Jeter Not Looking So Good at the Plate
Daily News, May 8, 2000
With runners on first and second and nobody out in the eighth inning of the Yankees' loss to Baltimore yesterday, Joe Torre told Derek Jeter to bunt the runners over.
Good time for a sacrifice or a way for a struggling hitter to help his team in a tight game?
You decide, but keep in mind the numbers: Jeter, 0-for-4 yesterday before his successful sac bunt, is 6-for-31 (.194).
When asked by a reporter how he feels at the plate, Jeter smiled grimly and said, "How do I look?"
Uh, not so good?
"I'm not comfortable," Jeter said. "Every season, you have stretches where you're not comfortable. You have to battle through that."
Yesterday, Jeter was especially peeved with himself for stranding runners on third base. With Scott Brosius on third and two out in the fifth, Jeter struck out.
When Ricky Ledee led off the seventh with a triple, Jeter followed with a grounder back to the pitcher.
"We blew a lot of opportunities," Jeter said.
Jeter is batting .287 and has reached base in 26 of 29 games this season. He's hit safely in 22.