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New York's Finest

Excerpts from Yankee for the New Millenium:

New York Post, April 2, 2000

Like Ruth, DiMaggio and Mantle before him, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is quickly becoming his generations hero in pinstripes. In "Derek Jeter: A Yankee for the New Millennium," his teammates, managers, peers, and those who have followed his career share their insights on what makes him......

A COACH'S DREAM:  Don Zimmer and I always sit together. We have for 4 years now. He's been with the Yankees as long as I have.

It feels right to have him there. It feels funny when he's not there and comfortable when he is. Zim is on my left when we're in a 1st base dugout, and on my right in a 3rd base dugout.

It's not very often that anyone sits between us. There's no rule, you sit where you want or where you're wanted.

But some guys tend to sit in the same places and others tend to fill in around them.

Managers and coaches are creatures of habit. They're usually in the same places.

I know I gave Brosius a day off in Anaheim this year & I told him he could help manage. He sat himself right between us & generally made a pest of himself for nine innings.

But the time that always comes to mind was in 1996, our first year with the Yankees and Derek Jeter's first year.

We were in Chicago, it was the 8th inning, and we were down by a run. derek was on 2nd with 2 outs. And he ran. He was caught stealing.

They got him when he shouldn't have been running at all. And I was ready to explode.

I know I usually look calm, but sometimes you just lose it. I was angry, but I turned to Zim and said "I'm not going to say anything to the kid tonight.

I'll get him tomorrow."

So the inning's over, and Derek goes to his position without coming to the dugout. Somebody brings his glove to him. So we get through the inning, and he comes off the field.

Does he go hide somewhere? Does he sit down at the other end of the dugout?

No. He comes right up to us-- just comes in, scoots between Zim and me and forces us to make room for him.

He's there to take his lumps and get it out of the way.

I looked at him, slapped him on the back of his head and said, "get outta here."

He knew. He didn't need to be scolded. I was pretty sure before that we had something special in him. But what he did that night just reinforced it. I thought that was extraordinary.

--By Joe Torre as told to Marty Noble

THE FUTURE IS NOW:  As great as the Yankees are as a team, the only player on their team, with the exception of Roger Clemens whose Hall of Fame credentials were established elsewhere --- whom I confidently predict will be a Hall of Famer is Derek Jeter.

With a shortstop with numbers like Jeter's, barring injury and if he keeps doing what he's established so far, he can't miss.

Jeter has the Hall of Fame ability, and a nearly unique combination of qualities in that he has a certain hipness. He's a handsome guy... He's a stylish guy... He's a Man About Town in New York.

But there are certain classic qualities about him, too. He's not a brash, in-your-face, prototypical late 90's athlete. He's humble and soft-spoken. He shows an appreciation for history and for his predecessors.

He has a bit of the DiMaggio grace and reserve about him. There is something about his presence and personality where you could see him fit in 1959 as well as 1999.

Jeter has said when he retires he wants to leave Major League Baseball in better shape then when he entered the game, and he wants to leave as a positive force.

That's a very encouraging thing. I don't know that any one person, or very few anyway --- Michael Jordan changed the direction of the NBA, and Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson changed baseball -- are capable of doing that.

But each in his own way, and Jeter's way would be larger than most because he has the talent, and the team and the stage to have a positive impact.

He can definitely be one of the players people point to when they list the things that are right about baseball.

--By Bob Costas as told to John Delcos.

PRODIGY IN PINSTRIPES:  Derek Jeter definitely has a Yankee pinstripe inside of him. He wants to be a Yankee his whole career. Every year, he's gotten better and better, hit for a higher average and increased his home-run production.

I knew Derek Jeter was going to be a great ballplayer the first year he came up from the minors to finish a season with the Yankees (15 games at the end of the 1995 campaign)

I got into a bit of trouble because I said something about him to Buck Showalter, who was managing the club at the time.

