After eight All-Star Games, Derek Jeter's a Midsummer Classic to his peers

BY MARK FEINSAND
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
http://www.nydailynews.com
Sunday, July 13th 2008, 8:23 PM

Antonelli/News
Derek Jeter slides into Tuesday's All-Star Game with numbers that are down compared to previous seasons.

Three summers ago, baseball's biggest stars gathered in Detroit for a celebration of the game's greatest players.

Well, most of them, anyway. Derek Jeter wasn't there.

"The All-Star Game is definitely strange without Derek Jeter," Johnny Damon said at the time.

So strange, in fact, that Terry Francona felt a little cheated while managing the American League for the first time.

"I finally get to do one of the neatest things in the world and (Jeter) wasn't a part of it," Francona said last week. "It was one of my biggest disappointments."

Francona should be much happier this year, as Jeter makes his ninth appearance in the Midsummer Classic, voted as the AL's starting shortstop by the fans for the third consecutive season.

"This will actually be an honor for me," the Red Sox manager said. "I have a lot of respect for how (Jeter) plays the game and how he conducts himself. You want to beat his brains out because he's a Yankee, but I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about his business."

Francona isn't the only member of the rival Red Sox who is looking forward to sharing a clubhouse with Jeter.

"You have so much respect for him when you play against him throughout the season," said Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox second baseman who was voted to his first All-Star Game. "It's going to be an unbelievable experience for me. He's a Hall of Famer, so it's going to be great to play along side of him and get to know him a little better."

Although Jeter was a runaway winner in the fan vote, the shortstop knows that his numbers this season have been down from previous years. Still, with the All-Star Game taking place in the Bronx to help commemorate the final season of Yankee Stadium, it's only fitting that Jeter be manning the spot he's controlled for the past 12 years.

New York Yankees' Derek Jeter hits a solo home run during first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Saturday, July 12, 2008 in Toronto. The blast was Jeter's 200th career roundtripper.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Harris)

"It's going to be more than just an All-Star Game," Jeter said. "It's going to be a celebration of the Stadium. I think it's going to be one of those things that, 40 years from now, you're going to be happy to say you were there."

Added Yanks GM Brian Cashman: "He's one of the premier players at his position. This is definitely a game that he belongs in, without a doubt."

Jeter has taken part in eight All-Star Games, taking away distinct memories from each. From his first at Coors Field in 1998 to last year's at AT&T Park, Jeter has made a point to take it all in every time he has been given the opportunity to play in the Midsummer Classic.

"They're all special, because they're all a little bit different," Jeter said. "Different ballparks, different teammates. When I hear people say, ‘Whatever, it's not a big deal,' they're lying. You always want to be a part of it."

Asked which All-Star experience ranks as his most memorable, Jeter takes a minute to scroll through his mental rolodex. He mentions his first game, being a 24-year-old thrust into a clubhouse with the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr. and Roger Clemens.

"To be in the same clubhouse with guys you grew up watching, I was nervous," Jeter said. "I was overwhelmed."

Jeter thinks back to last year in San Francisco, when he and Griffey were able to take part in the pregame ceremony with Willie Mays. He remembers the 1999 game at Fenway Park in which a collection of the game's all-time greats gathered on the field before the game, none bigger than Ted Williams, who sat in a golf cart as players young and old walked over to shake his hand.

"I like the game, but the pregame ceremonies are always a little different wherever you go," Jeter said. "Those are moments that you're going to remember. Every organization has a history and tradition and they try to bring in their own element and add their own flavor. Here, there's so much you can do. I'm pretty sure they'll do it right."

Then, in what amounts to a virtual afterthought, Jeter recalls his game in Atlanta in 2000, in which he started for the first time and earned MVP honors with a 3-for-3, two-RBI performance.

"That's the year I had a good game," Jeter said.

NEW YORK - JULY 06: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees runs down a ball against the Boston Red Sox on July 6, 2008 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

To be fair, Jeter has had more than one "good game," collecting hits in four of his eight All-Star appearances, including a pair of three-hit games in 2000 and 2004, as well as a home run in his only plate appearance in 2001. Jeter's .500 career average (8-for-16) ranks second among all players with at least 10 at-bats, trailing only Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn, who went 6-for-10 (.600) in his four All-Star appearances.

"Any time people vote for you, it tells you they appreciate the way you play the game," Jeter said. "That feels pretty good."

With a decade of All-Star memories, Jeter already has more to reflect on than most players ever will. But while his debut, his MVP game and his encounters with some of the game's greats make for good stories, Jeter believes this week will top them all.

"I assume this will be the most special of them all," Jeter said. "Not only is it Yankee Stadium, not only is it your own field, but to be the last year of the Stadium, it's going to be great."