HOUSTON — A year from now somebody is going to pull on the most famous uniform in sports as Derek Jeter’s replacement.
Since there are no suitable candidates coming from within, that means the Yankees are going to have acquire a shortstop or sign a free agent.
Think how daunting a task that will be.
Not only is that player coming to a new team, it’s the Yankees. And if it’s a free agent there will be major dollars attached to the boarding pass, which will hike the expectations.
And he will be replacing a Yankees icon, a first ballot Hall of Famer and possibly the most popular player in franchise history.
Whoever it is better have thick skin and a level head to go along with the basic skills to play shortstop for the Yankees.
Of course, David Robertson is replacing another Yankees legend, Mariano Rivera, starting Tuesday night against the Astros. Yet, even as great as Rivera was in amassing an all-time record 652 saves, he wasn’t in front of Yankees fans on a nightly basis.
Since 1996 Jeter has been the face of the Yankees, won five World Series titles, hasn’t had a whiff of controversy around him and been an All Star 13 times.
And somebody is going to follow that.
Take it from the guy who played first base directly after Don Mattingly left The Bronx: It won’t be easy.
“I told myself I can’t be him and I said it out loud that I wasn’t going to try to be him, but still there are expectations no matter what,’’ Tino Martinez told The Post about how he approached following Mattingly, an extremely popular and talented player during a Yankees era when Mattingly was all the fans had to cheer for. “The expectations of coming in after Derek, that’s something that nobody has had to do in the last how many years of baseball.
Yet the fans aren’t going to expect [another] Derek Jeter, but they can hope for one.’’
Since Rivera retired, Robertson has been besieged by questions about replacing Rivera and has taken a very simple approach to the situation.
“You do what you do, but you are never going to be the guy who was before you,’’ said Robertson, who pitched in front of Rivera last season and developed into one of the best setup men in baseball.
Since Eduardo Nunez couldn’t beat out Yangervis Solarte and Dean Anna for a backup infielder’s job this spring, he has no chance of following Jeter.
Heading the list of potential free-agent shortstops following this season are Asdrubal Cabrera, Yunel Escobar and J.J. Hardy. If Stephen Drew signs a one-year deal for this season he would join that list.
Whoever follows Jeter would be aided by the Yankees winning. Remember, Martinez’ first year was 1996 — the start of the last Yankees dynasty.
“What helped was that it wasn’t just me. It was Joe Torre, Joe Girardi and that was Derek’s first year, we all came together,” Martinez said. “By the All-Star break, when we were in first place, I realized what type of team we were, a team that grinded it out, a team that found ways to win games. The fans loved that and took a liking to us. The second half of that year helped me to relax more and let me play my game and not worry about who I came in behind.’’
Tuesday night in Minute Maid Park Jeter starts the final season of an almost fairy-tale career, which when it ends will give way to a guy who has no idea yet he will be the one to follow Jeter in The Bronx.