Around the Yankee Universe: Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Aaron Boone

Let's take a quick look Around the Yankee Universe while we wait for today's 1:05 p.m. start -- if the remnants of Hurrican Danny allow baseball, that is.

• Absolutely phenomenal piece on Derek Jeter from, to me at least, an unexpected source. The Pocono Record has a look at Jeter, and what his teammates think of the Captain. We know Jeter will pass Lou Gehrig as the Yankees' all-time hits leader this September, and here is Andy Pettitte on the accomplishment.

"It's amazing," Pettitte says. "That's really all you can say about it. It's absolutely amazing. To be able to pass Lou Gehrig is a tribute to what a great player he's been. Derek is probably the best hitter I've ever played with and I've played with a lot of great hitters in this game."

• Sweeny Murti has posted an impassioned defense of catcher Jorge Posada on his blog at WFAN.

Here is a guy who is one of the cornerstone Yankees, a Dynasty Yankee -- homegrown, durable, and so beloved fans serenade him with cheers of "Hip Hip Hor-Hay!" everywhere he goes.

This is also a guy who is hammered daily by those same fans for a supposed inability to catch, throw out runners, call games, or do anything remotely associated with the position he plays in any competent manner. Posada hasn’t won any Gold Gloves and never will. But to completely devalue everything he has ever done behind the plate is off base.

• Aaron Boone should have a special place in the hearts of every Yankee fan. And we should all cheer the fact that March open-heart surgery has allowed Boone to return to the big leagues.

Boone's doctors at Stanford Medical Center hit their own home run, correcting a congenital defect in his aortic valve that could have led to a heart attack or stroke.

"People want to talk to me about how amazing it is that I'm back, I'm not the amazing part," Boone said. "The science behind it and the team of people that performed the surgery cared for me and are looking after me. That's the awesome part."

Six weeks ago Boone's wife Laura gave birth to their second child, a daughter, Bella. They also have a 4-year-old son, Brandon.

"Life, you never know what to expect, you just have to try to live it to the fullest," Boone said. "I feel like I have a pretty healthy perspective on life. I have a strong faith. Events like this definitely sharpen that perspective and make you appreciate things even more. The year we've had, with my wife being pregnant and having a child and then me having this surgery, it's certainly been a crazy year, an emotional year and in a lot of ways a great year."