Jeter Before 21

Via John Shea in the San Fran Gate –

Giants general manager Brian Sabean was the Yankees’ vice president of player development and scouting in ‘92 and had a hand in drafting Jeter. He saw Jeter play in high school and was on the same page with scouting director Bill Livesey and other inner-circle executives who were urged by area scout Dick Groch.

“It was a unanimous thing, much like here when we took (Buster) Posey and (Tim) Lincecum,” Sabean said. “You have a lot of hands up in the room.”

Jeter hit .210 his first minor-league season and made 56 errors his second. But the next year, he cut his E’s in half and topped .300 at three minor-league stops. He started the Yankees’ ‘96 opener, replacing Tony Fernandez, and never lost his job. He’s a 10-time All-Star.

Recalling Jeter in high school, Sabean said, “He didn’t run particularly well because he had an ankle issue, but you could see the athleticism and comfort in which he played the game and how easy the game came. Normally, a shortstop taken that high comes from a baseball state such as California, Florida or Texas. That’ll tell you how much his tools impressed us.

“It’s a testament to him that once he got there, he never looked back, never stopped working, never took anything for granted – one of the reasons for his staying power. He’ll go down as one of the best in history at his position, and to think it all was in a Yankee uniform is pretty amazing in this day and age.

“While it’s somewhat bold to pick a high school player because you can’t predict, we all knew he had a chance to be special. I don’t think any of us envisioned the type of career and longevity he’s had.”

You know, Jeter’s 1994 minor league season was amazing. As a 20-year old playing at A-AA-AAA combined he batted .344 with only 46 K’s in 592 PA. Can you imagine the hype, today, if a 20-year old Yankees prospect did something like that?

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