Derek Jeter interview reaction

Snapshot from the interview

Derek Jeter was interviewed on MLB Network last night by Harold Reynolds. If you didn’t see it, you can find it here. Here’s my reaction to a few notable things he said.

HR: What is the Yankee way?
DJ: Handle yourself like a professional on the field and you have one goal — and that’s to win.
Reaction: This is why he’s captain. Could anyone have said it any clearer?

HR: What’s it like to be known as the all-time hit king for the Yankees?
DJ: Mind-boggling.
Reaction: It really is. So many legends in baseball have played with the Yankees, but not many of them lasted very long for various reasons. Babe Ruth lost five full years as a pitcher for the Red Sox, Joe DiMaggio lost three years in his prime to the military, Mickey Mantle was never healthy, and we all know how Lou Gehrig faded out of the game. Anyway, Jeter has a great chance to become the first Yankee with 3,000 hits. It should happen in the beginning of 2011.

HR: What’s your mindset when you are walking to the plate in a critical situation?
DJ: I try to keep it simple. I don’t try and do anything differently.
Reaction: This brings up the idea of is “clutch” something that can be measured? Can you name anyone who has been consistently clutch throughout an entire career? That’s why I’m not really high on everyone worrying about Cano’s lack of clutch hitting last year. It was just one year. Let’s see what happens this year.

HR: When are you going to quit playing?
DJ: As long as I’m having fun I’m going to play.
Reaction: I want to stress this. I’m not sold he’s going to drag out his career and go for all the records everyone expects him too. I’ve always had the thought in the back of my mind that Jeter could be a guy to retire early. I still think that.

HR: What is it going to be like playing against Joe Torre?
DJ: It’s going to be a little awkward. It was extremely awkward to see Mattingly in a Dodger uniform — that’s even more so than Mr. T.
Reaction: Haha. I noticed Jeter paused for a little bit at first before answering this question. I think he really misses “Mr. T” and that his divorce with the Yankees may not have been stressed as much as it should have.

HR: What’s the key to a repeat?
DJ: You have to have that same hunger.
Reaction: Absolutely.

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I think Harold asked 20 questions unrelated from each other in a 10-minute span. Nice work…