Jeter: a class act

Last evening, Derek Jeter tied one of the most storied records in all of sports. With his three hits, Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for most hits by a Yankee player. The Yankee captain has a chance to break the record Friday night at home against the Baltimore Orioles.

There's no doubt that Jeter is headed for Cooperstown. You don't need to look at his numbers. Look at his stature. He's played his entire career under the world's largest microscope of being a New York Yankee. Many a good player has folded under those same conditions.

Some might shy away from all the attention and pressure. Not Jeter. He's excelled in the limelight and has never asked for us to cut him some slack when he's been less that what we had expected from him. He's accepted his role in not just the baseball world, but in all the world. And I personally have never gotten the impession that he is ego driven.

Jeter had the opportunity to surpass Gehrig in last night's game. He could have been selfish and swung at a couple of bad pitches just to see if he could get that hit. But he didn't. He took the walk. He has never proclaimed that it was all about him, but that it was always about the team. We're in an age where athletes want what's theirs and everyone else can take a back seat. But that's not Jeter's style. He's just a team player.

I can't say that the Yankees are "my team". But I can say that Derek Jeter has earned my respect for being such a professional.

Now that I think of it, he's deserves everyone's respect. He's earned that, too.