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  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.