Jeter’s coronation:
Long-anticipated Hall of Fame election reminds us of the best baseball has to offer.
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NEW YORK – On an evening last week, the Empire State Building’s famous tower lights reflected Yankees’ pinstripes, with a No. 2 in its mast.
This was one more way to celebrate Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame election, on a day when the captain was back in his town, formally introduced as the headliner of Cooperstown’s 2020 class.
“There’s no other awards. There’s no other place you can go. This is it,” said Jeter, at ease as he playfully bantered with fellow inductee Larry Walker at St. Regis hotel.
During a month when Major League Baseball became consumed by the Astros’ electronic sign-stealing scandal and its fallout – two year-long suspensions, three field managers out of jobs and a current investigation of the Red Sox – the game desperately needed a day to praise its past.
And Jeter was there to play a medley of his greatest hits, in the city he called home for 20 seasons.
Thanks, Boss
In that unique Yankees lineage, just as Joe DiMaggio’s final season was Mickey Mantle’s first, Don Mattingly’s final pinstriped year coincided with Jeter’s debut.
Jeter would become the Yankees’ first captain since Mattingly, a title bestowed by owner George Steinbrenner whose background as an assistant college football coach shaped the Boss’ attitude about winning.
Jeter recalled how the impatient Steinbrenner had a tough time with the concept that “you may lose a game” over the course of a six-month schedule.
At the end of each spring training, Jeter’s Tampa, Florida, farewell would include a stop at Steinbrenner’s fourth-floor office at the ballpark now named for him, George M. Steinbrenner Field.
It was Jeter’s way of touching base, acknowledging the Boss’ importance and letting him know that the mission statement was being heard.
But the Boss’s insistence on “accountability and work ethic” reinforced traits inside Jeter, who long aspired to be a baseball owner after his playing days.
Miami makeover
Now as CEO of the struggling Marlins, “I’ve said it before, I preach patience but I have none,” Jeter said, acknowledging the time it takes to develop trust of the fan base through his rebuilding process.
“I want to win as much as anyone. I didn’t get into this to lose,” Jeter said. “But I always wanted to give back to the game at the highest level and to build something that we could be proud of, everyone in Miami.”
Linked with Mariano
On the dais, Jeter was informed that his Hall of Fame plaque will be placed next to teammate Mariano Rivera, elected last year with Jeter in the audience at his induction.
“I don’t care where they put me – they can put it in the restroom,” said Jeter, quickly adding that it’s “awesome” to be linked again to the iconic Yankees’ closer.
“I’ve known Mariano since I was 18 years old; we’ve been through quite a bit together,” Jeter said. “We wouldn’t have all these championships (five World Series titles together) if it wasn’t for Mariano, because he was basically automatic.”
Of course, Jeter had to jab Rivera as the reason Jeter was optioned back to the minors in 1995, following a rough outing when Rivera was still a starter.
“It was all Mo’s fault,” Jeter, said, which drew a humorous response. “You guys are laughing now. But we were crying.”
Family affair
Jeter’s parents were a constant presence during his career and on hand for some of his most memorable Yankees moments.
After his Hall of Fame election, his father, Charles Jeter, “mentioned to me he’s responsible for all the talent I ever had,” said Jeter, who was also reminded again that his dad was “the better shortstop” at a similar age, hitting with broken wooden bats held together with nails.
“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them,” said Jeter, now a father of two young daughters who never saw him play.
What highlights of his career would he show his daughters?
“All the good stuff,” Jeter said, adding that his dream of being a Yankee began not long after he was a toddler.
More than any personal highlights, the great teammates he played with and the great things they achieved together will be the stories he tells his children.
“That’s what I’ll share with them.”