Results tagged ‘ Derek Jeter ’
Yankees react to the retirement of Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui was without a doubt one of the classiest players I’ve had the pleasure of covering, wonderfully balancing his graceful nature with a flair for the dramatic. His final game as a Yankee, the historic Game 6 of the 2009 World Series, could not have been a more perfect conclusion to his seven seasons in pinstripes.
Derek Jeter often called Matsui one of his favorite teammates, and that’s high praise — and well deserved. I was personally always amazed by Matsui’s pain tolerance; you’d see him 20 minutes after the end of a game in which he more often than not did something to help the Yankees’ cause, and he would be grimacing at his locker with huge ice bags strapped to both knees.
More than once, I can remember seeing Matsui before a game and thinking there was no way he’d be in that night’s lineup. Not only would he go through batting practice and wind up in the starting nine, but flash forward a few hours and I’d be scribbling a ‘HR’ in the scorecard next to his name.
Here is the press release from the Yankees announcing Matsui’s retirement, with statements included from Hal Steinbrenner, Jeter and Brian Cashman:
DECEMBER 27, 2012
NEW YORK YANKEES REACT TO THE RETIREMENT OF HIDEKI MATSUI
Mobbed by his former teammates, Matsui receives his World Series ring in April 2010.
Earlier today, former Yankee Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.
Matsui – nicknamed ‘Godzilla’ – spent seven seasons with the New York Yankees (2003-09), combining to bat .292 (977-for-3,348) with 536 runs, 196 doubles, 140 home runs and 597RBI.
Originally signed by the Yankees as a free agent on January 14, 2003, following a 10-year career in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, Matsui became first player in franchise history to hit a grand slam in his Yankee Stadium debut, doing so on April 8, 2003 vs. Minnesota.
The two-time All-Star (2003-04) did not miss a game over his first three years with the Yankees, playing 518 consecutive games – which remains the longest streak of consecutive games played to start a career in Major League Baseball. He also drove in at least 100 runs four times during his MLB career, including each of his first three seasons.
In his final game as a Yankee, Matsui went 3-for-4 with a home run and 6RBI in the Yankees’ World Series-clinching Game 6 win vs. Philadelphia on November 4, 2009. The 6RBI is tied the World Series record for a single game (also the Yankees’ Bobby Richardson in 1960 and Albert Pujols in 2011), and sealed Matsui’s unanimous selection as the World Series MVP.
Matsui soaks up the scene as a champion along the Canyon of Heroes in Nov. 2009.
STATEMENT FROM YANKEES MANAGING GENERAL PARTNER HAL STEINBRENNER
“Hideki Matsui, in many ways, embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family.”
STATEMENT FROM YANKEES GENERAL MANAGER BRIAN CASHMAN
“Hideki is proof that baseball is an international attraction that brings people from all over the world together in their passion for the game. He was the type of player and person you want young fans of this game to emulate. He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest. People naturally gravitated towards him, and that’s a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees.”
STATEMENT FROM YANKEES SHORTSTOP DEREK JETER (Matsui’s teammate from 2003-09)
“I’ve said it numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites. The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being shadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”
Derek Jeter to see specialist; will not travel with Yankees for ALCS
NEW YORK — Yankees captain Derek Jeter will not travel with the team when the American League Championship Series shifts to Detroit’s Comerica Park for Tuesday’s Game 3.
Jeter had an MRI and CT scan on Sunday that confirmed the initial diagnosis of a left ankle fracture. He is in a splint and crutches, the Yankees said, and will be sent to see foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi that the Yankees are trying to determine if Jeter – who was not present at Yankee Stadium for Game 2 – will need surgery. Even if surgery is recommended, Girardi said that the Yankees expect Jeter to be fully recovered in time for Spring Training.
“It’s possible. That’s why he’s having more tests,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “When I went back there [Saturday night], the doctor said, ‘I’m not saying you’re going to need it, but the next tests will determine if you need it.’”
Derek Jeter fractures ankle, out for postseason
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Derek Jeter has been diagnosed with a left ankle fracture and is out for the remainder of the postseason.
