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AL Locker Room Jeter stakes another claim as game's best
Posted: Wednesday July 12, 2000 03:11 AM
By Dan George, CNNSI.com ATLANTA -- Who's the best shortstop in the American League: Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra or Alex Rodriguez? That debate is likely to rage on for as long as the three of them continue to play -- and maybe much longer. But for one game, anyway, there was no doubt. Jeter was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2000 All-Star Game after banging out three hits, including a decisive two-run single, in the American League's 6-3 victory against the National League at Turner Field on Tuesday night. "It's good for Derek, just another thing for his resume," said Jeter's Yankees teammate Jorge Posada. "He's getting better. He's 26 years old and just getting better and better." Although Jeter was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1996 and owns three World Series rings in his brief career in pinstripes, in two previous All-Star at-bats he was 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts. But he quickly put that behind him Tuesday night, rifling the first pitch he saw from NL starter Randy Johnson down the left-field line for a double. "I was thinking about bunting," Jeter said, "but Randy Johnson's not the guy to bunt off of." Johnson, who needed just seven pitches to retire the only other three AL hitters he faced, shrugged off Jeter's hit with a laugh. "He's a great hitter," he said. Jeter was back at it in the third, singling to up the middle off the Dodgers' Kevin Brown and eventually scoring on a bases-loaded walk. One inning later, he rifled a single to left-center off Al Leiter of the Mets, scoring Jermaine Dye and Travis Fryman and giving the AL a 3-1 lead it never surrendered. "I basically had the same game plan against everyone," Jeter said. "I'm a free swinger. I think it's known around the league, maybe both leagues. ... I wanted to at least put the ball in play. But when you're facing three guys like that, you want to swing early in the count. If you fall behind, you're in trouble." Jeter put the ball in play enough to once again impress the Braves' Chipper Jones, who's seen the Yankees' shortstop shine in two World Series. "I think if he played here, he'd be the first player to hit .500," Jones said. "It's good to see no one else in the National League can get him out either." Curiously, in the All-Star Game's 68-year history, Jeter -- who started only because the Mariners' Rodriguez was sidelined by injury -- is the first Yankee to win MVP honors. "You'd think in the past that one would win," he said. "But you're in a game like this, you have to be in the right place at the right time, and I was very fortunate." Of course, Jeter has been fortunate a lot for the Yankees. But AL skipper Joe Torre, who's seen a lot of Jeter the past 4 1/2 years as the Yankees manager, credits that to hard work and character as much as natural talent. "The kid is such a great kid to manage," Torre said. "His priorities are in order. And I know he's very proud of it, even though a lot of the times he doesn't show much." Torre said winning the All-Star Game isn't as important to him as trying to make sure every one of his team gets to play, but he, Jeter and the rest of the AL squad were visibly pumped after the victory, their fourth straight over the NL. "It was a great atmosphere," Jeter said. "Even when guys came out of the game, they seemed to stick around. The All-Star Game is something you never take for granted, because you never know when you're going to get an opportunity to come back."
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