Jeter Fractures Ankle, Done for Postseason

Girardi on the injury:

Jeter Day-To-Day With Bone Bruise

From Mark Hale:

There is a major question about Derek Jeter’s health right now.

In the third inning of the Yankees’ 3-2, 12-inning victory over the Orioles last night, Jeter, who has been battling a late season, left-ankle bone bruise, fouled a ball off his left foot. Jeter was badly limping and hobbling during the game, an alarming development. It became more alarming for the Yankees as he exited the game for defense before the ninth inning.

Jeter was replaced by Jayson Nix, and there’s a chance the Yankees will have to use Nix at shortstop tonight while using Jeter as DH. After the game, manager Joe Girardi said he wasn’t sure if Jeter will play tonight.

Girardi also mentioned in the post game that it's a bone bruise on the top of his foot that he got by fouling a ball off his foot early in game 3. He's day-to-day, but Jeter, as always, played the injury down and said he expects to play on Thursday.

Here's Jeter's post game:

Jeter: "I'm Playing"

From Dan Martin:

Derek Jeter called the bone bruise in his left ankle a “non-issue” last week at Tampa Bay.

That’s more difficult to believe now since he was forced to leave last night’s 5-4 win over the Red Sox after aggravating the injury in the eighth inning.

Still, the shortstop said he would be back in the lineup tonight at Fenway Park.

“I don’t talk about injuries,” Jeter said. “I’m playing, so it’s not an issue."

...

“It’s really not that bad,” Jeter said. “I told them I was all right, but we had some extra guys. … I told them I was fine, but they told me to put ice on it. That was basically the extent of the conversation.”

If it was any other player I'd expect them to at least miss a few games, but it's Jeter, and I think we've all watched enough of this guy's career to trust what he says.

Jeter Leaves Games With An Ankle Injury

From ESPN NY:

Of all the unthinkable events that could befall the Yankees in this final stretch run, an injury to Derek Jeter is probably the most unthinkable of all.

And yet, it happened in the eighth inning of tonight's game against the Red Sox when Jeter came up lame after grounding into an inning-ending double play.

Jeter had rolled the ankle last week in Tampa but continued to play on it, but after hobbling into the outfield -- he appeared to injure himself on the step after he crossed the bag -- Jeter agreed to leave the game after a brief conversation with Joe Girardi and head trainer Steve Donohue.

Jeter hasn't looked good running the bases in a while, so it would appear that whatever he had been nursing just got much worse. Hopefully he doesn't have to miss that much time. We all know how important he's been to the team this year, and losing him could be devastating.

Ventura Says Jeter is the Best Yankee Ever

From George King:

Standing behind the batting cage in Chicago early Wednesday night, Robin Ventura measured his words before speaking.

The first-year White Sox manager is aware of the Yankees’ rich history, having played for the team during his 16 seasons in the big leagues.

So when asked about shortstop Derek Jeter’s recent torrid streak vaulting him into the AL Most Valuable Player discussion, Ventura went a lot further than a single-season award.

“I think he is the greatest Yankee of all time,’’ Ventura told The Post. “That’s because of the position he plays and the era he plays in. Every play he has ever made is on tape. The players before him, nobody ever saw them fail. All we saw of them was them doing good. Every one of Derek’s games has been on television. He has been criticized more than any other player in Yankee history, too. At least among the ones that were good.’’

Think about Ventura’s first sentence: Jeter ahead of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra. To some, it’s blasphemy. But Ventura doesn’t talk to shock people.

...

“As a manager, I don’t like for him to come up with guys on base, I don’t want him to come up when it’s tied, when they need somebody on base, and I don’t want him coming up late in the game to win it,’’ Ventura said. “He is still that kind of player.’’

Ventura make some good points, but I still wouldn't put Jeter at the top, not ahead of guys like Ruth and Gehrig. As of this moment I'd put him 5th behind Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle. If he ends up with 4,000+ hits, he'll jump in those rankings, that's for sure.

But really, who cares? Jeter is great, and we're all lucky to have been able to watch his entire career.

