On Tuesday, Derek Jeter surpassed Lou Gehrig’s record of 1,269 hits at Yankee Stadium, a milestone that has stood since 1939. This latest accomplishment adds to a laundry list of honors, including nine All-Star selections and three Golden Gloves for the shortstop. But perhaps the greatest accomplishment of his 13-year career with the Yankees is that he has never failed to reach the playoffs. That streak will almost certainly end this season, the last at Yankee Stadium.
Since his rookie season in 1995, Jeter has led the Yankees to thirteen straight postseasons, including four World Series, two American League Championship Series, and one American League Division Series. Along the way he has become, in the mold of the Iron Horse himself, one of the most durable and reliable players in Major League baseball.
Though he’s never been named Most Valuable Player or won a batting title and has sometimes been overshadowed by his flashier teammates, Jeter has, over the course of his career, developed a reputation as one of the most consistent elite players in the game. While other superstars might go through periods of hot and cold (A-Rod and Manny) or be plagued by injuries (Griffey), Jeter has seen only one season significantly shortened by injury, 2003, in which he batted .324. In fact, aside from his rookie season, Jeter has never hit under .290, scored less than 70 runs, or recorded less than 100 RBIs—not quite mind-blowing, but as consistent as you will ever see.
In 1999, his best year to date, Jeter scored 134 runs with 102 batted in, and batted .349. Compare this to Yankee teammate Alex Rodriguez, who, while having won three MVPs, a batting title, and nine Silver Slugger awards, has been criticized his entire career for his lack of reliability in the clutch. Rodriguez has been called “The Cooler” for his ability to drag his teams down, especially in October, where he has a lifetime batting average of .279 with 17 runs batted in and 41 hits in 147 at bats. These post-season numbers are above those of the average player, but disappointing for a hitter considered by many to be the best of his generation. Jeter, on the other hand, holds the records for career postseason hits (150) and runs scored (85).
It’s hard to believe now, but in the mid 1990s the Yankees were regarded as a franchise that had lost its way. From 1982 to 1994 they failed to make an appearance in the post-season, bottoming out with a seventh place finish in the AL East in 1990. It wasn’t until both Leagues were organized into three divisions—and the Yankees farm system produced a crop of players that included Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Bernie Williams—that they returned to the playoffs. Of these, Williams is retired, Rivera has shown vulnerability in the last few years, and Posada has spent most of this year on the disabled list. Jeter, however, like Gehrig before him, has managed to outlast players whose stars sometimes burned brighter than his.
Asked about his new record, Jeter preferred—in typical Jeter fashion—to focus on the team:
“It’s kind of hard to enjoy because we lost the game.”
You can bet he’ll use his extended off-season to see to it that he’s never home in October again.
Test Jeff’s prowess in the clutch at jgb39@georgetown.edu.
