JETER: THE LAST CAPTAIN

I had a coach once tell me, “The medals we won yesterday can weigh us down in the races of tomorrow.”  I never forgot that.  He was basically saying that what you have done in the past is in the past.  You need to put the rings and trophies in a safe place and forget about them until you are no longer playing the game…then reminisce all you like.

Recently Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman stated that Derek Jeter should be the last Captain of the Bronx Bombers. I've been thinking about this for over a week. Folks, this guy just doesn’t get it.  I don’t think he ever will.  I COMPLETELY disagree!  It is in no way a shot at Derek.  I am now and will forever be a fan of our beloved former Captain.  But Jeet isn’t walking through the clubhouse doors again.  He won’t be in the owner’s box in late July a la Roger Clemens saying, “I’ll see ya’ll real soon!”  Sorry, Suzyn Waldman, you can save your paint peeling, Boston accent laden squawking!  The Yankees of 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009 are now like the Yankees of 1950, 1961, 1977 and 1978…HISTORY.  But Cash thinks it’s smart to hold on to the years when fans weren’t calling for his job.  If we don’t start looking toward the next great Yankee teams we will end up with plenty of Octobers away from the Stadium and TV to think about the last good ones.

No new Captain? Please.  Why didn’t we stop after the Iron Horse?  Was he any less of a Captain?  How about Munson or Mattingly?  They didn’t measure up to DJ?  Donnie was the only reason to watch the Yanks at one point, and wore his pinstripes with pride.  Thurman was a warrior and a leader.  He was the straw that stirred the drink, Reggie.  It was about winning championships not Home run titles.  The thing all great Yankee Captain knew was that you could NEVER win enough.  They BELIEVED the Yankees were bigger than any one player.  I guarantee that Derek Sanderson Jeter would want the organization to go on winning more titles and appoint another passionate, pinstriped leader.

What a sad statement.  So, Bri, the best is now behind us?  The Yankees are just a baseball team in that play in one of the boroughs?  Nobody will ever emerge as the next face of the New York Yankees?  Wow, you may as well stay down in Tampa and be the General Manager of a Shoney’s off Highway 4.

The greatest things about the Yanks has always been the winning and tradition.  They are the class of Major League Baseball…whether the rest of the league wants to admit it or not.  Each generation has their memories and their heroes. We’ve had Babe, Lou, Joe D, the Mick, Munson, Donnie and Derek.  The beat will go on.  The leaders of the past will inspire the leaders of the future and we WILL have another Captain.  We will win more World Championships and we WILL have another GM…my hope is that all of that happens sooner rather than later.

LET’S GO YAN-KEES!  LET’S GO YAN-KEES! LET’S GO YAN-KEES!

** Here’s to the great Yankee Captains of the past.  Time to turn the page and look to tomorrow.  Captains, we tip our caps to you all.  Thanks for the memories! **



  

 
--Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21






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