Players from this generation who are/were better than Derek Jeter

[T.G.]

Jeter was very fortunate for two things… a major-injury free career and being drafted by the Yankees.

 

He would have been Rey Ordonez if he would have been a Met.   Had he been on KC or Cleveland he would have been just another guy.

 

Very good player but certainly not worth the hype that's been displayed this season and this week.

 

Of course as I said that, someone is finishing the bronzing of the Jeets statue in Anaheim.

 

Being 6th all time in hits says otherwise.

[DB24]

Show some...

 

[19HALO71]

How many of the players you mentioned 1) played for just ONE team and 2) was never in the news for any kind of crime? I hate the Yankees as much as the next guy, but Jeter was a great ambassador for the game and is deserving of the recognition.

 

 

Go Angels!!

[tdawg87]

I'm kind of having a hard time figuring out the whole "played for the same team" argument and why it's relevant to Jeter's accomplishments as a player. It doesn't make him a better player than someone else because the Yankees paid him a bunch of money to stay with them and surround him with all-stars. The Yankees could have easily just said "nah dude, see ya later" and he would have gone somewhere else.

[stormngt]

Until Barry pitches a no hitter and wins 20 games a guy named Ruth would disagree.

Players who were better than Barry Bonds:

Nobody

[nando714]

Sal Fasano

Edited September 26, 2014 by nando714

[ukyah]

I don't think there was any fanfare for Chipper during the season. Even in his final game (the 2012 NL Wild Card Game) they didn't do much behind a standing ovation for him. In Chipper Jones final game the St Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves as a direct result of a flyball to left field that fell in but was incorrectly ruled an "out" on the infield fly rule. Joe Torre was watching the game and declined the Braves' game protest on the spot.

yes there was. all the teams gave him commemorative gifts, just like jeter and all the other future HOF'ers that the public knows are in their final season.

[19HALO71]

I'm kind of having a hard time figuring out the whole "played for the same team" argument and why it's relevant to Jeter's accomplishments as a player. It doesn't make him a better player than someone else because the Yankees paid him a bunch of money to stay with them and surround him with all-stars. The Yankees could have easily just said "nah dude, see ya later" and he would have gone somewhere else.

I hear you tdawg, but didn't the Yankees just let Cano walk away? He was a pretty good second baseman and still has quite a bit left in the tank. I think it is pretty telling when an organization is willing to lock down a position for that long a time. The Yankees could have gone the less expensive way and just brought up rookie a long time ago and saved millions.

[Brandon]

Orlando Cabrera

[wopphil]

Some of you aren't giving longevity it's due. It is one thing to be solidly better than average for 5 or 6 years, and quite another to do so over a 20 year career.

Think about how much we all respect Aybar. He has been a solid, mostly average player for six years. Lot to be said for that. Now imagine how much more you would like him if he was 30% better. And for another 14 years. And helped bring the Angels 5 rings.

[Erstad Grit]

Biggio .....no I'm not trolling.

 

Dude was also willing to change positions multiple times to help team win. Jeter should have moved to 2b 5-7 years ago. 

Edited September 26, 2014 by Erstad Grit

[Taylor]

yes there was. all the teams gave him commemorative gifts, just like jeter and all the other future HOF'ers that the public knows are in their final season.

 

...on a vastly smaller scale than Jeter's slobberfest.

[Taylor]

Think about how much we all respect Aybar. He has been a solid, mostly average player for six years. Lot to be said for that. Now imagine how much more you would like him if he was 30% better. And for another 14 years. And helped bring the Angels 5 rings.

 

Nobody is saying Aybar is as good as Jeter or even close.

 

Additionally, Jeter "only" had 13 seasons in which his OPS was .800 or higher. Still really impressive, but he wasn't putting up elite numbers for all 20 seasons he played.

[bloodbrother]

I hope we see Trout get same treatment 16 yrs from now while still with the Angels. I also hope the Angels won't be dumb enough to have a 39-40 yr old playing a premium defensive position all year like the Yankees were with having Jeter as the everyday SS

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Being 6th all time in hits says otherwise.

 

Longevity is your answer.   Was Pete Rose better than Ty Cobb?    Hell no.   Had Ty Cobb logged the ABs or games that some of these guys did, like Rose, He'd be the overwhelming hit king.

 

EDIT: Just checked to see Petey had 2,700 more ABs than Cobb.   For a lifetime .366 hitter, thats about an extra 975 hits Cobb would have had.

