The New York Yankees are in shambles. Age was already a fear and the lack of power bats was a drastic concern for a franchise that lives and dies by the home run. Then they lost center fielder Curtis Granderson and first baseman Mark Teixeira — two of the only three home-run hitting players they had left.
The time for a change in approach is now and could not have been more perfectly-timed with one of the greatest hitting Yankees of all-time returning to the lineup — Derek Jeter.
Back from a long road to recovery — a broken ankle suffered in the first game of the American League Championship Series with the Detroit Tigers — Jeter is at full health and ready to fight for another World Series title. If there was ever a question that the injury may have knocked him down a few pegs, he slapped any doubt into left field with his leadoff, first-pitch single in his Spring Training debut Saturday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves.
Jeter is just what the Yankees need. His resume speaks for itself with over 3,300 hits, a career .313 batting average, 348 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .382. He was the 1996 AL Rookie of the Year, had 13 All-Star Game appearances and earned five Gold Glove awards. Oh, and there’s those five World Series rings.
But it’s his presence — like Peyton Manning or Michael Jordan — which has the greatest impact on players. Opponents fear Jeter, but his teammates may fear him even more. The Yankee captain exists purely to succeed. Hs teammates play better because of his desire to win. His “lead-by-example” mentality drives them and, if the winter and spring leading up to the 2013 baseball season are any indication, he’s going to have to do a lot of leading this year.
The Yankees have made the postseason in 16 of the 17 seasons that Jeter has been the club’s starting shortstop. If they’re going to keep that impressive track record going, it all hinges on him keeping them afloat until Granderson, Teixeira and fellow injured slugger Alex Rodriguez make their returns.
That’s a lot to put on a 38-year-old’s shoulders. Competing in the AL East is always tough and, with a collection of competitive teams in the division, it will be even tougher.
But if anyone can handle the pressure, it’s Jeter. It has to be. Sure, the Yankees will look for help from guys like elite second baseman Robinson Cano, third baseman Kevin Youkilis and speedy outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Brett Gardner. But it’s Jeter’s bat — most likely hitting from the leadoff spot in the lineup — that will set the tone.
New York needs base runners, not home runs. Chicks might dig the long ball but, for the Yankees, going back to the basics will keep the ship from sinking. No one does the basics better than the Captain.
He gets on base and he scores runs (he’s scored over 100 runs 13 times in his 17-year career). It’s that — as much as the fans may miss seeing those home runs fly — which will win baseball games for the Yankees this season. Runs by any means necessary. And that all starts with Jeter getting hits and trailing the basepaths.
Louis Musto is a writer for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.