In a larger piece about Jeter’s improved defense and his new workout regimen, Ian O’Connor delivers a money quote:
Jeter realized he had to alter his method of preparation. He realized he had to improve to meet his stated goal of playing well into his 40s, and of spending the majority of those years at the only position he’s ever wanted to hold.
So with Yankees officials and coaches privately hoping their shortstop could restore his diminishing range and table the ultradelicate issue of a possible move to the outfield, Jeter hired a new fitness trainer before last season for the purpose of fielding more balls to his left.
“We discussed how we can keep him in the game as long as he wants to play,” said Jason Riley, director of performance of the Athletes Compound at Tampa’s Saddlebrook Resort. “Derek said it may not be eight to 10 years at shortstop, but that he wanted to play that long.
Playing another 5-8 years from the end of this season would mean Jeter playing until he was anywhere from 40-43. While some continue to suggest that Jeter will soon need to make a position change, I am not so certain. As long as he keeps his glove at or above league average, something he has done over the last two years, his bat plays better at short than it will anywhere else. It would take a major defensive decline to convince me that he needs to be moved to retain his value.
In regard to his offense, I think that he has the right skill set to stay effective into his 40′s. While bat speed is generally the first thing to go, I would suggest that a player who frequently tries to stay back on the ball and drive it the other way would likely be able to compensate for reduced bat speed. As long as he stays in shape, he should be at worst an adequate answer at shortstop for the next 5 years.
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20 Responses to Jeter Plans To Play Into His 40's
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I’m more pessimistic. He’s a great competitor and has a tremendous work ethic but his game revolves around his legs. Guys who stay good into their late 30s and 40s are generally power guys. They know the strike zone so well that they draw tons of walks and have so much power (power doesn’t fade as quickly as age) that they can punish any mistake, despite not having the bat speed and reflexes they once did. If his defense declines, he won’t have much value at another position. History says that shortstops don’t play into their late 30′s without shifting to a different position (Ripken being an exception, but by most accounts, his range was absolutely pathetic in his later years. I’m a little worried that Jetes will have a lot of trouble knowing when to let go.
I don’t think his offensive game revolves around his legs, or at least that is not where his offensive value comes from. If he can maintain his defense, I see no reason that he will need to move until his offense becomes below average, which I think will take a while.
That’s the big if – how many shortstops have maintained a high level of defensive play into their late 30′s? It may be none. It’s too bad UZRs don’t go back very far.
Then again, how many have had no major leg injuries, and have had a defensive resurgence late in their careers? Jeter is pretty unique already.
Yeah but how far will his range deteriorate at 38-40 years old? You could be looking at a complete left side with no real range depending on how Arod ages and Jeter being the 40 year old short stop. I have always assumed Jeter would play until he was 40 and maybe a year or two more but if he can’t play SS, and people don’t assume he can move to LF that late in his career and you don’t want to DH that kind of bat what do you do?
Fair enough, but I see no reason to assume that a player who has improved his range as he aged is suddenly going to see a major dropoff.
Jeter worked hard on his D this off season it’s true but his range is still not great, he doesn’t get to a lot of balls that younger, faster short stops get too and that will only get worse as he gets older. Maybe he maintains every other part of his game but every few years he can reach less and less balls until the SS position it’s self is a weakness to the team instead of a strength. SS is a young mans game and at 38-40 I just don’t know, it’s never been done and if he is going to do it he has to do it at a winning level or the team won’t let that happen.
Jeter finished 9th in UZR this year, a stat built upon range, and was well above average. I think he will be fine.
wow im not so sure what kind of contract he wants now ….and if the yankees are willing to meet his demands asspeicialy if he is going to cog up the shortstop position … i fully anticapate a brett favre green bay packer like break up for jeter and the yanks ….this could get ugly fast
Not going to happen- both sides are fully aware of what Jeter means here, and they have no one to replace him anyhow. Put it this way- if Favre had never retired, he would probably still be a Packer.
That’s not true Moshe Favre was forced out of Green Bay and they asked him to retire, that’s why he did the first time and came back to the Jets. Aaron Rodgers had been on the bench for 3 years they had no choice, the Yankees on the other hand have no SS in the wings and they have the ability to hide bad defense with the offense they carry.
Jeter will never leave the Yankees, he may have to move to LF if that is possible or if his bat is still at a .300 avg maybe DH will work… either way they will go through hell for Jeter.
Eh, I’m a Packers fan so I’m going to consider myself a quasi-expert on this. They did not force him out, they asked him to make a decision one way or another. He had just had an MVP type year, they didn’t want him out, they just needed to know. He retired, they moved on, and then wanted to come back, and they decided it was bad for the team to push aside Rodgers after preparing him to start.
I am a Favre fan and followed that whole debacle and you can see it that way but he had to go and Ted Thomson didn’t want Favre there anymore! Aaron Rodgers contract was coming up on the half way point and they had no idea what they had because never had a chance to play, They drafted Aaron with the assumption Favre would be gone in a year or two and when it didn’t happen they really didn’t know what to do. If they had actually wanted him they would have kept him and not forced him out the door by making him make his decision then. We probably won’t agree on this one but if you think Favre could have just stayed and continued to be there today you are wrong, they weren’t going to put up with Rodgers never starting until the end of his contract.
UZR UZR UZR UZR I have eyes and I use them and I have seen Jeter not be able to get balls a glove away because his range wasn’t good enough to get to the ball, plays Ramiro Pena gets too! I don’t hate Jeter but Ia also won’t let myself be blinded by his fame and make me think he can be the only person never to age and never have it affect there play on the field. He can not reach balls that other younger SS can and it will only get worse! He will never be able to play SS at 40 years old at a level that the team he is playing for can win a world series at, it just won’t happen!
Some have said I don’t like Jeter, because I have critiqued his SS play…this is not true.
So I am glad to have someone else write the same thing most of us already have known (even his better range this year isn’t that much), Ramiro is better.
Watch the set-up on the field, Jeter has moved a bit to his left and deeper, he opened a hole to his right…did you guys see the ball hit to his right? He just waved at it and A-Rod couldn’t get to it.
I wish it wasn’t so, but age gets to all of us, even Jeter…the legs go, the range goes—he moves!
You’re just full of optimism, aren’t you ??…maybe we should just release Jeter, now.
Way to have a very “play ground” overreaction to a true statement… Jeter has more than servicable D when you factor in the offense he brings, but as his D gets worse and his bat is no longer the same it won’t be worth it to keep Jeter at SS it just can’t work… There is a reason you don’t see any 40 year old starting SS.
Hey, I hope you’re right. If anyone can do it, it’s Jetes, right?
This season bought Jeter 2 more at short. A third year is likely. A fifth at short is pushing it.
If Jeter does go to 45, he’d have a great chance to unseat Rose, which would be awesome.
I would say Jeter plays to age 38 at SS which is 3 years as misterd points out and after that they will have to evaluate his bat and his legs to see where they have to put him. However misterd I really see no way he can play to 45, I say he retires at 42 close if not at Rose’s record but I don’t see 45 although I could see him getting the record before that anyway.