Great Onion Article on the day Derek Jeter passed Lou Gerhig in total number of hits:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/derek_jeter_ho nored_for_having?utm_source=a-section

I cringe when I hear people say that Jeter has not been a great hitter. They are obviously Home Run obsessed. Derek Jeter has a lifetime batting avg. of .316 and at age 32 has over 2500 base hits..and nearly 1500 runs which potentially places him in line with the alltime greats....certainly ahead of all the ShortStops that are currently residing in the Hall of Fame.

 I agree that his defensive skills are eroding and the Yankees should consider moving him to Center Field..where he would probably shine..considering one of his great defensive attributes is judging the fly ball while motioning backwards. He has the speed and the arm for the position.

I loathe the Yankees, and I don't much care for Jeter, but it is clear that he is the only thing that passes for a gamer in the Yankee dugout. Well, maybe Posada too.

I'm not overwhelmed by his abilities as a shortstop, although they're well above average. His hitting is also good, but not, I submit, great.

What he does seem to have the ability to do is motivate, although he seems to be drowning among the current collection of selfish twerps in pinstripes.

UPDATE: Its clear that his defensive abilities have declined a lot in the last years. His range is limited, his glove isn't what it was, and the throws from the hole which were once lasers are now humpbacked liners.

Class act. Can do no wrong. one of the best guys to look up to. Always been on top of the game.

cant stand him or the yanks

A perfect model of what a baseball player, or any athelete should entail.  He is a leader in both the game and with his charity work off the field.  He is a sure Hall of Famer and will go done as one of the greatest Yankees to play the game.  His stat my not be among the greatest of all time, but it is his spirit, dedication, and sportsmanship to the game that makes him the greatest player in the game.  You only have to compare him to Barry Bonds to see the stark difference.  Yeah, Bond's hits Bombs, but Jeter is the true (Yankee) Bomber.

Among all his batting achievement and excellent fielding, Jetter has the it factor which can hard be measured. Jetter's only, I repeat only knock is his homerun numbers.

Derek Jeter is the epitomy of class, leadership, work-ethic, skill, and all that a true Major League player,especially a New York Yankee, should be.
He is certainly the best SS in Yankees history. How about MLB history rankings? I mean Ozzy Smith was a better fielder and Cal Ripken and Ernie Banks put up bigger power numbers. How about lifetime AVG? Hits? Rings? Accolades? Everyone always talked about A-Rod and Nomar. A-Rod is not the guy you want up in clutch situations. Nomar sat in a game seven against the yanks and he is always hurt. With the exception of Tejada, I think Jeter is one of the top two Shortstops today and top three of the last ten years.

I think the body of Derek's work over the past 10 years gets him into Cooperstown. His hitting, defense, and presence on so many championship teams gets him the nod. An MVP would seal the deal. Though his hitting is great, Jeter's numbers somewhat pale to contemporary SS's like A-Rod, Nomar, and Will Tejada. His batting stats are similar to Joe Cronin's or the more contemporary Alan Trammell (Jeter is a much better fielder than either). I am convinced that Jeter can go to Tampa Bay and get them over .500. He's that good.

Sexayy.. : D

my hatred for this guy honestly can only spur out of his talent. he's good. but that don't mean i gotta like him.

I like Derek Jeter. The guy plays the game the way it is supposed to be played. I modeled my game after this guy because he always hustles and does the little things to give his team a chance to win day in and day out.

best short stop in the game

Jeter is one of the most dedicated players out there! I dont see how anyone couldn't have respect for him! Look at everything he's done statistically and outside of baseball... He's a huge assest to baseball, he has a fabulous work ethic, attitude toward the game and is a great roll model. I personally absolutley adore Jeter and the Yankees but even if you dont like the Yankees you have to admit Jeter is amazing!

I HATE the Yankees so much it hurts but I gotta admit. This guy is CLUTCH. He is a champion. I just wish he could act a little less like he knew it. Cuz that's sorta annoying.

he's awwssoomme!!

derek jeter is an excellent short stop that even if he did play for a crappy team like the Atlanta Braves he stll would of gotten the Golden Glove and if he is just plain overated why is the New York Yankees paying him US$19.01 million a season and u don.'t just get that fro being overated and alex rodriguez is not a better shortstop he is a better 3rd basemen. i think derek jeter is a excellent role model for us young males i am 14 and i hope to play for the yankees i have already played for N.S.W twice.

overrated show off

If this no-talent idiot was on another team he wouldn't have gotten a Gold Glove last year. Overrated in hitting. Overrated at shortstop. Overrated at fundamentals. Just plain overrated.