When the team got into the playoffs and had a chance to get into the World Series, I said "why don't you play Darryl Strawberry-- who was also up at the time-- and Jeter? Jeter cant hurt you."

I forgot who they had playing shortstop at the time -- oh yes, Tony Fernandez.

He wasn't too bad. But Showalter as much as said, "Keep your big mouth shut."

He didn't quite say it that way, but I know he didn't want to go into it. He said the kid didn't have enough experience. That broke my heart.

I study shortstops: That's all I studied when I used to broadcast the games.

I followed every shortstop. Naturally, day after day, watching the same team in the same place, you could tell things about Derek Jeter. He just improved steadily every year, and like Don Mattingly, made himself great. He's always working to be a better ballplayer.

The thing that gets me is his height (6 foot 3) and how he's able to commit on those slow rollers. For a man that tall to get down and make a good throw isn't easy. He's got those long arms, he dives and he takes line-drives base hits away.

I've never seen anybody throw a guy out like he does, going into the hole, deep on the outfield grass, jumping up in the air like a football quarterback, firing, and getting fast runners at first base.

He does everything; he's especially good on double plays. Even in my best years, I couldn't carry Jeter's glove. #1, I'm only 5-6. I couldn't get those high line drives.

For years, the Yankees have always had 1 man stand out. Way back, it was Babe Ruth. Then Lou Gehrig, followed by Joe DiMaggio. After that it was Mickey Mantle. Yogi Berra had several big years, and Roger Maris. There was always somebody far and above superior to the rest of the team.

And Jeter is the 1 right now. The sky's the limit for him: I see batting titles, All-Star Games, World Series appearances and MVP awards in his future.

--By Phil Rizzuto, as told to Dan Schlossberg

MANHATTAN TRANSFER:  My perception of Derek has definitely changed from when I first saw him as a rookie four years ago to when I was traded here 2 years ago. It has changed not only because I've become his teammate, but also because he's become a better player.

I think getting to know Derek off the field has helped our relationship on the field. We're on the same page more and have a better idea of what is going on out there. we're comfortable with each other and support each other.

For a double-play combination, getting familiar with each other is always a work in progress. If you ask the greatest double-play combinations, they would say they are getting better as the years go by.

It really didn't take a whole lot of time for Derek and I to become comfortable with each other. We're both pretty easy to work with and not too picky where we need the ball on a double-play.

It's just communication. We're constantly talking about situations during the game and between pitches.

When Derek first came up, you could definitely tell he had ability by the things he would do. He's definitely become a better player since then.

What makes him the player he is? The first thing is talent, you have to have talent. But I think the way he goes about things, his work ethic and his desire to be the best he can be, will enable him to continue to get better.

No matter what sport you're playing, if you're playing around great players, they definitely are going to make the people around them better.

The great players tend to do that-- They raise the level of the guys around them.

--By Chuck Knoblauch, as told to John Delcos

STAR POWER:  I think I can assess people pretty good, and I can see the fondness that everybody has --e specially his teammates -- toward Derek.

You see, there's a joy in his game. He's a player who doesn't seem scared to succeed, and he really wants to find how high he can take his game.Not being afraid to succeed is 1 attribute that's the difference between a star and a superstar. Some guys are just content where they are at in their careers. I just don't think Derek's ever going to be content.

He's fun to watch. You want a guy like that on your team-- a guy who comes to play everyday. When I first came into camp, the first 2 guys who were busting my chops were Knobby and Jeter.

They were getting after me, wearing the catcher's gear when they first hit off me in the batting cage. That was fun, and that made me feel welcome. They made me feel a part of things. But there's a time to have fun and there's a time to work and know your business. You have to be able to juggle that.

Derek is a young man who has been able to do that.

There are a lot of things thrown at you when you're young and it's your first time in this league and you're trying to make a name for yourself, but he's been able to handle it.

And I think it's probably because of his upbringing. I think it has to do with the fact that he has alot of character.

The bottom line is, he has a big heart.

--By Roger Clemens as told to John Delcos