Derek Jeter will always be considered a Yankee around the Big Apple. That doesn’t change the fact that, with Tuesday’s reports that the future Hall of Fame shortstop is poised to become part-owner of the Miami Marlins, he’s going to be affiliated with another franchise for the foreseeable future.
On the surface, Jeter and the Marlins seem to have little in common, but in truth they share a great deal. Here’s a look at baseball’s strange new pairing.
Products of the ’90s
The announcement that baseball would expand to the Sunshine State with the Florida Marlins came in July 1991, just 11 months before the Yankees selected Jeter in the MLB draft.
Although that draft was the first the Fish participated in, they picked 28th. Jeter went No. 6 overall.
The Marlins debuted on the field in 1993, while Jeter broke through into the majors with the Bombers two years later.
Championship caliber
Neither the Marlins nor Jeter had to wait long to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Jeter was a breakthrough young star when the Yankees topped the Atlanta Braves to win the 1996 World Series. The following season, the Marlins became the fastest franchise at the time to win it all, beating the Cleveland Indians.
Both Jeter and the Marlins added World Series trophies to their mantles. The Yankees three-peated between 1998 and 2000 and won again in 2009. The Marlins added a second title in 2003 with a six-game World Series victory over none other than Jeter and the Yanks despite the shortstop’s .346 (9-for-26) batting average.
Fish feast
Jeter’s mastery of Marlins pitching wasn’t limited to the World Series. In 17 interleague games against the NL East club, the captain hit .306 (22-for-72) with four doubles and five RBIs.
Despite Jeter’s strong play at the plate, the Marlins went 9-8 against the Yankees in games he appeared, not counting the 4-2 edge in the postseason.
It’s no secret the Yankees were superb through the bulk of Jeter’s playing days, but the numbers show just how far ahead of the Marlins they were. At the time of his retirement, the Marlins all-time record in 22 seasons stood at 1,643-1,853. Counting only the games in which Jeter appeared, the Yankees went 1,628-1,117 over 20 seasons.