Overrated. A-Rod has always been a better shortstop than Jeter has ever been and always will be, even though A-Rod is at 3rd base now.

Derek is a great role model for guys.. read his book.. for all the young men in the world, watch how this guy goes to work. You can bet he enjoys his life.. and he knows he doesn't have to hit for the most power.. one thing I don't get is how people think he's not talented.. he's immensely talented.. he just doesn't necessarily hit over 30 homers a year but he's a lead off hitter.. it's not his job to hit for power! Also, he's fast as lightning and if he wanted to, could steal way more than 30 in a season

Derek Jeter is an awesome shortstop for the Yankees. He plays his hardest and gives 110% everytime he steps on the field. He is a good rolemodel and an all around good guy. He always says the right things to the media and uses his money to do good things. He is just a very good Player!!! And he's always pretty hott.. by the way the people that only gave him 1 star are probably red sox fans or some other team...

Derek Jeter is the kind of player that baseball needs. He is great with the media, he's a great leader, and he love's the game. Jeter is the kind of guy that all the little kids look up to. He's a great example to everyone, and he can play. He almost always seems to be there when the Yankees need that one hit or that one catch. He delivers in the clutch and loves the pressure New Yorkers put on him. Yeah we all dream of becoming Mrs. November one day, but thats not why I give him a 5. He's classy. I like that.

best American league Shortstop by default. still 100% gammer. i find it easy to hate the Yankees but still love Derek Jeter. exciting to watch. i find it hard when Baseball fans dont like Jeter. he's exactly what the sport needs.

If he didn't play for the storebought yanks I doubt we'd hear a lot about him. Sure, a .300 plus career hitter, not much pop and never gets near 100 ribbies. Good for twice as many Ks as BB. Cute carries a long way in the bright lights of broadway.

Way over estimated. He is an outstanding player who has won numerous MVP trophies, no doubt about it. But I'm sure you all saw him in the semi-finals of the World Series, almost totally hit-less. I know that the Yankees wouldnt be where they are today without him, but I honestly think that he's taken too much credit for this Yankee team.

Are you serious? It's a well known fact that every team would love to have a Captain Mr. Derek Jeter. Mr. Jeter is the leader of that team and he always has the winning state of mind. Not to mention professionalism and demeanor.

Derek Jeter sucks and is a big show off.He would be good i he didn't try to show off so much.The best s.s is Jimmy Rollins hes funny and doesn't try to be the best but play to his ability.DJ just sucks.The only people who like him are yankee fans and girls who want to marrie him.

Hall of Fame caliber my eye. He's a good looking shortstop for the New York Yankees. I wish people wouldn't confuse looks for talent. He's a solid player, but it's hard to get a real assessment of him given that he plays in New York, and I've come to find that New York makes players seem better. Jeter is the heart of that team though. He's trailing a few players as best shortstop of his generation. In fact, he's lost a step really. I don't think much would be said of him if he played in Milwaukee.

Look, Derek is a NICE guy. He'll sign autographs, all day, visit sick kids in the hospital and be a POSITIVE role model. Oh, DID I mention he's a Hall of Fame caliber baseball player, too? You know, we GOTTA' find a nice girl for Derek to settle down with! Mariah Carey was TOO much of a hootchie for him, as well as the MTV VJ gal pal. Hhmmm, Julia Roberts is TOO old for him (as well as being married, already & preggers, to boot!). Lindsay Lohan? Hilary Duff? Paris Hilton (STRIKE that!!!)? I GOT IT!!! Jennie Finch! Yeah, I KNOW she's engaged to that Diamondbacks player, but it HASN'T been consummated yet. Can you imagine the babies THESE TWO would make, together?!

Jeter is an above average shortstop and that's about it. He was made captain of the Yankees by decree of the owner rather than by support of his team mates. He's actually only the 2nd best shortstop on his own team.

