Derek Jeter: The Next Yankee Manager?

I know, I know, it sounds far fetched. There's probably no way, in this day and age, any front office would be willing to hand over the reigns of a team to a player-manager, even one as potentially admirable as Derek Jeter. But the New York Sun's Tim Marchman floated this idea today, and you know what? It ain't half bad:

He's a proven winner, a champion who knows New York intimately and has earned the respect and admiration of his peers; a man who's demonstrated complete and absolute mastery of the art of saying nothing of any interest whatsoever, so crucial for a Yankees manager; a man supported by all elements of the fractious Yankees bureaucracy; a man whose appointment as manager would not satisfy the organizational yearning for macho bluster but would be such a triumph of sentiment that it wouldn't matter. He's a man who can be groomed for the job starting right now, one who can be trusted to never embarrass the team or its fans, and one who could not only immediately surpass his Hall of Fame predecessor in the hearts of the faithful but easily manage the team for 30 years: The shortstop, the icon, the captain. Derek Jeter.

In comparison to the other candidates within the Yankees organization, Jeter actually seems like a viable option. That might have more to do with just how bad all of those options seem, but still: this could work. It used to happen all the time (Marchman references Frank Robinson) and if any player could pull this off in this day and age, it would be Jeter.

At the same time, Derek might be better off focusing on his own range a wee bit. The hitting's up this year, but that fielding ... yeesh. Maybe he and Torre should just switch positions outright, and Jeter can DH. Actually, maybe it's just time Jeter pitched. And played left field. And bat boy ...

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-25-2007 @ 5:32PM

kimat khatak said...

Jetter is a great player and a Yankee legend. Iwould not want to ruin his carrier by putting him in the dug out.Jo Girardy is probably the best choice and Torre must go. The players are not responding to him. He sits on his butt like Buddha,s statue and let the money buy him the line up and victory.He has developed the millionare syndrome and does not belong in that uniform that we all love.
khatak

5-26-2007 @ 3:54AM

wildman23 said...

Kimat...have you watched the Yankees lately? They have started SEVEN rookie pitchers so far this year. They've incurred injury after injury and are STILL not out of it despite many games being playing with a makeshift lineup. One featuring an unproven pitcher who is pitching on the BIGGEST stage in professional sports. To blame Joe Torre is ridiculous. He puts the best team out there that he can. Is it his fault that Arod, Abeau,Giambi, Damon,Cano, & the first base platoon all slumped at the same time? NO! To replace him for their bad play is just plain ludicrous. To replace him with Girardi when they are grooming Don Mattingly would not help at all. Listen to Giradi announce a game some time. He's wrong much much more than he's right when he says what "he'd" do in the situation. When Torre retires, Mattingly will do great. He has a great baseball mind, had a great career, forgot more about hitting than most coaches know and has the RESPECT of ALL the players. Talk money all you want in regards to your "syndrome" but whether a player is making 20 Mill or 200 thousand a season, they have to produce. Their salary is something their employer deemed fit. Whether they earn that salary is also something only George Steinbrenner can determine. Get your facts straight and watch the game before running your mouth.

5-26-2007 @ 8:19AM

Spitfire said...

I personally think that Joe Torre was the best thing that ever happened to the Yankees.WHY would they want to replace him?
I think the players should shit or get off the pot!
It's NOT Joe's fault that A Rod, Giambi, Cano, Damon,& Bobby Abreau can't come across when needed.

5-26-2007 @ 8:05PM

james fiorello said...

joe torre is the best manager world championship and not a-rod,abrue,giambi,cano,some of player are lazy dont feel like player only all player need money from george, come on go,go, yankees all the way first place dont give up play ball.

5-27-2007 @ 8:30AM

cheryl said...

jeter is the best,but not for manager. why does everyone blame torre for his players doing crappy? he is the best manager the yankees have ever had why get rid of him. a-rod now, look at all the money they are paying him. he is not doing anything. so what, he had a good april, why not get rid of him. he is way over paid. get rid of cano. i mean come on now not everything is torre's fault