THE PRESS box second- guessing was immediate. Why was Derek Jeter bunting in the second inning with runners on first and second, no outs and the Yankees leading, 2-0.
Jeter’s too hot to bunt, right?
The great thing about Jeter is that he really doesn’t think about his statistics. All he thinks about is winning. That’s why he was bunting on his own.
The bunt was successful, and Johnny Damon lined a double to score two more and put the Yankees up four on the way to a 10-0 romp over the White Sox yesterday at Yankee Stadium.
“It was the right thing to do,” Jeter said. “You got a couple guys on base with nobody out, you move them over. You got a lot of different ways to score runs when guys are on second and third as opposed to first and second. I’ve done it before and I’m sure I’ll do it again.”
With Sergio Mitre pitching, the bigger the early lead to help him relax, the better.
Winning the MVP is not about winning a batting title, it’s about doing all the little things right and winning games. Jeter picked up three more hits and is batting .333. He’s doing everything he can so he will not be sitting at home this October.
“He doesn’t want that to happen ever again,” Nick Swisher said. “He’s stepped up his game. Being a guy who played against him and to finally be on his team and to see what he brings to the ballpark every day, he should be a great role model for young kids, and I know he’s a role model for a lot of us guys in here as well.”
Jeter could care less about winning the MVP.
“It’s not about winning the MVP, it’s about winning and getting that ring,” Swisher said. “I think we have the right attitude. I think we feel confident about where we stand and we just want to keep this rolling.”
The Yankees do have a much different feel about them this year. And it starts at leadoff. Jeter singled in the first. In eight of the past 12 games Jeter has led off by reaching base. The Yankees are 30-11 since the All-Star break, have won 18 of their past 22 at home and are 43-16 in their last 59 games.
This month Jeter has 43 hits, his biggest month in eight years. That’s eight years of excellence. Over the past 18 games he has 12 multi-hit games. His career hit total stands at 2,708. He’s closing in on Lou Gehrig’s all-time Yankees mark of 2,721 hits.
That this has all been done under the microscope that is New York, N.Y., makes it even more impressive. Joe Mauer is leading the majors in hitting, but there is something to be said for Jeter putting up this kind of season in the AL East, a much different division than the AL Central.
The value of a star shortstop is priceless. Look how lost the Mets are this season without Jose Reyes.
Who would have thought that Jeter would be the star leadoff shortstop in town at the age of 35 when Reyes is in his prime?
The days are getting shorter. The Yankees are 33 games over .500. October is just around the corner. And Jeter is in the MVP race.
“We’re trying to win games, man, that’s it,” he said, brushing off the MVP talk. “We’re trying to get to the playoffs. That would be kind of selfish for somebody to be thinking about that during the season.”
Remember, it’s all about the sacrifice.