Derek Jeter is the the NY Daily News' New Yorker of the Year for 2009."For 14 years, he has been the face of athletic excellence in New York: 10-time All-Star, four Gold Gloves, career .317 batting average. In 2009, at age 35, he batted .334 and entered the Yankee record books as the team's all-time hit champ. He also captained the squad to 103 regular season victories, a 40th pennant and a 27th World Championship - the fifth while he has anchored the franchise.
Throughout, Jeter has conducted himself with grace, balletic grace in movement, a gentleman's grace in life.
Some of his peers in professional sports grumble about their contracts or make noises about going to other teams unless they get a huge salary bump. Not Jeter.
Some of his peers make headlines with stories about discord at home or untoward escapades. Not Jeter.
Some of his peers create charities for window-dressing. Not Jeter. His foundation awards high school and college scholarships both in New York and in Kalamazoo, Mich., where he grew up.
Some of his peers use steroids and deny it. Some use steroids and come clean. Jeter has never had to make that choice - because he never made the stupid decision in the first place.
Some of his peers carry weapons, shoot people - or themselves - and go to jail. Not Jeter.
And some of his peers have an uneasy relationship with fans because they think they are a cut above. Not Jeter.
This is a man who has the qualities adults admire and children can look up to. Somehow he combines enormous talent with hard work, riches with responsibility, fantastic success with confident modesty and intense competitiveness with true sportsmanship."
1 comment:
Wrong, but hey, it's the Daily News. What do you expect?
If Jeter didn't take, he certainly supported steroids.
He may not have 'window dressing' charities, but he certainly looks for tax breaks where he can get it, say fraudulently declaring taxes from Florida instead of NY.
whine about contracts/money? When A-Rod got his huge Texas contract, Jeter basically went to the Yankees and demanded more money.
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