 

Take away the years some of these guys lost during the war, and Jeter isn't 6th.

 

Jeter is the beneficiary of a lot of good fortune.    He never suffered serious injuries.   He was drafted as a Yankee and played well enough in a stacked lineup to stay there.   He became a God to those fans.    

 

He shouldn't have been a #2 hitter for the last several years.    Those extra ABs translate to hits.    He managed to hold the Yankees hostage the last few years with hitting in that slot.   

 

Jim Thome is like 5-6 in home runs I think (I'm not going to bother to look), and not only is he not mentioned ever as a greatest power hitter of all time, he likely won't make the HOF.

 

I think the Olberman argument speaks enough about the mediocrity that was Jeter.   

 

Arod is only 500 hits away from Jeter.   Had he not had his suspension, he would be much closer.   Trout will likely pass Jeter.    Ichiro had he come to the MLB a few years earlier could have been the all-time hit king.  

Edited September 26, 2014 by SOTO

[stormngt]

I hear you tdawg, but didn't the Yankees just let Cano walk away? He was a pretty good second baseman and still has quite a bit left in the tank. I think it is pretty telling when an organization is willing to lock down a position for that long a time. The Yankees could have gone the less expensive way and just brought up rookie a long time ago and saved millions.

It makes a difference.  A guy who showed excellence for 20 years with the same team had more impact on the franchise than a guy who was great for the team for 6 years.

[HaloMagic]

How are people able to simply ignore longevity?

[stormngt]

Nobody is saying Aybar is as good as Jeter or even close.

 

Additionally, Jeter "only" had 13 seasons in which his OPS was .800 or higher. Still really impressive, but he wasn't putting up elite numbers for all 20 seasons he played.

compare that OPS to other shortstops.  Shortstops are not known to be great offensive players.

[HaloMagic]

Offensively he was the 4th highest producing SS in baseball history.

[DW711]

Nomar would have been...but injuries screwed him over.

[Troll Daddy]

Longevity is your answer.   Was Pete Rose better than Ty Cobb?    Hell no.   Had Ty Cobb logged the ABs or games that some of these guys did, like Rose, He'd be the overwhelming hit king.

 

EDIT: Just checked to see Petey had 2,700 more ABs than Cobb.   For a lifetime .366 hitter, thats about an extra 975 hits Cobb would have had.

 

Take away the years some of these guys lost during the war, and Jeter isn't 6th.

 

Jeter is the beneficiary of a lot of good fortune.    He never suffered serious injuries.   He was drafted as a Yankee and played well enough in a stacked lineup to stay there.   He became a God to those fans.    

 

He shouldn't have been a #2 hitter for the last several years.    Those extra ABs translate to hits.    He managed to hold the Yankees hostage the last few years with hitting in that slot.   

 

Jim Thome is like 5-6 in home runs I think (I'm not going to bother to look), and not only is he not mentioned ever as a greatest power hitter of all time, he likely won't make the HOF.

 

I think the Olberman argument speaks enough about the mediocrity that was Jeter.   

 

Arod is only 500 hits away from Jeter.   Had he not had his suspension, he would be much closer.   Trout will likely pass Jeter.    Ichiro had he come to the MLB a few years earlier could have been the all-time hit king.  

 

 

so what you're saying ... is that Jeter held the Yankees hostage batting 2nd the same way Pujols is holding the Angels hostage batting 3rd?

Edited September 26, 2014 by Troll Daddy

[AngelStew43]

May be the Vets committee puts him in, but I think Thome gets in.

[happybat4]

Thome will get in

[happybat4]

Jeter is an all time great and a sure bet for the HOF. Nobody says he is the best of all time great. Can't be overrated if nobody says you are the best. Is he Babe Ruth? No. Nobody says he is. He is more remembered for being the face of baseball and a great character guy. Hard to play in the spot light and never have dirt come up. I would rather have my kid be jeter than A-rod, Puig or Barry.

Edited September 27, 2014 by happybat4

[Stradling]

Players who were better than Barry Bonds:

Nobody

Albert was better because he did similar things and he did them clean, at least as far we know. He didn't have the speed Bonds had, but he had the plate discipline and similar power. Albert was also better defensively in my opinion. Now if you're going to argue peak season then no one has had a season like Barry, but I'm pretty sure we can all agree that wasn't done naturally.