Holding Court & The Hit King

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/39644156

Pete Rose claims that he's done the math and there is "no way" Jeter can break his hit record. Jeter is 841 hits away.

What do you think?

I think the fact that Rose has sat down and analyzed the aging patterns of great hitters like Mays, Aaron, and himself shows that he realizes his record is in jeopardy. Many of you thought Jeter's career was winding down a year and a half ago and he's cranked out 300+ more hits.

It will come down to whether Jeter wants to play 4-5 more years to get the record. If the Yankees win one more World Series I could see him retiring and going out on top. He's already in the top 10 in all-time hits.

 

Jeter's not half the player Rose was.

 

Jeter has him beat in Gold Goves, WS rings, batting average, OBP, slugging, HRs, and SBs. All while playing in 1,000 fewer games. Only place Rose has him beat is MVP (1) and career hits - for now.

 

Rose deserves to be in the Hall, no doubt - but his career numbers are most comparable to Johnny Damon, if Damon remained an All-Star into his 40s. The only reason he got the hits record is he was able to put his name into the lineup when he should've been retired. His career should've ended in '83 with the Phillies.

 

But I don't want to make this a discussion of Rose vs. Jeter. Anyone with any credibility knows Jeter is the superior player.

A better discussion is whether Jeter can get to 4,257 and if not will we ever see another player challenge the record.

 

Pete Rose has better hair than Jeter.

 

There's that too.

If Jeter played in Cincinnati he'd be just another run-of-the-mill shortstop.

 

From ESPN.com news services a wire story:

The Yankees' captain was asked about Rose's comments before Game 3 of the AL Division Series on Wednesday night against the Orioles, but he said he was focused on Baltimore, not any talk of a record.

"I don't even know why we're talking about this," Jeter said. "I'm not talking about Pete Rose, man; we're trying to win a game here."

When a reporter mentioned the possibility of a position switch to prolong his chance to reach Rose's mark, Jeter again deflected attention to the ALDS, which is locked in a 1-1 tie.

"Buddy, like I said, I'm trying to get through today," Jeter said.


Who's the fuckin' reporter(s) hyping that story before a playoff game?
I mean, one question, sure. ... But then drop it when Jeter shrugs it off.

 

When Derek Jeter plays three different positions more than adequately defensively and manages a team, I'll think of him in Pete Rose's league.

Otherwise, baseball-wise, it's no contest. Jeter is a solid shortstop, one of the best of his era.

Pete Rose has 4,256 hits -- in a career that began in a virtual deadball era of the 1960s and ended right before ERAs skyrocketed in the early 1990s. He, unfortunately, was his own worst enemy with regards to gambling. But baseball-wise, he played most of his career in an era when a pitcher with a 4.50 ERA would get a one-way ticket to the minors. Jeter played most of his in an era where a pitcher with a 4.50 ERA is a top-two starter for half the league.

 

Nice try. You need to look at OPS. Jeter's career OPS is 829, Rose's is 784. So even when you figure in the rise in offense during the 1990s and 2000s, Jeter wins.

 

If Tony Gwynn never got fat, how many hits would he have ended up with? He could still hit .320-.330 into his 40s but his body wouldn't allow him to play a full season. If he hadn't let himself go (and lost probably 100 hits due to the strike) he could have broke Rose's record.

 

What team has Jeter managed?