Following Derek Jeter: There’s No Place Like Home!

For the Yankees, it was as astonishing as it gets. A packed Fenway Park with everyone on their feet, cheering not for one of their own, but for Derek Jeter, the Yankees Captain!

The Boston fans really need to be commended for the respect and love they showed Derek. Sure, maybe many of them were actually Yankees fans who made the trip to witness Jeter’s last game and at bat. But still, the sight was breath taking.

And the tribute the Red Sox put on was wonderful, as well. It was one that obviously touched him deeply. In his typical humble fashion, Jeter was so appreciative for everything.

But whether we want to face it or not, the time has come to move on. So the question becomes: who will sprint out to short for the Yankees next opening day?

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Now that all the peace and harmony between the Yanks and Sox has had its moment, it’s time to get back to reality. We don’t like them and they don’t like us. So let’s establish up front who the next Yankee shortstop should NOT be. It should not be a Red Sox retread.

That means no Stephen Drew, and no Hanley Ramirez, who you remember originally signed with Boston. When it was time for Boston to replace Nomar Garciaparra, do you remember one report of  them calling the Yankees to see if the Yanks had any .200 hitters available to take his spot?

Of course not. It’s one thing to take Babe Ruth or Roger Clemens or Jacoby Ellsbury from Boston. But when it comes to choosing the one to follow Jeter, one thing should be clear. The poor hitting, mediocre , Drew does not measure up.

As for Ramirez, his questionable attitude has been a source of concern all the way back to his days with the Marlins. According to The Palm Beach Post:

“Ramirez often was a source of aggravation with a sometimes lackadaisical attitude on the field and a frequently belligerent one off it. The open secret in the clubhouse was that Ramirez was tolerated, not embraced, as a teammate.”

Is that the man who should take over the position of  one of the most respected players in the history of the game? Not hardly.

So, short of Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman pulling off  coup for Troy Tulowitzki, try this one on for size. How about a player who improved his infield defense fielding percentage from .943 in 2013 to .968 in 2014 in AA BALL, and then improved again to .988 at AAA? How about one with a strong enough arm to play outfield, so it should be strong enough to play short? How about one who has already shown pop in his bat? How about a home grown, true Yankee?

How about Rob Refsnyder!