Jeter Responds To Skip Bayless and His Stupid Comments

In case you did not know, here's what Skip said yesterday on First Take:


In this second video you can hear Jeter's response and Skip & Stephen A's reaction to said response:


It would seem that Skip's real issue--besides being an idiot--is with MLB and their lack of HGH testing, which I think we all can agree with, however, making Jeter your target is just ridiculous. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, it's Jeter.

Cano, Granderson & Jeter Are All-Star Game Starters

From MLB.com:

The starting lineups for the 2012 All-Star Game on July 10 at Kauffman Stadium have been named, so get set Kansas City, here they come.

...

The 17 starters announced on the 2012 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell on TBS on Sunday give new meaning to the words "star power." Fans have already won, making a record-setting statement in support of their favorite players, but who will win the game this year?

...

Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, winner of last year's Home Run Derby, got the starting nod for the third consecutive time, his fourth All-Star Game selection.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is back in the All-Star Game for the 13th time in his career. The Yankees captain bowed out of last year's game, citing exhaustion from the mental and physical rigors of the pursuit of his 3,000th career hit and the need for rest over the All-Star break.

...

Boston designated hitter David Ortiz is an All-Star for the eighth time. Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson and Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista can each smile knowing that they are both three-time All-Stars and in the starting lineup for the second consecutive year.

Yankees starter CC Sabathia also made the AL squad. Click here for the full AL & NL rosters.

Jeter Leading AL Shortstops in All-Star Voting, 2nd Overall

From Marc Carig:

Derek Jeter is the top vote-getter among American League shortstops, according to Major League Baseball, which issued its first All-Star Game balloting update. At nearly 1.7 votes, Jeter ranks second only to the Rangers' Josh Hamilton (nearly 2.6 million) in overall votes.

Jeter, who is batting a team-high .336, leads the AL with 75 hits.

Center fielder Curtis Granderson (1.4 million) ranks behind Hamilton among outfielders and joins Jeter as one of two Yankees would have earned a starting spot if voting ended today. The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 10 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

First baseman Mark Teixeira and second baseman Robinson Cano rank second at their position in fan voting, behind Prince Fielder of the Tigers and Ian Kinsler of the Rangers.

Jeter deserves all the votes he gets after rebounding from a mostly disappointing 2011 campaign.

In other all-star game news, Robinson Cano has been named captain of the AL Home Run Derby squad and said he's hoping Granderson will join him. Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp will be captain of the NL squad.

Oh Look, Now Jeter's Hurt

From Chad Jennings:

Hit in the left wrist by a bad hop in the ninth inning, Jeter was in obvious discomfort on the field — he took his glove off and kept shaking his hand — but he said all the things you’d expect in the clubhouse: He’s fine, it’s no problem and there’s nothing to be worried about.

“Hopefully it’s not a big deal, and he’ll be okay tomorrow,” Joe Girardi said. “But I’ll have to see.”

Sorry, but based on this team's (bad) luck so far this year I'd have to assume that this ends up worse than it looks.

Scouts Say Jeter Looks "Quicker"

From George A. King III:

Veteran scouts who have watched Derek Jeter since 1996 believe he has gotten quicker at 37 than in previous seasons.

“His legs look quicker,’’ said a scout who watched Jeter play against Baltimore this week. “The first step out of the box is quicker. It doesn’t seem to show up in his range in the field, but the first step from the plate is quicker.’’

The scout timed Jeter in 4.24 and 4.25 seconds from home to first. The major league average from the right-handed batter’s box to first is 4.3.

Scouts who watched Jeter play against the Rays on Tropicana Field’s turf said Jeter was faster.

“He was 4.20 in Baltimore and the watches had him at 4.16 on the turf,’’ a scout said. “He looks great. He has found a natural fountain of youth.’’

I don't know how it's possible for someone to improve their quickness at 37, but it's Jeter so anything is possible.

His .370 batting average is actually his highest batting average through the first six games of the season since 2005, when he was hitting .435 at this early point in the season.

Jeter & A-Rod Respond to the Newest Idiot in Beantown

If you didn't know, new Red Sox manager, Bobby Valentine, has already gotten into the habit of bashing the Yankees every two weeks for apparently no reason whatsoever. His most recent barrage came yesterday when he questioned whether the Yankees actually practiced the flip-play and also said Jeter was "out of position" on the play. He also said that Jason Varitek was a "man's man" who was "able to beat up Alex", obviously referring to the 2004 brawl when Varitek tackled A-Rod while wearing full catcher's gear.

