Hardly a surprising move
Girardi said. “Yeah, that would be strange. In my mind he’ll always be a Yankee. But there is life after baseball. And sometimes the opportunity that presents itself is not always necessarily where you played.
“I know he’s talked about this for a while, but man, that would be so cool. And I think he’d be good at it,” CC Sabathia added when informed of the possibility. “Jete has such great leadership qualities and he knows baseball really well, and he has been successful in and outside of baseball, so I think it’d be a great move for him and for the game.”
CC also let out a hearty laugh when adding that he believes Jeter would be “probably more behind the scenes” than his first baseball “Boss,” late Yanks owner George Steinbrenner.
To that end, Girardi allowed that he thinks working for Jeter “would be pretty easy,” but just like the elder Steinbrenner, “I think he’d have high expectations” of his players and his organization.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Clint Frazier doesn’t want No. 7 — he “would never ask for a legend’s number.” Radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman said Wednesday on WFAN that she heard the Yankees prospect had asked if the team ever unretires numbers.
The team told the Daily News the story is “false.” Frazier then tweeted Wednesday evening: “i appreciate Suzyn reaching out and I accept her apology. i would never ask for a legends number.”
A few hours earlier on the radio, Waldman asked Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts, “Did you hear the Clint story that Clint Frazier actually asked the Yankees if they ever unretire numbers?” The two erupted in laughter. “He wanted No. 7,” she said. The number, of course, was retired by the Bombers in 1969 for Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. “The Mick” helped the team reach 12 World Series in 14 years,
“I’d think he would be somewhat involved, yes,” Girardi continued. “An owner that played at the level that he played at probably should be a little involved. It’s his money; I don’t know why an owner wouldn’t be somewhat involved.”
So who among us isn’t fascinated by the possibility, and who doesn’t want to find out?
Say, if Jeter were to pull off a Boss-like headline grabber and hire someone like famous Miami resident Alex Rodriguez as the Marlins’ next manager.
“It’s hard to compare anybody to Derek Jeter the player, just like it’s hard to compare anybody to Mr. Steinbrenner the owner, right?” Gardner said. “But I’m sure there’s some qualities of Mr. Steinbrenner’s — and he knew The Boss a whole lot better than I did — but I’m sure there are some great qualities The Boss had that Derek will try and take and apply if he ever gets to that position.
“That’s the thing about Derek, not only has he had the experience winning seven titles.
The Yankees certainly have fewer numbers available than every other team — with 20 retired (and Nos. 8 and 42 retired twice) — but Frazier should still have plenty to pick from.
“Ready to play some baseball,” Frazier continued in another tweet. “i care more about the front of the jersey than the back.”
Greg Bird wears No. 33, but not because of Larry Bird. “I just wore it in high school,” Bird said.
“I used to wear No. 3 when I was younger and then an older guy had No. 3 so I went with No. 33. I think from when I was little, a little bit of Babe Ruth, but I wore No. 3 and No. 25.”
But Bird never thought once he got to the Yankees to ask for Ruth’s No. 3. “I knew not to,” he said with a laugh . ... Didi Gregorius (right shoulder strain) threw Monday and Tuesday before getting Wednesday off. He will resume his throwing program on Thursday, Joe Girardi said. of winning and having a great career, but he’s been around a lot of special people, and got to learn from those people and put it all into who he is today.”
Gardner also believes Jeter “living the next phase of his life,” with new wife Hannah and their first child on the way and “a few years removed” from his playing career, makes this “the perfect time” for such a transition.
“Some players when they’re done, even with all of the money, aren’t in that position financially to be involved in an ownership capacity, so they get into coaching or broadcasting or something else,” Gardner said. “But absolutely that’s one thing with Derek, he’s gonna do whatever it takes to put together a winning product and a successful business. So I have no doubt that if that’s something that comes to fruition, that it’s something he’d be very good at.
“I think whatever he puts his hands on, he’s Derek Jeter. He’s gonna be good at it.”