Mark Zinno: The Captain Returns
I think everyone knows that I couldn't NOT write about Derek Jeter's return to the Yankees line-up. And while I am from New York originally (insert boos here), I will take a large picture perspective on this. Derek Jeter is good for the game. He's a player who is rarely booed outside of Yankee Stadium and a guy who has exemplified the "clean" player throughout the performance enhancing drug era. Jeter, for the better part of two decades, has done nothing but represent himself, his city and the game of baseball almost flawlessly. And despite the rivalry between Baltimore and New York, Oriole fans all over just respect Jeter for the way he's played the game and how he's carried himself away from the field.
Baseball is a better game with Jeter in it. The Yankees are a more respectable foe when number 2 is in the line-up. And whatever impact Jeter has on the Yankees ability to win game is tiny compared to the impact he has at the ballpark for fans of the game. We all should take note of Derek Jeter's return to baseball. Because like his teammate Mariano Rivera, who is retiring at years end, we won't have a chance to see him play much longer.
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