Girardi said that the injury has a three month recovery period. It’s not career ending, Girardi made sure to say, but it does mean the Yankees will be without their captain for the rest of 2012.
The Yankees will activate Eduardo Nunez for tomorrow’s Game 2.
ALDS Game 3: Derek Jeter pregame interview
Derek Jeter was surrounded during batting practice by a swarm of media, peppering him with a variety of questions. Here are his thoughts on the ALDS, Pete Rose’s doubts about Jeter catching the all-time hits king, and the Yankees’ struggles with runners in scoring position.
Being back at Yankee Stadium…
“We enjoy playing here. Obviously it’s our home fans and pretty energetic, so we’re looking forward to it.”
The playoffs…
“It’s fun. This is what you play for. We have the greatest fans in the world, in my opinion. I don’t want to disrespect any other fans. This is why you play the game, to get an opportunity to play in October and hopefully get to the World Series.”
Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez has been good…
“So we have no chance, right? I don’t pay attention to it. It’s the playoffs, it’s baseball. Anything can happen. We have to go out and have good at-bats and hopefully score some runs.”
Pete Rose…?
“I’m not talking about Pete Rose, man. We’re trying to win a game here.”
Don’t care about Rose’s comments?
“What do you think?”
Lots of talk about A-Rod…
“I don’t pay attention. I don’t read the papers, I don’t watch TV, I don’t do any of that during the playoffs, and pretty much during the season anymore. I don’t pay attention to it. I come here and try to win games.”
Confident in him?
“Yep, he’s one of the reasons we’re here.”
Any pregame routines or rituals?
“I wouldn’t say rituals, it’s a routine to get ready. It’s pretty much the same, but I’m not really superstitious.”
Struggling with RISP?
“Yeah, we shouldn’t play any more with guys on base. The bottom line is you get to this point and teams are here pretty much because they have good pitching. Pitchers are going to bear down and with runners in scoring position, they’re going to make good pitches. It’s not like we’re out there just facing a machine throwing the ball over the plate. They’re going to make pitches. Sometimes pitchers are better than you, and other times, you’re going to get them. I’m going to assume pitchers aren’t going to throw batting practice with runners in scoring position, but we have to find a way to score runs.”
Thanks to MLB.com’s Steven Miller for gathering the quotes.
Derek Jeter: There’s no panic in the Yankees clubhouse
Derek Jeter was asked about a potential level of panic in the Yankees’ clubhouse after their latest loss, a 4-3 decision to the Rays that trimmed the club’s lead in the American League East to a single game over the second-place Orioles.
“Who’s panicking? You?” Jeter replied. “Are you panicking? How do you deal with panic?”
Told that he was the one being asked the questions, Jeter continued, “I don’t panic, so I don’t have to deal with it. Everyone deals with it differently. But I’m not one to panic.”
And why? Well, for starters, the Yankees still lead the American League East, even though they’ve almost coughed it up here with this late-season swoon.
“Almost, but it’s not,” Jeter said. “See, I look at the positives, you know what I’m saying? Like I said before we even got into this month, we play everyone. So we’ve got to win games. That’s it. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that.”
Here’s how Jeter’s teammates responded to similar inquiries about the club’s state of mind:
Manager Joe Girardi: “I’m always positive. That’s my personality. I’ve said it all along; these guys have found a way to get it done all year long through a lot of adversity, through a lot of injuries, through a lot of different things that we’ve been through. I believe they’re going to do it. That’s who they are and I believe in them.”
Alex Rodriguez: “I think nobody’s panicking. We’ve done this for a long time. The important thing for us is we have to focus. Number one is we have to worry about winning series and number two is doing the little things. That’s always been our focus around here. If we focus on those things, this team’s going to be fine.”
CC Sabathia: “It’s baseball. We’ve got to go out and keep playing. It’s a tough game but we still have a lead. It’s all up to us and hopefully we can turn it around. … I mean, we’ve had some injuries. We’ve got some guys coming back. Hopefully that could give us a shot in the arm to be able to take off and start playing well.”
