Thursday, May 27, 2010

Jeter starting to look like Jeter of old


Derek Jeter is starting to look like the Jeter of old, rather than an old Jeter. It's only a few games, but the New York Yankees Captain has some of the spring back in his step.

Joe Girardi noticed it. Asked about Jeter's home run to lead off the restart of the suspended game yesterday, Girardi made an interesting observation: that Jeter got back his legs. "When you see him drive the ball, that's a good sign," the manager said.

The home run was obviously the difference maker as the Yankees won the first game 1-0, setting them up for a nice mini-sweep when they took the second game 3-2. But I was more encouraged when he made a classic Jeter jump pass to end the sixth inning and help his pal Andy Pettitte get out of a jam. Girardi pointed out that Jeter also made several good plays to his left, which he's had trouble with recently, calling his shortstop’s overall performance "outstanding."

Jeter doesn't say much, but he seemed pleased with his effort in the first game, knowing how critical it was to get the Yankees back on track. He even said it felt like it was a huge game, a noteworthy comment considering it was only a May baseball game against the Minnesota Twins.
Does this mean Jeter is back? Not yet. It takes more than three games to reverse three weeks of bad hitting and karma. But he looks like he's on his way to being his old, clutch self again and that's great news for the Yankees.

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