Here is a list of all of the players in history who played 2,000 games at shortstop and were league average hitters over the course of their careers:
Luke Appling
Bill Dahlen
Barry Larkin
Derek Jeter
Cal Ripken
Alan Trammell
Jeter wasn't just barely making it, either - over 2,600 games at shortstop, well above average as a hitter. A few players who barely missed include Honus Wagner, Joe Cronin, Bobby Wallace, Pee Wee Reese, and Miguel Tejada. Seven Hall of Famers, plus two guys who should be in (Dahlen and Trammell), and one non-Hall of Famer. Pretty good company.
He wasn't the fielder that these guys were, so Jeter might be the worst of this group (though I'd likely put him ahead of Trammell and Dahlen at least) - but there have been very, very few players in history who have spent a long time at shortstop and who were good hitters over that time.
6 of the ten most similar players to Derek Jeter are in the Hall of Fame - Paul Molitor, Roberto Alomar, Robin Yount, Charlie Gehringer, Joe Morgan, and Frankie Frisch. Two others will be in the HOF soon - Craig Biggio and Ivan Rodriguez. It's interesting to note that only one of these men was a shortstop - shortstops just don't hit. None of them is particularly close, though - Jeter is relatively unique.
If you want to argue that Jeter merely benefited from the strengths of his team, then you have to make the same argument about every other player who was on a great team - Johnny Bench, Al Simmons, even Lou Gehrig. Players must be evaluated on the value they provided, independent of the success or failure of their team.
What's special about him is, He's a likeable guy who's been a mainstay on a very successful team in a big city.
How are u a laker fan since the Showtime era but then trash kobe because of his contract kobe is the best laker ever he outscored the whole mavs team in 4"3 quarters scored 81 points and almost took the lakers past a stacked phoenix suns team with kwame brown and Smush parker and Chris Mihm u are not a real laker fan
Lakers4life 2001-present always will
Be lived in L.A. My whole life live 4 miles away from staples center and L.A.
I always thought the same thing. Dereck Jeter is good, but not great. I feel like his character plus being on the Yankees is why he's so liked
Her's a class act and has been that way for 20 years. Enough said. Duh.
His stats are not that great & no AL MVP. If he was with the Angels,Kansas City,Tigers or Oakland, he still wouldn't have MVP & 5 rings. In my missing something? Thanks.
