Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
from Photographers Blog:
The moment Jeter fell
By Mike Segar
Firstly, let me say I am most definitely NOT a New York Yankees fan. I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and have been a devoted Boston Red Sox fan my entire life. The Yankees are our sworn enemies as Red Sox fans and that never changes.
However, in my job as a photographer for Reuters I have covered the Yankees in the MLB playoffs since 1996, when I covered my first New York Yankees World Series championship.
That season a young rookie shortstop named Derek Jeter made his postseason debut as the Yankees went on to win the first of five World Series titles through 2009 (losing two more World Series in 2001 and 2003 along the way). I have seen a lot of playoff baseball games and experienced countless exciting and memorable moments as the Yankees and Jeter proved their greatness time and again.
Jeter is the Yankees' all-time career leader in hits (3,304), games played (2,585), stolen bases (348), and at bats (10,551). He has been elected to 13 All-Star teams, won five Gold Glove Awards, four Silver Slugger Awards. two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award. Jeter is the all-time MLB leader in hits by a shortstop, and the 28th player to reach 3,000 hits. The 37-year-old Jeter’s 216 hits lead all Major league hitters in 2012.
Jeter’s exquisite timing fails him as Yankees play hardball
One might have expected a cordial meeting of the minds between a grateful Yankees ownership and the classy face of baseball’s bellweather franchise when it came to agreeing one last contract for captain Derek Jeter.
One would be wrong.
The spendthrift Yankees, whose $200 million-plus annual payroll is far and away the most in Major League Baseball, are playing hardball with the 36-year-old shortstop.
