From: Metro
Sports | Baseball |
Thursday, February 03, 2000
Torre:
Money
Won't Change Derek
By ANTHONY McCARRON
Daily News Sports Writer
fter
both playing and managing in New York, Joe Torre
knows all about the city's unique distractions to
the business of baseball.
Especially if you've got plenty of money in
your future, like Derek Jeter does.
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| Derek Jeter |
But Torre said he doesn't expect anything to
take Jeter's attention away from preparing for
the upcoming season, no matter how much money the
shortstop makes.
"If the (long-term) deal never gets
signed, he'll be the same," Torre said last
night before Jeter and the Yanks agreed to a one-year,
$10M compromise. "Whatever the numbers are,
you know Derek, his work ethic.
"Since the first year when we won (the
World Series, 1996), I saw he wasn't taking it
for granted," Torre said. "Once you
look in his eyes, you know that's not part of his
makeup. I talked to him the other day. He's
working out. He's from good stock.
"You learn in New York that there are
distractions, that things aren't going to be
perfect all the time. Even if you're not signed,
you owe it to the rest of your teammates to go
out there and that's what he'll do."
As for himself, Torre said he "had gas
back in the tank" and was ready for spring
training after a month-long vacation in Hawaii
with his family in January. "It was so nice,
we extended it a week," he said.

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