Robinson Cano: “It’s not a good feeling. You lose some games, and you just want to win games. You don’t want to put your head down. Just got to turn the page. Just be ready for tomorrow.”
David Robertson: “Every loss right now hurts. We need to hopefully win the next two games here. That’s really all we can focus on. Today is over and done with. We’ve still got the rest of the series, we’ve got two more games against them, and we need to pick up a couple of wins.”
Jeter alone in 11th place on hits list; ties Torre on homers list
CHICAGO – Derek Jeter didn’t wait long to put Eddie Murray in his rear-view mirror, slugging a leadoff home run on Tuesday to mark his 3,256th career hit.
The blast off White Sox starter Francisco Liriano gave Jeter sole possession of 11th place on baseball’s all-time hits list. Next up is Willie Mays, with 3,283.
The home run was Jeter’s 252nd, which places him in some familiar company. Joe Torre and Bobby Murcer are among the Major Leaguers who retired with 252 career blasts.
Derek Jeter moves into 12th place on all-time hits list
CHICAGO – Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter surpassed Nap Lajoie on Monday for sole possession of 12th place all-time with his 3,253rd career hit, a single off White Sox left-hander Hector Santiago.
Jeter nudged ahead of Lajoie by connecting on a shot that Chicago third baseman Kevin Youkilis deflected, scored as the captain’s second hit of the game as New York opened a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
Next up on the all-time list for Jeter is Eddie Murray, who is in 11th place with 3,255 hits.
Due to discrepancies in historical stats, some numbers may differ according to the source. Elias is the official statistician of Major League Baseball and recognizes Lajoie as having 3,252 hits, while other historical sources believe Lajoie’s hit total to be slightly lower at 3,242.
A Hall of Fame infielder who was inducted into Cooperstown in 1937, Lajoie’s career spanned from 1896 to 1916, including 13 seasons with Cleveland. He also played five years with the Phillies and four years with the Athletics in Philadelphia.
Jeter: K.C.’s a “great place for an All-Star Game”
Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who will be leading off and playing shortstop Tuesday night for the American League in the All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium:
“I like coming to Kansas City. They’ve done some great renovations here. When I first came up, it was an old AstroTurf park — 150 degrees on the turf, it wasn’t too fun to come here and play because it was challenging. They’ve done a great job with the stadium and the fans always show up when we come out here. I think it’s a great place for an All-Star Game.”
Derek Jeter’s favorite birthday? We may never know
Today is Derek Jeter’s 38th birthday, which prompts me to share this anecdote about the Yankees captain. A few years ago, a group of reporters clustered around Jeter’s locker on this date, looking for quotes on the topic of getting older — which, by the way, isn’t usually something that Jeter enjoys discussing.
In any event, someone asked Jeter a lighter question about what his favorite birthday memory was. For an instant, you could see a flickering in Jeter’s eyes, and he flashed a wry grin. Whatever it was, Jeter wasn’t about to share the details with an ocean of notepads and recorders.
“You know I can’t tell you that,” Jeter said.
What was it? Let your imagination run wild, but something tells me it’s a good story. We’ll also probably never know.
As for this 38th birthday, Jeter offered this to a questioner who wondered if he enjoys this day: “When people give me gifts, it’s always fun. I don’t mind it. … I didn’t get any gifts from you guys.”
A-Rod ties Eddie Murray in RBIs, Jeter passes Ted Williams in runs scored
NEW YORK – With one swing, Alex Rodriguez matched Eddie Murray on baseball’s all-time RBIs list and pushed Derek Jeter past Ted Williams on the all-time runs scored list.
Rodriguez’s first-inning single to center field off the Mets’ Dillon Gee on Saturday knocked home Jeter and accounted for Rodriguez’s 1,917th career RBI, tying Murray for seventh place all-time.
Jeter’s run scored was the 1,800th of his career, moving past Williams for sole possession of 17th place all-time. Rodriguez’s hit gave the Yankees an early 1-0 lead in the Subway Series contest.
Bryan Hoch
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