A Tale Of Jeter & His Trainer

I read an article that was up on ESPN New York this morning and in it I met Jason Riley, who was the one responsible for getting Derek Jeter in super shape for the 2009 season. We all know what happened. The pinstripers won it all and Derek Jeter looked about 27 years old. Not so in 2010. Now Jeter, his agent and the Yankees are embroiled in contract talk that would enable him to play until 2017, and play at a high level, whether it be as the Yankee shortstop or the DH later down the road. Can he play that long? Here's his trainer...

"Yeah, I think it's very realistic. The desire to be the greatest can never be turned down by Father Time. Derek had one of his best statistical years in 2009 so if people are judging him on maybe his worst statistical year (2010), I think that's blowing in the wind. It's short-minded. You're just changing your thought process without remembering what Derek did the year before. I don't think anything can hold Derek back other than himself. If he decides to hang it up before [he turns 43], then that will be his decision. If Derek decides at 41 he's already given his best years, then that's where it will end. But if he decides to go until he's 43, he'll do everything in his power to play the game at a high level and help the team through that time. I think there's so much determination inside of Derek that he can do it."

So we can all watch him disintegrate little by little, year by year and piece by piece. The errors will increase and his range, limited already, will continue to shrink. My Constant Readers, do you know what that's called? It's called the natural aging process. It's a combination of gravity and slow cell breakdown. I wish him the best because he's a human being, the same as every one of us on this blue marble called the Earth. We're all the same no matter what our skin color is or wherever we are. People are exactly the same but with different beliefs. Our inner workings are almost identical. Worldwide. Maybe universe-wide. But that's another post.

The Boston Red Sox news is still percolating, also slowly. I'm just going to say have a great Sunday as we're about to begin the very short Thanksgiving week. And then the shopping madness (not by me) begins. Off to the races! You can click on this post's title for any and all of the Red Sox news and as always, BE WELL. I mean it.