TAMPA — Welcome to the final spring training week of Derek Jeter’s career.
He’s hitting .114 this spring. He’s coming back from a lost season.
Where does he go from here?
Jeter knew it was going to be a difficult process coming back from a season in which he played only 17 games because of leg injuries, which followed a fractured ankle. At the age of 39 he knew this was not going to be a walk in the park.
Jeter has extreme confidence in himself, but understands the challenge.
“What I want to do is just be comfortable,’’ Jeter told The Post of this final week of spring training, beginning with Tuesday night’s game against the Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “That’s the key every spring, you want to be comfortable the last week. It’s not necessarily the first three, four, five weeks before the season starts, it’s that last week you want to be comfortable. You want to feel good.’’
Where is Jeter in that process?
“It’s taken a little longer than maybe some other years,’’ Jeter admitted, which tells you how difficult it has been. “But the last couple of games, it’s starting to get better. I’ve been getting better and better, so you just want the last few games to really feel comfortable.’’
Jeter is not just talking about being comfortable at the plate. Jeter’s genius has always been the complete game. He never frets over one single part of his game.
His timing at the plate is returning — and the best sign Sunday in the 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays, was Jeter lining to right field.
When I mentioned the subject of his health, and if he even thinks about the ankle or the leg injuries this spring, he said: “Nope.’’
Jeter insisted everything was fine. He then leaned forward in his chair, reached into his locker and knocked on a wooden shelf for good luck.
Jeter is not taking any chances with fate this final go-round.
Scouts have been watching closely.
“You can see that his timing is just not there yet with his swing,’’ said one scout who follows the Yankees on a regular basis. “The bottom line with Jeter is that he just needs to be healthy and lead. That’s his role at this stage of the game. He doesn’t need to hit .300. He needs to provide leadership. He’s running slightly below where he used to run, but he is moving okay. So he runs 4.54 now instead of 4.24. But he is not laboring.’’
General manager Brian Cashman said: “I have no concerns over Derek Jeter. I don’t know what his batting average is, but I could care less.’’
Right now, Jeter is enjoying every step of this final journey and that gives you a pretty good indication where he is physically. A player who does not feel 100 percent, usually shows it in his everyday behavior.
On his way to his locker Sunday morning, a smiling Jeter stopped off to share a laugh with Masahiro Tanaka, who has Mariano Rivera’s old locker. Jeter then gave a high-five to a Japanese reporter standing there who was wearing a custom-tailored double-breasted suit. As Jeter walked away he joked with a group of more leisurely dressed reporters, “Why don’t you guys dress like that?’’
When Jeter arrived at his locker, Luis Sojo was seated several lockers to his right. Jeter immediately joked with his old infield buddy, telling him, “Why aren’t you in the room with the other coaches? What are you doing here?’’
Sojo laughed and explained his reasons for being in the players’ locker room.
Jeter clearly is comfortable in every setting, now he just has to make sure he is comfortable on the field.
“You have to be comfortable in every aspect,’’ he said. “In the field, at the plate, on the bases. You just want to feel like you’ve done everything and you are ready to go and I’m getting there.’’
Derek Jeter has one final week to get it right.