However, he brings a lot to the team in term of mental toughness and leadership. And who can forget the nose dive he took! Any guy who can stand the NY media for all those years is okay in my book. Over-rated? Yeah…but nothing to hate on.

but he is the definition of a team leader, and clutch performer.

…considering Derek is a Kalamazoo native, and being that we are roughly the same age, I have run into him a few times (although not recently, he hasn’t made it back to the area in some time). But all of that is neither here nor there, sort of like this ridiculous post. So DJ may not have the range of a Furcal or Reyes, but he is still one of the premier SS’s in the game today; for his leadership, clutch hitting, and yes, his defense.

But Jeter ranks terribly on some other more advanced ones like UZR, Plus/Minus and PMR.

His defense isnt great but maybe its some of those spectacular plays in the whole that get people saying how great his defense is. And by the way who votes on the gold glove?

but he should never have been considered an above average shortstop. Baseball Prospectus actually dedicated an entire chapter of Baseball Between the Numbers (very good read, by the way) to discuss this very matter and show that his ‘04 Gold Glove was not earned on merit but on prestige. There’s actually a funny quip about how new Yankee fans probably thought his first name was “Pastadiving” given that “past a diving Jeter” was muttered so frequently in the play-by-play.

That said, he’s had a great career, does have good leadership qualities, and without using a term like “intangibles”, I’d say he has a good baseball IQ.

and we argue about Jeter from time to time. I maintain that if you take Jeter out of New York, he’s just another slightly above average shortstop. They seem to believe he’s the second coming of Christ.

He handles the media well and I think that’s a lot of the reason why everyone seems to think he’s great.

He had a lot of success very early in his career, and certainly in some important playoff spots, but he was just a “piece” of those great Yankee teams at the end of the ’90s. From then on, he was just kind of thrust into the national spotlight, and Mr. Yankee.

There is no doubt that he is over-rated. He is a good ballplayer who handles NY well, which has made him great in a lot of people’s eyes.

I personally can’t stand how he “nods” at the pitcher when he is set in the batter’s box. It drives me nuts!!

In fact, whenever I’m playing against a “computerized” Derek Jeter in a video game, he is automatically beaned…no matter the score or inning.

to debate whether he is still a decent fielder.

That said, he the rare combination of a clubhouse leader and clutch and any knock I have on him is merely jealousy that the evil empire was able to find this guy and grow him out of their system.