I really miss watching Jeter play short for the New York Yankees.

I know the guy is nearing the end of his career and the severity of his injuries has increased the past few seasons, but it’s always nice knowing the captain is in the lineup and there at shortstop.  I’ve been lucky enough to see him play the last few years in Seattle, but will miss him this year since he will still be on his DL stint when we make our trek up to Seattle in June.  This will be our son’s first baseball game and living in Portland, will probably be his only game for the season.  So here’s hoping Jeter can come back and play well for many more years.

The team has been playing pretty well without him, Teixeira, A-Rod and Granderson, but I’m not sure if the Yankees have the staying power to keep pace with the other teams in the AL East.  Boston is having a great season, are healthy and don’t have to deal with the Bobby Valentine circus.  Baltimore is young, playing well and managed as well as any team in baseball.  Toronto has a ton of talent and i’m sure they will get it turned around in plenty of time to compete for the division title…and Tampa is always lurking around with their deep farm system and endless amounts of young talent.  At this point, i think it’s inevitable that the numbers being put up by Hafner, Wells and Overbay will level out and begin to pull the Yankees back to the rest of the pack a bit…I may very well be wrong.  Wouldn’t be the first time tonight that i’ve been wrong.

Getting back to Jeter, I know he is one of those guys you love or hate and may be overrated due to his days with the pinstripes…but his passion for winning and dedication to the Yankees and the game of baseball is something i’ve always appreciated.  Yeah he doesn’t have great range at short and his arm isn’t the strongest, but he always seems to make the big play with the bat or glove.  Jeter is one of those guys you want your kid to emulate when they play baseball.  Bryce Harper is another one of those guys.  I have always loved the hustle guys (maybe Rickey wasn’t always about the hustle…).  It’s the way i played baseball, when i played, way back when i was younger and in shape.

I know the cards i’ve posted aren’t the most exciting Jeter cards out there, but I like them…and i haven’t had too many posts dedicated to Derek Jeter.  I always manage to pick up a few Jeters’ at the shows in the nickel and dollar boxes, coming home with 12-15 each time.  He’s one of those guys that you can’t ever get enough cards of…plus he has a gillion of them.

We have another show this Saturday and i’m sure I will be adding a few more Jeters to the collection…and I might just post a few of them.

Sorry for the choppy thoughts, been busy at work and up all night with the kid, but I Hope you enjoyed the Jeter post!