An era of Yankees baseball is coming to an end on Sunday, as long-time captain and shortstop Derek Jeter will play in the final game of his career. He announced his retirement in spring training, hit a walk-off single in his Yankee Stadium finale on Thursday, and will leave the playing field for good on Sunday.
Jeter will no doubt be elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot five years from now. That tends to happen when you rack up 3,464 career hits (and counting!) and five World Series rings in addition to be a class act and a tremendous ambassador for the game. Both the Yankees and baseball in general will be worse off without him.
Even though his final year was not his best, the Yankees will obviously miss Jeter's tremendous production. He produced at a high level year after year -- Jeter did have an outstanding peak year in 1999, hitting .349/.438/.481 (153 OPS+) with 37 doubles, 24 home runs and 102 RBI -- and that consistency is what sets him apart. Jeter was the same player, one year after the next.
From 1998-2009, Jeter hit .320 overall and only twice dipped below .300 in a season. He had a .391 on-base percentage and only twice fell below .370. Jeter scored 100+ runs, picked up 180+ hits, and played in 145+ games like clockwork. His only serious injury from 1998-2009 came when a catcher covering third base fell on top of him following a slide on Opening Day 2003, separating his shoulder.
That consistency and reliability also made Jeter one of the few players who lived up his enormous contract. Baseball's salary structure usually results in players making the most money during their decline phase, after they turn 30 and hit free agency. Teams definitely get caught in the trap of paying for past performance and wind up with ugly contract burdens.
Jeter certainly didn't play for free all these years -- the Yankees gave him a 10-year contract worth $189 million prior to the 2001 season. It was the second richest contract in baseball history at the time, behind Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $252 million contract with the Rangers. A total of 40 position players have signed $100+ million contracts, and 11 of those contracts have since expired. Let's quickly compare the completed deals:
| Completed $100+ Million Position Player Contracts | ||
| Player | Contract | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Pujols | 7 years, $100M | 65.7 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 10 years, $252M | 56.3 |
| Manny Ramirez | 8 years, $160M | 42.9 |
| Derek Jeter | 10 years, $189M | 41.1 |
| Todd Helton | 9 years, $141.5M | 32.8 |
| Carlos Beltran | 7 years, $119M | 32.3 |
| Jason Giambi | 7 years, $120M | 22.0 |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 9 years, $116M | 13.1 |
| Carlos Lee | 6 years, $100M | 8.4 |
| Alfonso Soriano | 8 years, $136M | 7.9 |
| Vernon Wells | 6 years, $126M | 6.7 |
Pujols is sort of in his own little world because he signed a nine-figure extension three years into his career, before he really hit his prime. A-Rod, who opted out of his contract after seven years, was still in his prime as well. He signed his first free agent contract at 26 because he reached MLB at such a young age.
Pujols, A-Rod, Manny and Jeter are the clear top four here. All four were tremendous on the field, but being a superstar goes beyond on-field production. A-Rod and Manny didn't exactly master the off-field stuff. In fact, they were detriments at times. Pujols had no such issues but he was no Jeter off the field. No one was.
Between his on-field production and off-the-field marquee value -- Jeter is one of the few players with legitimate marquee value that transcends stats. Just look at his farewell tour and the way he drives attendance and ratings -- the Yankees got much more than their money's worth out of his contract. He was actually a bargain at $189 million.
Jeter's prime ended years ago but it's still making the Yankees money and will for years and years to come. He led the team to five World Series championships and seemingly countless AL East titles by being an impact player at shortstop. He also generates millions in revenue and represents the organization in a way that, frankly, no other player can. Jeter's charisma and marketability are immeasurable.
In every sense of the term, Derek Jeter was a franchise player for the Yankees. He was a Hall of Fame caliber player and a model face of the franchise. Want to disparage his defense? Go ahead. Think he's getting too much attention? That's fine. But understand that MLB clubs dream of having players like Jeter at the forefront of their organization. He was the total package. To say he was worth his massive contract is an understatement.
Want more Derek Jeter farewell?
- Doyel: Captain always above controversy
- Heyman: Overrated? Jeter? Not a chance
- Axisa: One of few to live up big deal
- Pics/video: Very best of an all-time great
