Around the Yankee Galaxy: When to expect Andy and Alex?

And honestly, I’m not sure what the Yankees should do about it. His 2.0 WAR might barely surpass his 2.6 from 1997. Otherwise, it will be a career-low.

His linedrive percentage is sitting at 16.8% in 2010 when his career average has been 20.3%. The most startling statistic I’ve come across is that his already atrocious career average of 56.8% groundballs is all the way up 65.6% this year. He hits nearly 2/3 of the balls he makes contact with on the ground. He simply doesn’t have the speed of a Brett Gardner to beat these out. Even so, that’s a TON of groundballs.

I really don’t know what the Yankees should do when it comes to moving him down or not.

but if he doesn’t, I think he should at least go up to Jeet and ask him if he wants to do something about this.

You know damn well Jeter probably hasn’t gone to Kevin Long like Grandy and Swish did, there’s no chance of that.

Maybe Joe just needs to introduce Derek to Kevin?

he is hitting so much better at home so he still can do it. I don’t think its a case of him not being able to hit like he has in the past anymore. If we took the names out of it and just looked at the numbers where would he be hitting in the line up? Its not that simple because he has got so many big hits in the past. In a big spot of a game or in the playoffs there are few I would rather have hitting then him. ?? not sure

Age you can’t do anything about, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Jeter rebound a bit next year. It was just last year he hit .334, so unless he’s falling off a Bernie-sized cliff, I’m not convinced that this is as good as he’ll ever play again. I also doubt he ever gets back to 2009 form. Last year, I remember many times thinking to myself, “Enjoy this now, as he will never do this again.”

Ideally, Swisher hits second and Jeter bats 7th or 8th, depending on who is catching, who is getting a spot start, etc.

It’s tough to watch, to be honest. He’s my favorite player. Maybe even my favorite of all time (I can’t decide between him and Mattingly, but I only watched Mattingly in his later years, and I’ve seen Jeter his whole career).

But I don’t buy into all this “move him down in the lineup” crap. Honestly, what would that do? He’d lose the protection of Swisher or Tex, whoever he’s batting in front of. And it would make Jeter experience something he hasn’t had to experience since his rookie year in 1996.

Now, I don’t think he should be leading off anymore. The Yankees ideal lineup is with him leading off and Swish batting second, but he just isn’t getting the job done. A leadoff hitter needs to have higher than a .333 OBP. But I do think he should hit second. He’d get the protection of Teixeira. The DP problem only lasts for one AB- I think people make way too big a deal out of that. Nobody cared before Jeter and Damon were flopped last year.

I just hope he manages to turn it around. It’s difficult to have to move the captain down in the lineup or change his role a bit, but if he keeps producing so bad and gets into the .250s range and maybe even lower (although I think he’ll turn it around), they may have no choice but to make some sort of a move. I’m sure if the Yanks DO choose to move Jeter down in the lineup, he’ll take it like a man.

A-Rod will be fine- a strained calf doesn’t take 15 days to heal. I know the Yanks were being cautious. But the calf is probably fine by now. And he’s going to have almost another week. He’ll be good.

I’d prefer [Pettitte] take his time and make sure to be 100% for the playoffs.
If he’s nearly ready and we’re still in the heat of a race, he’d better hurry back. If the teams separate themselves a little bit, then I’m more ok with him taking his time.

I mean, isn’t he is allowed one? Actually, wouldn’t this technically be his first off year in the many, many years he’s graced our field with his Jeterian presence?

Few shortstops at any age can make that play the way Jeter still can at 36.

That’s because the other shortstops have quicker first steps and turn that groundball into a routine out, not a jump throw. It’s like when Jacoby Ellsburty takes a bad route to a ball, and then turns what should be a stand up catch into a diving catch. Yeah, it looks cool on SportsCenter, but a better defender makes the play easily, and doesn’t screw up a slightly harder play because of their bad route/slow first step.

I know he’s Derek Jeter and the jump throw gets the mancrush juices flowing, but the idea that 36 year old Derek Jeter is any kind of defensive whiz or is making plays that other shortstops can’t just entirely flies in the face of any logic, scouting, or defensive metric.

I’m sorry to be Buzz Killington, because it was a nice play, but Derek Jeter really isn’t a good defensive shortstop and probably never has been.