DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Saturday, February 23rd 2008, 4:00 AM
Jacobson/AP
Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter share a laugh on Friday.
TAMPA - The day will come when Derek Jeter is no longer playing shortstop for the Yankees. Just don't expect that day to be here anytime soon.
For years, stat heads have said that Jeter is a below-average fielder, yet managers and coaches voted him three consecutive Gold Glove awards from 2004-06.
One recent University of Pennsylvania study tabbed Jeter as the worst defensive shortstop in the majors, but the Yankees' captain has no plans to pull a Robin Yount or Ernie Banks and shift positions for the latter years of his career.
Instead, he plans on playing shortstop through the final three years of his current contract, and on remaining there for however many years he plays beyond 2010.
"That's the plan," Jeter said. "I haven't really thought about how long I'm playing. I take it one year at a time; I don't sit down and say, 'Well, I hope I'm playing in two-thousand whatever.' It's a tough question, because I haven't really thought about it much."
Could Jeter, who has been named to eight American League All-Star teams in his 12 big-league seasons - four as the league's starting shortstop - ever see himself playing another position?
"Right now?" Jeter said, "No."
Yount and Banks, both Hall of Famers, are considered two of the greatest shortstops of all time. Both players moved to different positions halfway through their careers - Banks to first base at age 31 and Yount to center field at age 29 - with injuries being the primary factors for the moves.
Injuries have not been a problem for Jeter, who has played in at least 148 games in 11 of his 12 full seasons, the lone exception coming in 2003, when a separated shoulder cost him the first six weeks of the year.
"Hopefully, I don't have to think about that for quite some time," Jeter said.
Year-round conditioning has been essential to Jeter's success, and with him reporting to camp this year in what Joe Girardi called "excellent shape," it doesn't appear the 33-year-old is ready to yield his position for quite a while. If 40-year-old Omar Vizquel can still play shortstop, Jeter asks, why can't he stick around there for the next six or seven years?
"First and foremost, I think it boils down to your body type," Jeter said. "If you take care of yourself and you're agile and flexible, you can do it. A lot more people are working out and conditioning all year round as opposed to the old days."
"The thing about a guy like Derek Jeter is that it's hard to envision him not playing," Girardi said. "There is going to come a day when he'll retire, but in my mind, it's too far out so I don't really see it. Maybe if he's playing at 47, he won't be a shortstop."
Many scouts believe Jeter would be able to make an easy transition to the outfield, where his speed, strong arm and terrific instincts would make him a natural. Asked about the possibility, Jeter waves off the question before it's finished.
"I ain't going out there," Jeter said. "It's not as easy as it sounds to just pick up a glove and say, 'I'm going to be an outfielder today.' It doesn't work like that."
As for his current position, Jeter feels he's a better shortstop now than he was during the early years of his career thanks to experience. By making the necessary adjustments on a regular basis, Jeter is constantly addressing what he feels are his strengths and weaknesses in the field. Just don't ask him what those are.
"I'll leave that to the computers to figure out," he said with a grin.
"You can make a poll or a study look the way you want, but it's not going to measure a complete player," said Girardi, who believes Jeter looks the same as he did in his rookie year of 1996. "I don't think it takes into account his steadiness at short, that you can count on him every day to be the same guy or his leadership skills."
Jeter focused on his agility, lateral movement and speed this winter, looking to help both his fielding and baserunning. After seeing Jeter on the first day of camp, Alex Rodriguez predicted an MVP season for his teammate, who was "flattered" by the prognostication.
"He took a lot of initiative this winter to do what he always does," Girardi said. "He tries to get better each year, because that's who Derek Jeter is."
Jeter brushed off the MVP talk, choosing instead to focus on the Yankees' ultimate goal of winning title No. 27.
"I have to be honest with you guys, I'd much rather win (the World Series than MVP)," Jeter said. "That's the bottom line. I've said it time and time again: you play to win. You always want to do well because the better you do, the better the team is going to be."
That's precisely what Girardi wants to hear. Put any computer study you want on the manager's desk, it doesn't matter. He knows what he sees, and when he looks at Jeter, he sees a winning ballplayer.
"I think 29 other teams would love to have Derek Jeter," Girardi said. "To me, that's the sign of the type of player you've got."
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