Ian O’Connor. The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter.
New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.
as reviewed by Ted Odenwald
Ian O’Connor is well known to Bergen County sports fans as a knowledgeable analyst, a lover of the game of baseball, and a biting critic of capitalistic baseball, the business world that has inspired megalithic stadiums, astronomical salaries, prima donna egos, and juiced-up physiques. To have such a reputed critic of the game scrutinize the career of Yankee icon, Derek Jeter, may cause some hero-worshippers to shudder, recalling how O’Connor has skewered Alex Rodriguez, Joe Torre, Jason Giambi, Joe Girardi, and Roger Clemens. However, this book is close to being an encomium about a role model for all athletes, a person who has dedicated virtually his entire life to a sport-whose love of the game is reflected in his clean, scandal-free life, in his obsessive drive to develop, hone, and preserve his skills, and in his desire to inspire athletes of all ages to perform at their dignified best on and off the field.
Readers expecting to find O’Connor’s acerbic dismantling of his targets will not be disappointed , but the targets of his disappointment and anger are not Jeter himself, but the “anti-Jeters” who have disgraced themselves and the game through the use of performance enhancing drugs and HGH’s, and then exacerbated their guilt through bold-faced denials. O’Connor criticizes Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio, and Babe Ruth for failing to live up to the high pedestal of the hero on which the public and the media had placed them; Ruth and Mantle’s drunkenness and infidelities had tarnished the Yankee pinstripes, and the aloofness of all three to worshiping crowds seemed to be ill-spirited, diminishing their respective heroic statures.
The author likens Jeter to Lou Gehrig-both qualifying as “The Pride of the Yankees” because they valued the sports heritage as if it were theirs to protect. Each was exceptionally skilled, proud of his accomplishments, yet solidly grounded, as shown by connections with fans, by a willingness to play second fiddle to superstars who were heavily into self-promotion, and by an obsession with giving back through finding charitable causes which would benefit from the presence of a celebrity.
Derek Jeter has accomplished a great deal in his 16-year major league career: he was named Rookie of the Year in 1996, has been the starting shortstop for five World Championship teams, and has won the Gold Glove Award five times. As all-time hit leader for shortstops, he is closing in on his 3,000th hit-as well as being the all-time hit leader for the Yankees. Interestingly, sports analysts, using “sabermetrics” and other techniques of computerized statistical evaluations, have contended that Jeter is among the weakest of the shortstops in the major leagues. However, no one questions (or can measure) his incalculable value to his team through is dedication, his effort, his loyalty, and his image.
O’Connor does offer some measure of criticism towards Jeter. The author feels that when the game had been tarnished by the exposures of the Mitchell Report, Jeter should have been proactive in getting the players’ union to demand clearer definition and strict enforcement of substance laws; with his aura of dignity, decency, and honesty, he could have made a much stronger impact on the efforts of the baseball to cleanse itself. O’Connor also believes that Jeter tends to be hyper-sensitive when he feels challenged or affronted; his close relationship with A-Rod was severely damaged when the latter slighted Jeter’s achievements through an Esquire article. Jeter withdrew from Rodriguez-in spite of abject apologies from the erstwhile friend-as he had withdrawn whenever he felt any degree of betrayal, even from life-long friends. O’Connor believes that as Captain, Jeter was duty-bound to forgive and help A-Rod, who was struggling for acceptance and support since signing an enormous contract with the Yankees, and especially when the slugger began to flounder due to injuries and the embarrassment of being named in the Mitchell Report.
Several of the author’s anecdotes deserve special attention: Jeter’s progress through the minors contrasted with the top draftees selected before him in the 1995 draft-and the interesting economic and management machinations that went into the various clubs’ decision-making; the Jeter “home run” snatched by a New Jersey youth from the outstretched arms of a Baltimore Oriole outfielder-and the ironic circumstances that brought the boy to Yankee Stadium; the brutally honest-and damaging exchanges between Jeter and General Manager Brian Cashman concerning Jeter’s level of performance and his “worth” as a team leader; the generous assistance to new ballplayers as opposed to the “icy chill” directed at critical and disrespectful teammates; Jeter’s relationships with managers Joe Torre and Joe Girardi; and detailed accounts of vintage Jeter plays.
Clearly, O’Connor believes that Derek Jeter is one of the greatest Yankees-not quite on the level of Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, or Dimaggio, but not far behind them. His statistical accomplishments, with or without sabermetrics, place him among the greatest shortstops in the history of the sport. What cannot be calculated is the dignity and class which his leadership radiates and the efforts he continually makes to ensure team cohesiveness. He was able to stand tall while much of baseball was stooped in the embarrassment of a drug scandal. His love of the game, his dedication to his team, and his sense of noblesse oblige, which led him into charitable projects, will all be a part of his legacy.
It is hard to accept the fact that the iconic Yankee’s career will end within a few seasons; he has been such a central part of recent Yankee history; he has been the image of professionalism and pride in an age in which “ruthless people” damage the very integrity of the game through greed and self-interest. If O’Connor could vote for sainthood, it’s clear that he would be supporting Derek Jeter’s candidacy.
Ted Odenwald and his wife, Shirley have lived in Oakland for 40 years. He taught HS English at Glen Rock High School for all of those years plus one more. Now he is enjoying time spent with his family, singing in the North Jersey Chorus and quenching his wanderlust. Ted is also the Worship Leader at the Ramapo Valley Baptist Church in Oakland.