The only thing thing that Jeter is really good at... stealing Michael Jordan's fist pump and getting on camera as much as possible... oh, also having Tim McCarver's lips glued on his ass.

I get the feeling that even in his own backyard Derek Jeter will do anything to beat you. He is the ultimate competitor. In a sport where failure is the norm (success 3 out of 10 times in most of our jobs would get us fired)Jeter consistently finds ways to be successful. I would put my money on him every time (and I would win way more often then 3 out of 10 times too).

I love Derek soo much hes the best ever hes gonna marry me just as soo as he gets the chance ..i hope : ))

I love him soo much..i wanna marry hiM!

DEREK JETER IS THE BEST BASEBALL PLAYER THIS GENERATION. HE IS A VERY GOOD S.S. AND HE IS SOOOOO HOT! LOOKS AREN'T EVERYTHING BUT SORRY AROD DEREK JUST LOOKS BETTER!

he sucks

jEteR<3 iS thE lOve oF my liFeEe.. hE is my heRo..i am hiS biggeSt fanN.. iF yOu walk inTo my rOom aLL yOu sEe iS jeteR eveRywheRe..jeteR isSs BEAUTIFUL!..hE is everythinGg a giRl wOuld wiSh foR..ivE had a dReam that will cOme tRue sinCe he fiRst jOined the yankS in 1995..aNd that dReam iS tO juSt gO on onE date withHh himMm.. onE would bEe finEe withHh mEe.. but ifFf hE wantSs mOre iLL bEe glaDd tOo gOo oNn mOre datEs<33 hE iS juSt peRfeCt.. hE iS aWesOme inNn baSeball.. hE iS aLways savinG the teAm, makinNg gReat playS, givinGg hiS bOdy fOr the tEam, aNd alWays uSein his bAt toO sCoreE ruNns.. I LOVE DEREK JETER till death aNd a day!!.. hEs my baby fOr liFe<3 JaNinEe lOvEes deRek aLwayS aNd fOrevEr<33 LETS GO YANKEES!!!

Largely overrated.

One word, Clutch. clutch, clutch, clutch, clutch, clutch. He was the final and most important piece in the building of the Yankees dynasty before they got spend happy. There is nothing he cant do in a single baseball game. He hits for average, he can hit for power. He plays great defense, not spectacular like Omar but can make every play you need a shortstop to make. He can steal bases when everybody knows he is stealing. He can score from first on doubles to the gaps. He never gets thrown out on the bases. He's got an unbelievable knack of always coming up with the the right play atthe right time. He's THE leader in the NEW YORK YANKEE clubhouse, and most importantly, he does it all in the most pressure-filled of situations, when the whole world is watching. They dont pay him 180 million to put up meaningless numbers in the regular season, dont get that confused. But when all the chips are down, DJ is usually the one walking off with the pot. Can you say that about anyone else in baseball??

GO Yankees!

Derek Jeter is a 4 in my book. He is an average hitter .320-18-80, but for $18 million a year, that is way too much. He is way over paid, and a bit overrated. His offense is average, and his defense is below average. You can't knock the guy, I mean he has 4 rings and is as clutch as you can get. He is definitely an average player in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, or Milwaukee. He seems to be a nice guy and has a nice personality, to bad he is on the damn Yankees..ha ha....

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derek sukkkkkkkksssssssssss!!! He's like a freakin loser!!! wat a bum!!

Most overrated player maybe ever! he is not a great hitter and plain s*cks defensively! if he played in Pittsburgh or Milwaukee no one would even know who he was, he's just lucky he plays in NY!

A very good shortstop, excellent situational hitter. Has enjoyed lots of success due to playing for the yankees. BUT he is NOT the best player in the majors. He is not even the best SS in the majors (AROD, Tejada etc..) . Overhyped by the Yankees media machine. Off the field an excellent example of how a player should act.

Overrated twit. However, he's still one of the top 50 players in history, which is why he gets 4 stars out of five.

Some players get godlike status, none of them deserve it. No one is perfect, least of all Derek Jeter. He isn't the best hitter, and his defense is average. He tries to make every play look harder than it is. Who cares if he is a nice guy, and how hard is it to win the world series when you play for the Yankees?

What a cutie! He has lots of talent too!

Derek Jeter is a personable young man with enormous baseball talent. Oddly, he has yet to hit a grand slam home run.