Joel Sherman

Joel Sherman

MLB

Girardi must reduce Jeter’s role to give Yankees best chance

You feel compelled to begin with the proviso because there are a sect of fans who treat a criticism of Derek Jeter’s 2014 results as an attack on the man or his career.

So, let’s get it out of the way: Jeter is among the greatest players ever, on the short list of best shortstops in history, a special ambassador for the sport, a shining light in Yankees history.

But if you don’t think he is hurting the Yankees on both sides of the ball in 2014, then you are participating in the baseball version of the emperor wearing no clothes.

He should have stopped batting second in the Yankees order months ago. He should be replaced defensively late in close games because the Yankees have not one, but two far superior fielding options. He should DH rarely, if ever. Quite frankly, there should be many days he does not play at all.

This is no joy to write. The better story had Jeter — like Mariano Rivera — going out near top form, lashing singles to right, same as ever. But after being central to so much success for so long, Jeter is not helping this playoff run.

Actually, let’s put the blame where it belongs. The person who could have done something to minimize the impact of Jeter’s subpar results is Joe Girardi.

In mid-April, the Yankees manager played the tough guy by saying he was not putting on a farewell tour with Jeter in explaining why Jeter was not playing one day. But, as it turns out, of course, this is exactly what Girardi is doing.

Derek Jeter waves to fans in Toronto on Aug. 31 as his farewell season winds down.Getty Images

The guy who managed Jeter’s pal, Jorge Posada, out from behind the plate and to the bottom of the lineup and, ultimately, to irregular play has not had the stomach to do the same with Jeter. As you see with how I led this piece — with the proviso — it is certainly tough to take on the Jeter cult, those who feel that historic greatness means Jeter has emeritus status, never to be dropped in the order or removed for better options.

This is his last year — don’t embarrass him.

But this is not a punishment, an attempt at humiliation. Jeter has defined himself by winning, and he just hasn’t helped the Yankees win in 2014. If the worry was that dropping Jeter in the lineup or not playing him would undermine the clubhouse, then Jeter’s bona fides as a captain should be questioned — he, after all, should not be the captain in good times for him, but in all times, which means backing the manager if the manager plays him in a different fashion.

Consider that the combination of tepid offense and troubling defense got Brian Roberts released. Jeter, though, keeps getting penciled in as the regular No. 2 hitter and shortstop. If his last name were not Jeter, he would not have those distinctions and — with the Yankees’ otherwise demanding standards — he might even have been released.

Instead, Girardi has played along by saying, for example, that no one in the Yankees order has hit much this year, a point he reiterated on Tuesday. But even among jockeys, there are the tallest and shortest, and Jeter has been arguably the smallest Yankees hitter in a year in which they have collectively come up tiny.

His .261 average is devoid of much impact. He has 18 extra-base hits. That is tied with Stephen Drew, among others, for 253rd in the majors. But Jeter has come to the plate 539 times and Drew 225. So while Drew is hitting just .167, I am not sure he is a worse option than Jeter — at least the potential to hit for impact is greater.

And the fact Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner, the two Yankees who have risen above the muck and produced at a high level this year, are not hitting 1-2 is a blight on the concept of the sport as a meritocracy. Again, are the Yankees trying to win or put on a farewell tour?

Ellsbury has performed better recently hitting leadoff than third, but even if you wanted to keep him third (assuming he is healthy enough to play), what would be the case for batting Jeter behind Gardner and in front of Ellsbury rather than batting Martin Prado second?

Brendan RyanAP/The Canadian Press

Girardi’s lone concession has been to use Jeter as the DH more regularly. But with the rosters expanded and the Yankees bringing up John Ryan Murphy as a third catcher for late-inning protection, wouldn’t they be better off with Francisco Cervelli and Brian McCann flip-flopping between catching and DHing? Instead, the Yankees continue to DH the player who had, by far, the AL’s worst OPS in August at .487 (minimum 100 plate appearances).

And when Jeter does play, he should not be spared when better options arise during the game.

For example, even when he was a great hitter, Jeter could not produce against Casey Janssen. Yet, with the tying run on third and two outs Sunday, Girardi let Jeter (1-for-17 at that point against Janssen) bat against the Toronto closer. Yes, McCann was hitless in five at-bats against Janssen, but he had a far better chance in that situation to drive in the run. Girardi stuck with Jeter, who lined softly to second.

Also, why have a state-of-the-art defender such as Brendan Ryan on the roster if you are not going to use him to his strength, especially when it lines up with a Jeter weakness? No doubt Ryan and Drew are far better defensive options to protect a close lead late in games.

Once more, if the last name were not Jeter, then Ryan would defend late in the game at short.

But the last name is Jeter and for five months — despite his strong words to the contrary — Girardi has preferred a farewell tour to giving his team the best chance to win. Will this continue in September as well?