Happy 50, Jeets!

 

Derek Sanderson Jeter, perhaps the greatest human being ever, is celebrating his 50th birthday today.

My God. For the love of Babe Ruth, that's some lead right there.

In truth, I was never the biggest Jeter fan during his career. Oh, I loved watching him play. Of course, I did.

You had to watch him every day to appreciate him. Jeter wasn't about the flashy plays. Sure, he could play -- gulp -- defense and he could get big hits, but it was the little things.

Even as a leader, everything was done quietly. 

But he was a standard every October. He was on TV's everywhere. He was a way of life.

And that's where things could get flashier.

Remind me why I say "Black is not a Mets color"
Jeter homers on the first pitch of Game 4 in 2000

Look, I know he has iconic plays that he'll always be tied to. The Flip. The dive into the stands (once against Boston, once in the playoffs against Oakland). Mr. November. The jump throw from shortstop. The walk-off hit in his last at-bat at Yankee Stadium. The 3000th hit "with an exclamation point." The home run on the first pitch of Game 4 in the 2000 World Series.

But it was all done with a steady hand and a grin.

Best of all, it was done with a fist pump when it was over.

I got to be around him in the locker room after a September game against Toronto in 2003. That's probably the first time I really understood it all.

No, he said nothing of consequence as I stood there with my back almost into Thurman Munson's locker/shrine. That was the point. That was what impressed me.

He answered. He answered everything. He said nothing. 

But he was in control.

The end at Yankee Stadium

Eventually, all iconic careers come to an end. Jeter's ended in two parts in Sep 2014. First on that single to right off Evan Meek against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium, driving home Antoan Richardson. Royalty waited to hug him with Joe Torre, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, and Tino Martinez, plus his good friend and former teammate Gerald Williams.

Then, three days later, it ended for good at Fenway Park, of all places.

Despite the lack of flash, he still knew how to walk away, dribbling a grounder to third. He beat it out for an infield single and even picked up an RBI as Ichiro scored.

He knew when to say when. Even Boston tipped their caps with a lengthy ovation.

Baseball fans get it. Even vicious rivals.

Since then he tried to be an owner in Miami and, well, not everything turns to gold. He stepped down.

He was part of the documentary The Captain in 2022.

He has since taken up broadcasting for FOX.

And he's returned to The Bronx a few times, much to the delight of his adoring fans.

There's still a foundation that bears his name. He -- and his family -- aren't just faces. They're actively involved.

He's happily married after the myriad jokes about his bachelor lifestyle, including once dating Mariah Carey. Some of his nightlife got him in the doghouse with George Steinbrenner, though they lampooned it in a commercial. Of course, there were the legends of gift baskets for his "visitors" as well.

Print the legend, of course. 

But he remains, by all appearances, the same loyal guy from Kalamazoo. Adored by his parents and sister, and now with children of his own. Still close to his fell "Core Four" mates. Still able to talk smack and take it.

I always appreciated him but all of the other stuff helped me appreciate him more.

And then came the "overrated" stuff. Yes, Ken, thank you. For you, my friend, created the #OverratedShortstop.

It's the most tiring nonsense. "Blah blah blah defensive metrics say blah blah blah."

Spare me. 

He made the plays, got the hits, and shined with the lights were the brightest. He won five rings. Not exactly Yogi Berra territory but in the modern era that's pretty great. He has -- and I say this repeatedly -- the sixth most hits ever.

People get jealous of such success. The looks, the image, the winning, and whatever other things that go into such hatred.

Plus, they hated him because he beat their team. They hated him because he personified the Yankees. You knew he'd fit in anytime.

They hate him because he said the right things while saying nothing, such as his speech to close the old stadium in 2008.

“There’s a lot of tradition, a lot of history, and a lot of memories. The great thing about memories is you’re able to pass them along from generation to generation.”

They hated when he won Gold Gloves and championships and waltzed into the Hall of Fame, missing being unanimous by one vote.

And, yeah, he wants accountability for that one vote because that's what a leader and competitor does.

So as I continued to read takes about him that just felt uneducated, it made me raise Derek Jeter to a more mythical status, even with tongue firmly planted in check because it's sports after all.

He was, as someone once said in a heavy New York accent, "duh Yankees best hittah."

Intangibles. Hate the word all you want. That was Jeter.

Happy birthday, Captain.