Here are the responses via Mark Feinsand:

Derek Jeter had a question for Bobby Valentine Wednesday after hearing what the Red Sox manager had to say about his legendary flip play.

“Why are we talking about this?” Jeter asked.

...

“I don’t know Bobby well enough to tell you what he’s trying to do,” Jeter said. “I could care less, I guess that’s the best way to put it. I just don’t know why it’s being brought up. I don’t know what to tell you.”

Jeter said the Yankees have practiced the play since he first came up. His job is to be on the first base line to cut off a throw and get the runner at third – “I don’t flip it home when we practice it,” he said – so whether Valentine believes that or not didn’t matter.

“Am I supposed to convince him?” Jeter said. Asked if he was annoyed or amused by the comments, the Captain replied, ““I’m indifferent, really. Think about it. We don’t practice it? We do; you guys see it. What else can I say? I was out of position? I was where I was supposed to be.”

...

“But who cares?” Jeter added. “Why are we talking about this? He must be bored over there, huh?”

...

“I’m not going to win many battles here when it comes to words – especially against Bobby,” A-Rod said. “I have my new press secretary that should be landing in the next couple days – Reggie Jackson – so I’ll let him handle that.”

Jeter wondered why the 2004 scrap was brought up in the first place.

“Talking about Varitek, you point out the good things,” Jeter said. “Varitek had an unbelievable career, I’m happy for him, I enjoyed competing against him all these year; that’s what we should be talking about as opposed to what Bobby said.”

Sure, this fool might be adding a little fire to the rivalry, but it's freaking February and obviously this guy is far too preoccupied with the Yanks. I guess that's just what happens when you put on those Red Socks.

Jeter's Advice To Eli Paid Off

From Dan Graziano:

During his rookie season, while he was in the midst of losing his first six games as the New York Giants' starting quarterback, Eli Manning got an unexpected phone call. It was from Derek Jeter, the star shortstop of the New York Yankees, and he had a simple message for Manning, who remembers it to this day.

"It was kind of right after I'd become the starter and had a couple of tough games," Manning said. "He just told me, 'Keep your head up, keep doing what you're doing and it'll get better.'"

This was 2004. Jeter was an established New York superstar, owner of four World Series rings and on a Hall of Fame path. The phone call mattered because Jeter was someone Manning had been studying carefully.

"Derek's a guy, from the time I first came here, that I definitely have paid a lot of attention to," Manning said last week after a Giants practice. "He's a great player, but he's also a guy who really shows you what you have to do to succeed in a place like New York. The way he's handled himself on the field, off the field. The way he's dealt with all of the attention without letting it affect the way he does his job. He's done that better than anybody."

...

"Playing in this market, you learn quickly that you've got to be immune to the distractions," Manning said. "And watching Derek and seeing how he's kept his private life private and managed to keep the focus on the field and on the job he has to do, that's a big help for someone like me. That's what you've got to do, and he's the ultimate example."

...

"Eli is Eli," said Justin Tuck, Giants defensive end and admitted Yankees fan. "If you want to make the comparison, he's more Jeter than he is Peyton. I'll give you that. But he's Eli. He's himself. He doesn't need to be compared to anyone."

But the comparison to Jeter as a clutch player and an even-keeled star is a worthy one, and it seems to please Manning and Jeter, who share a mutual respect.

"I've always appreciated the way Eli has carried himself, not only on the football field but more importantly away from it," Jeter wrote in an email through the Yankees' media relations department. "He certainly seems to me to have the perfect demeanor to handle the spotlight that comes with playing in New York. He's already had a great deal of success in his career, and I don't see any reason that won't continue for a long, long time to come."

It's these little things that we rarely hear about that truly makes Jeter Jeter. Well done, Captain.... oh, and go Big Blue!

Jorge Posada To Announce Retirement

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Jorge Posada will announce his retirement "within the next two weeks".

Smart move by Jorge to retire a Yankee, and walk away after a solid postseason performance. I couldn't imagine him in any other uniform.

Hats off to ya Jorgie, thanks for being one of the greatest offensive catchers of our generation.

Hip Hip, Jorge!