Monday, September 29, 2014

No. 2 Never Acted Like No. 1

And that's why, despite being an Orioles and Mets fan, I am willing to admit that I will miss Derek Jeter.

In some ways, Jeter was the perfect New York athlete.  On the field, one of the best shortstops to play the game.  With a multicultural background, he was a natural fit in the Big Apple's melting pot.  But, with rare exceptions, being a New York athlete has traditionally come with some unattractive personal bagging.  Self-aggrandizing comments in the media.  Controversial behavior on and off the field.  And a tendency, not always justified, to put personal goals ahead of the team.

Happily for all of us, Jeter never carried any of this baggage.  He always made the media happy by having something to say without patting himself on the back in the process.  He never courted controversy, and his reliability gave the Yankee teams on which he played a sense of stability even when some of his teammates seemed to turn into controversy magnets.  (Yes, Alex Rodriguez, I'm talking about you.  And good luck coming back next year and replacing even half of what Jeter brought to each and every game, without the assistance of science.)

Most of all, Derek Jeter did not play for himself.  He put up numbers, but the numbers he was proudest of were the ones associated with Yankee victories and, even more importantly to Yankee fans, World Championships.  There was never anything selfish about his play.  He let the situation and the moment dictate how his talent and experience would respond to it.  His last at-bat in Yankee Stadium, which led to a walk-off win against the Orioles, was a perfect example.  It may not have been a particularly spectacular hit, but it was enough to win the game.  His last one at home.  His last game at shortstop.  It's not surprising that the Oriole players joined everyone else in applauding him after the game.  That says something about the Orioles, but it says even more about Jeter.

Like another retired shortshop, one that played for the Orioles (hint:  his uniform number was Jeter's plus six), Jeter made the game better for everyone by being the kind of player he was.  Someone who not only embraced the moment, but also the larger truth that the game, like the country, is bigger and better than any one of us.  The game, like the country, is better when we work together, when there is more than one star, when the team, the game and the fans together are the ultimate star.

Enjoy your retirement, No. 2.  And find a way to stick around the game.  Here's hoping that more of you rubs off on the rest of us.

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