New York Yankees: Derek Jeter to the DL Makes More Sense Then You Think
June 14, 2011 · Rick Weiner · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
While the New York Yankees medical staff decides what the best course of action is in regards to Yankee captain Derek Jeter‘s injured calf, let me save them some time.
Put Derek Jeter on the 15-Day disabled list, today.
This works out well for the Yankees on a number of levels.
Most importantly, it allows the 36-year-old Jeter two weeks to rest and fully recover. Whether he would admit it or not, a two-week break in the action is a good thing for Jeter’s body.
A bad idea would be to allow Jeter to play through the injury, possibly leading to this becoming one of those “nagging” injuries that stays with him throughout the entire season.
Brett Gardner can slide into the leadoff spot, and the obvious replacement for Jeter at shortstop, Eduardo Nunez, can slide into Gardner’s ninth spot in the order.
If Nunez is exposed as being less-than-capable with the bat, so be it. He should prove to have more range then Jeter at this point in his career and be an upgrade defensively. The Yankees certainly have enough bats in the order to make up for Jeter’s absence.
Of less importance, of course, is Jeter’s pursuit of his 3,000th career hit. Currently, he sits six hits away from immortality.
After the three-game-series against the Texas Rangers that starts tonight at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees embark on a six-game inter-league road trip that finds them in Chicago and Cincinnati.
While I am sure Cubs and Reds fans alike were looking forward to possibly seeing history made in front of them, it is not their moment.
The moment belongs to Derek Jeter and the Yankee fans who have supported him, which is why placing him on the 15-day disabled list today, retroactive to yesterday, makes a ton of sense.
Jeter would be eligible to come off of it on June 27th, which is an off-day for the Yankees.
The team hosts the Milwaukee Brewers for three games starting on June 28th, and then head to Flushing for three games with the Mets on July 4th weekend.
Derek Jeter deserves to celebrate this achievement with the people who have supported him his entire career, and those people deserve the chance to take in the moment with Jeter. Even if he were to reach that milestone in Citi Field, chances are the majority of people there will be Yankee fans.
Doing it in Chicago or Cincinnati simply doesn’t do it justice, and celebrating it after the fact would leave a somewhat empty feeling in everyone’s chest.
Let us hope that the decision makers involved agree.
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