaningless. OBP is probably the most relevant basic stat.

Jeter is not likely to have a high OBP if he is only raising his batting avg with lucky dribblers. Basically no one will risk walking a guy with no power.

Even then a guy with no power needs a real good OBP to make up for lack of power. Or at least play good defense. Jeter is not likely to do either.

Right now, he is a bad hitter and bad fielder who is paid like a star but not willing to work on adjusting his game.

He adjusted it with his hitting coach. What more do you want him to do? I realize we are both on extreme ends. You hate him, and I want him as player/manager for 8 more years (or about 4,300 hits). Thankfully, the rest are in the middle.

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-11-2011, 07:51 PM

He admittedly gave up on the adjustment to go back to what has not been working.

I want him to try.

I want him to work hard.

I want him to realize his place as the worst hitter on the team and not insist on batting at the top of the lineup.

I want him to realize it is time to hang them up.

I want him to not drain enough payroll that we could have signed one or two useful players.

**GiambiJuice** · 05-11-2011, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by NJYankeeFan

He admittedly gave up on the adjustment to go back to what has not been working.

I want him to try.

I want him to work hard.

I want him to realize his place as the worst hitter on the team and not insist on batting at the top of the lineup.

I want him to realize it is time to hang them up.

I want him to not drain enough payroll that we could have signed one or two useful players.

Its too late for that last request and it's not Jeter's fault that the Yankees decided to bid against themselves to reward him for past accomplishments.

**GiambiJuice** · 05-11-2011, 08:14 PM

May 11 vs. KCR

0/6, 0 runs, 0 rbi.

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-12-2011, 04:51 AM

It's Jeter's arrogance combined with the Yanks wanting to satisfy public demand for a mascot.

**GiambiJuice** · 05-16-2011, 06:33 AM

May 13, 14, 15 vs. BOS

2/13, 2 runs

34 hits away...

**GiambiJuice** · 05-16-2011, 06:40 PM

May 16 @ TBR

0/3, 1 run scored.

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-17-2011, 04:39 PM

Doesn't mean you can't dislike him for feeling insulted by it.

**GiambiJuice** · 05-18-2011, 06:02 AM

Do you know for a fact that Jeter is "insisting" on batting at the top of the lineup?

**BaronSamedi** · 05-19-2011, 01:22 PM

I've lost count. How many hits away is he now?

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-19-2011, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by GiambiJuice

Do you know for a fact that Jeter is "insisting" on batting at the top of the lineup?

No but if Jorge objected to be put down and Jeter defended it. Read between the lines. Plus Jeter's history reads EGO!!!!! and Me First. So I doubt it is a stretch.

**GiambiJuice** · 05-20-2011, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by NJYankeeFan

No but if Jorge objected to be put down and Jeter defended it. Read between the lines. Plus Jeter's history reads EGO!!!!! and Me First. So I doubt it is a stretch.

I agree with you that Jeter is a "me first" guy, but I doubt anyone in the Yankees organization has suggested to him that he bat lower in the order. I don't think they want to bring it up until after his 3,000th hit.

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-20-2011, 03:58 PM

That speaks volumes of the organization. Not in a good way.

**YankeeDJW** · 05-23-2011, 10:19 AM

25 hits away!

**GiambiJuice** · 05-23-2011, 07:10 PM

May 23 vs. TOR

0/5

Still 25 hits away.

**dominik** · 05-24-2011, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by NJYankeeFan

Batting Average is meaningless. OBP is probably the most relevant basic stat.

Jeter is not likely to have a high OBP if he is only raising his batting avg with lucky dribblers. Basically no one will risk walking a guy with no power.

Even then a guy with no power needs a real good OBP to make up for lack of power. Or at least play good defense. Jeter is not likely to do either.

Right now, he is a bad hitter and bad fielder who is paid like a star but not willing to work on adjusting his game.

the only thing the yankees need from jeter is OBP. The Yankees don't run anyway and have more than enough power guys who can bat him in. So the only thing that matters is if jeter can get on base. He doesn't need power if he has guys like Arod, tex and Cano in the lineup. so who cares if he hits 5 or 15 HRs?

But right now he is not getting on base enough. .311 OBP is terrible (about .330 is league average).

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-24-2011, 03:17 PM

It's tough to get a pitcher to walk you with zero power. Put it down the middle.

**dominik** · 05-24-2011, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by NJYankeeFan

It's tough to get a pitcher to walk you with zero power. Put it down the middle.

mauer has zero power (less career HRs than ichiro

) and he gets walked a lot. But you are right some power helps because the pitcher fears you more.

Theoretically you are right, just throw it down the middle when you are behind in the count (a single is not worse than a walk) but in practice today's pitchers are so afraid of pitching to contact and go so much for the K (maybe because they have experienced so much damage in the steroid era) that even low power guys can get walked a lot if they have a good eye (today's tiny zone helps too).

**philliesfiend55** · 05-24-2011, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by GiambiJuice

I agree with you that Jeter is a "me first" guy, but I doubt anyone in the Yankees organization has suggested to him that he bat lower in the order. I don't think they want to bring it up until after his 3,000th hit.

Entering today's game: Derek Jeter's career totals Games Played: 2339; Games at Shortstop: 2317; Games as Designated Hitter, Pinch-Hitter & Pinch-Runner: 22; Games at a defensive position other than Shortstop: 0. The fact that he's never played another position, besides "his position" and never helped out at another defensive position even in an emergency due to injuries to other players, reinforces the idea that, as you put it, Jeter is definitely a "Me First" kind of guy.

**NJYankeeFan** · 05-24-2011, 06:29 PM

Mauer is overrated but has shown some power at times. Plus being a lefty gives him an advantage since most pitchers are RHP who are more likely to walk a LHB.