TAMPA — From the moment Derek Jeter arrived on the Yankees and started inching his way toward Cooperstown, he was confident every obstacle could be cleared.
Slumps were a few at-bats away from ending. Injuries that were supposed to require a month to heal did so in three weeks. Birthdays didn’t mean much to him more than a number. A contentious contract negotiation was put in the past.
If one character trait has defined Jeter’s Hall of Fame career it’s an ability to believe in himself.
Now, on the edge of his 17th season and looking at his 38th birthday in June, Jeter is being asked questions about his future, and the shortstop doesn’t sound like a player who will hang around if he can’t be himself.
“If I didn’t think that I was capable of playing the game at a high level I would go home,’’ Jeter said. “If I wasn’t enjoying myself or enjoying the competition I would go home. Right now I am an enjoying myself. I can’t comment on what would force me to retire because I have a lot of confidence and if that starts to waver I would do it.’’
Based on the second half of last season, when Jeter passed 3,000 hits and overcame a .257 average on July 7 to bat .297, his confidence should be high.
Yet, just hearing Jeter use the word “retire’’ was different. But in the past offseasons long-time teammates Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada walked away. This week Mariano Rivera strongly hinted this is his final season. So it’s possible Jeter understands the clock doesn’t stop for anybody.
Jeter spent the winter doing what he usually does: Working out in a gym until after the holidays and then moving onto baseball skills.
“Work is never fun, it gets a lot more difficult. As you get older it’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get back in shape,’’ Jeter said.
Jeter has made $220 million playing for the Yankees and will earn $16 million this year, $17 million next season and controls an $8 million player option for 2014 that has a $3 million buyout. So, walking away before the 2014 season is complete would mean leaving big dollars on the field.
While winning has defined Jeter, that’s a lot of money for anybody to flip off.
“One of the things that has made him such a great player is the belief in himself that he can right that if something is going wrong,’’ manager Joe Girardi said. “But maybe seeing his friends go through it and the conversations he had with an Andy or had with a Jorge, he understands that at some point it is going to come.’’
Girardi will rest Jeter in order to keep him fresh. There will be days at designated hitter. But when Girardi has Jeter at short and at the top of the lineup, he isn’t doing it out of respect for what Jeter has done.
“If Derek is in uniform I expect him to be productive,’’ Girardi said. “Do I expect him to play 160 games? Probably not. But I expect when he is in there I expect him to be productive. He is going to play a lot.’’