Since I posted about Jeter being considered infallable the other day, I thought I'd take a real look at his numbers today. I know his average was way up there, but I really didn't understand just how good he has been playing and how consistently good he's been of late.Sure, he's hitting almost .370 and that's good no matter what, but it's only May, right? And he's got just three homers and 28 RBIs. So it's not like he's doing anything amazing...right?
Except if you begin to look at his game-by-game log for the season so far, you see that he's only had two -- two! -- true, zero-hit games thus far this season. On April 7, he went 0-for-4 with a walk and on May 4, he went 0-for-6. That May 4 game was the only game he's appeared in this season where he has not reached base.
Think about that. That's actually incredible. He's currently riding an 18-game hitting streak and, as I said, has gotten on base in every single game this year except for one (including one game where he was plunked in the first inning and had to leave the game -- a 0-for-0 with 1 HBP).
But let's take it back even further. If you go back to his game-by-game for 2006, you'll see that the last time Jeter had two straight games with no hits was August 16 and 17 of last year. Since last August 19, Derek has only had three games (the aforementioned two this year, plus Sept 17 of 2006) where he put up an 0-fer. That's it.
So over his last 82 games (just more than half a season's worth of games), Derek Jeter has had hits in 77 of them, with two games being 0-for-0 games (one the aforementioned HBP game and one last year, also against Tampa, where he went 0-for-0 with three walks and three runs scored).
Three 0-fers in 82 games. And only two games in the past 82 where he did not reach base. Two.
Last night, he cleared 2,215 hits to move ahead of Joe DiMaggio on the Yankees all-time hits list and won't be 33 until June 26. Jeter has averaged about 195 hits per season so far in his career. Even if that drops to 175 per year, Jeter will clear 3,000 hits in about four and a half seasons, or at the end of 2011, the season in which he'll turn 37. It's quite conceiveable that he will approach 3,500 hits. Do you know how many guys have even 3,400 hits, all-time? Eight.
I know a lot of people have taken a liking to mocking Jeter as being a media-created legend, but he's doing a pretty good job of it himself. Sure, he's not hitting 700+ home runs like Bonds or things like that, but I'm also not writing this talking about his "little things" or "intangibles," the stuff that knowledgeable people make fun of since it kind of is hyperbole. No, I'm talking about his actual numbers and they're beginning to look pretty incredible.
Thus ends my public love note about Derek's skillz.
6 comments:
Good stuff. I wrote about it a few weeks ago when he had hit safely in 56 of 58 (which was impressive enough), but this is a good reminder that he just hasn't slowed down since. 77 of 82 is unreal.
Like him or not, Jeter is a better player than many people give him credit for (and this is coming from a Red Sox fan).
Man, go buy him an engagement ring already!
Imagine if Ichiro had played his whole career in the major leagues. He's got 1400 hits in 1000 games, which is second best since 1900! Look at Ichiro's last 17 games.
Ichiro is indeed incredibly and he's got a really good shot at 3,000 hits in the major leagues, and when you consider he came to the major at age 27, it's even more unbelieveable.
The other thing about Ichiro is if he could just walk a bit more, he could hit .400. A few years ago, when he had 262 hits and a .370 average, I believe he had something like 49 walks. I did the math and if he'd just walked 51 more times (or 100 total), he'd have hit .401. Now, I realize, this assumes that nothing else changes but you have to admit he should walk more for a leadoff guy... and if he did, he'd be nearly a .400 hitter! Amazing.
Stats are fun.
Even as a staunch Sox supporter, I have always had the deepest respect for Jeter. In my humble opinion, he's the best baseball player for the past 15 years. Yes I am being serious.
I'm no Baseball expert,we dont see alot of it in uk,but Jeter is my fav player,I like his attitude to the game,his desire to win no matter what the score,and when he fails he doesnt carry that over to his next at-bat or game.
Something else I hold Jeter in high regard for is,the fact HE has never claimed to be the best at anything,he has never boasted of the money he makes [or flaunted it],and he always tries to deter compliments to himself to a team compliment.Its very impressive to me.
He is good. If not over-exposed. Have you seen him in this promo? Beware you red sox fans, you will not be happy as you are highly underrepresented. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoMDKLFKEuk
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