Derek Jeter is to infield defense roughly what the Edmund Fitzgerald was to maritime navigation on the Great Lakes.

The 3-time Gold Glove shortstop (What are the voters looking at?) has never been very good going to his left. But if the early games this year are any indication, he has gotten much worse. This is seemingly impossible, but it appears Jeter is playing with lead boots, and it isn’t pretty.

My first reaction is he must be hiding a leg or ankle injury of some kind. Perhaps that is just wishful thinking, but when you see a moderately hit ground ball pass by him when it’s only a step-and-a-quarter to his left, even the most ardent Jeter apologist must be concerned. I do believe that Herman Munster could cover more ground these days.

Yes it’s early. And no, I’m not even worried about the three errors in the first two games. Sloppy play can happen on cold, snowy nights. It’s the range. It’s bad enough to cost the Yankees their playoff chances; it’s fetid beyond comprehension, and one wonders if the Captain or the Manager even realizes this. The fact that the team pretends Jeter’s defensive ineptitude does not exist is an insult to the fanbase, and a boon to all those who revel in Yankee defeats.

Derek Jeter certainly is an amazing case. Most people seem unable to hold a conversation about his ability that doesn't end in fisticuffs, tears, or four-letter words; admittedly, I am often one of those people. To Jeter’s backers, he is the clutch-hitting Mr. November of Roy Hobbs lore. To his detractors he is over-rated and defensively inept. There is very little middle ground on the Captain.

No one in their right mind can take issue with Jeter’s offensive contributions. So that is not the issue in this article. It’s his defense.

Just how bad Jeter’s defense? There have been countless sabermetric studies on this…one more comprehensive than the next in its objective analysis. Almost all that I’ve seen place Jeter at or near the bottom for zone coverage by shortstops. (I have never seen a study that suggests that he is even above- average. If anyone can cite such an article, please send me the link; I’d love to see it.)

A recent article by Sean Smith in The Hardball Times puts a new spin on measuring zone rating. Smith points out that John Dewan, who writes The Fielding Bible, has introduced an updated version of zone rating that includes balls fielded outside one’s zone.

The upside of this refined measurement is that it rewards those who have superior range (for example, Houston’s Adam Everett).

You can get a full explanation by reading the article linked above. The take-away is that Jeter is dead last among Major League shortstops with a -29 rating. (-11 on plays above average; -7 on reliability; -21 on range.)

 
The five worst on range are:
Jeter:   - 21
Peralta:  -  12
Bartlett: – 11
Berroa: – 10 (now at AAA)
Vizquel: -9 

The best, far and away, is Adam Everett, who is in the Ozzie Smith stratosphere. Man, Roy Oswalt must love him.

For a truly balanced study comparing the two extremes: Jeter and Everett, see Bill James’ article in John Dewan’s The Fielding Bible, (February 2006). James measures things a myriad of different ways in an attempt to find any objective evidence that Jeter may be better then reports indicate. James’ conclusion is “Giving him every possible break on the unknowns, he is still going to emerge as a below-average defensive shortstop.”

James actually was going out of his way to be nice in that article, but the plain fact is Jeter has never been very good defensively, and if he is actually getting worse, the Yanks are in for a tough ride.

Perhaps David Cameron of the U.S.S. Mariner (Another maritime reference for those keeping score) says it best:

"I agree that he looks terrific on the plays that he does make, and he has great fundamental techniques, but he simply doesn't cover as much ground as other players with more lateral movement, and that hurts the Yankees…defensively, he's great at the things that don't matter that much and not so good at the one thing that matters a lot.”

What's next? Jeter forgetting to cover 2nd on a steal attempt? If only the Yankees had a guy on the roster who could play some shortstop...hmmmmm.

On that note, I must drop my pen now and ready myself for the onslaught of emails from Jeter fans. What more is there to say except that, offensively, he is a hall-of-famer.

 

Phil is a staff writer for NYYFans.com, and he writes a weekly column for the website of WCBS News Radio 88, the home of the Yankees. You can reach him at PhilAllard27(at)hotmail.com.