Derek Jeter: New York Yankees Captain Is Living Proof That Age Is Just a Number
April 17, 2012 · Kenny DeJohn · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Derek Jeter is absolutely on fire so far this season.
In 10 games (45 at-bats), he already has three home runs and seven RBI. He owns a line of .378/.404/.667.
He’s currently carrying the New York Yankees offense, as the middle of the order hasn’t been able to get the job done in the early goings.
At the ripe old age of 37, Jeter is proving that a player at the end of his career can still be a big contributor.
Many fans and experts wrote off Jeter after his down season in 2010. Playing for a new contract, Jeter just couldn’t seem to put it together. He recorded a line of .270/.340/.370 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI.
By his standards, that just wasn’t good enough.
He signed a three-year, $51 million contract that offseason. Many immediately questioned the high dollar figure attached to a player clearly on the decline.
The first half of the 2011 season seemed to support those claims. He produced at a similar level to 2010, hitting .270/.330/.353 with three home runs and 24 RBI.
In the second half, he turned things around in a big way.
He finished off the season strong, hitting .327/.383/.428 with three home runs and 37 RBI. Analysts around the league chalked up his strong finish as a fluke—he’s still past his prime, they said.
Well, Jeter aimed to silence his doubters once again in 2012, and he has definitely done that through the first 10 games.
Jeter will be 38 in June, and it seems as if he won’t be slowing down any time soon. With a productive season, we’ll have no choice but to stop questioning the value of his latest contract.
Who knows? Maybe Jeter will be in line for another short-term deal after the current one expires after the 2013 season.
If he can still produce, I say why not?
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