WHY JETER IS AN ICON

Jeter... Jeter...Jeter. Stop everyone... stop. Yankee fans need to take a deep breath. Jeter isn't going anywhere. Listen, I heard the Hal Steinbrenner interview on Michael Kay yesterday with my own ears. It was clear to me that while it's a business for the Yankees, and Jeter is in a contract year, things will get done the right way. Both parties love each other. It will not get nasty. Why would Jeter taint his Yankee legacy getting greedy? He won't. Chillax. On the open market, Jeter is a leftfielder with a $7 million a year, 3 year contract. But, with the Yankees, it's more. Why? Because he's an icon. He knows he's an icon too. He knows he's worth more to the Yankees than to any other team. The Yanks know it too. They won't offer him a a 3 year, $21 million deal... that would be insulting. More? Yes. How much? Well, numbers have been flying, but I will speculate a 5 year, $56 million deal with a 6th year option of $9 million. In that contract, I believe it would state that Jeter gets a bonus for certain milestones. Obviously, he's going to be breaking some. The most important part of that contract is this... Jeter will be told that Shortstop is probably not his position by his 5th year, it's a part time gig probably by year 4 and if the option is picked up in year 6, it may be a new kid's job. If he can accept that, than everybody wins. And let's face it, Derek's level headed, he's smart and he's knows that's fair. Besides, this way, you ease everybody into the moment that all Yankee fans dread, the end of the Jeter Dynasty. No one wants it to end, not Jeet, not the fans, hell, not even Minka, the Yankees or Cashman. Jeter is a stud, plain and simple. When I was a kid, every little leaguer wanted to be #23. Now I see my kids play ball and everyone wants to be #2. He's iconic, he's squeaky clean and always played the game with class and pride. My contract projection may sound out of wack, but it's fair. Keep doing you Jeet, it'll all work out in the end. You'll get what you want, the Yanks will get what they want and the fans will get what they want. Never wanting to say goodbye to our Captain, at least not now.

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