The All-Time Yankee All-Star Team - Page 3

SS: Derek Jeter — 1999

Derek Jeter has been a player of All Star-caliber since the day he took over the shortstop position from Tony Fernandez in 1996. That season Jeter was both a rookie of the year and a World Series champion. By his second season he was playing in the first of 10 (and counting) All-Star Games. And by his third season Jeter — at only 25 years of age in 1999 and in the midst of the reign of the Torre-led Yankees dynasty of the 90s — was at his absolute finest.

That season Jeter displayed his customary inside-out hitting expertise and penchant for getting on base, batting .349 with a lead leading 219 hits and an outstanding .438 OBP. But in 1999 Jeter also flashed some rare power, blasting out a career best 24 home runs and notching 102 RBIs, surpassing 100 for the first and only time in his career. These increased power numbers led to additional career highs in OPS (.989), total bases (346), and runs created (158), also leading the league in the last category.

Derek is an incredibly offensively proficient shortstop from a historical perspective who will undoubtedly set numerous records and one day be honored with enshrinement in Cooperstown. He has had and will have many special seasons, but at the peak of his youth in a lineup at the apex of its potency, Jeter was excellent in '99, even by his own standards. Therefore that version of "the Captain" will start for the All-Time Yankee All Stars.

Catcher: Bill Dickey — 1936

The debate over who is the greatest Yankees catcher comes down to the teacher and the protege, the two number 8s, Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra. Yogi was a 15-time All-Star, elected to the game every season from 1948 to 1962 and winning 3 MVPs along the way. Obviously over that span Berra had some very prolific seasons as a main power source in the Casey Stengel Yankees teams of the 1950s. 

Dickey was also historically offensively-inclined for the catcher position, and posted at least one season that Berra simply can't match. Dickey — an 11-time All-Star — terrorized American League pitching in 1936, as the Yankees stormed to a 102-52 record and a 4 games to 2 drubbing of the rival New York Giants in the World Series. While the sample size of his season is not ideal (112 games with 428 at bats) Dickey's numbers simply can't be ignored.

His base statistics tell enough of the story to see the justification for his selection — .362/22/107 — but when combined with his .428 OPS and 1.045 OPS, Bill's true impact is illustrated. While some may argue Dickey's 1937 version is the proper selection, consider that he posted only 33 less hits and 41 less total bases in 136 less at bats. He also struck out only 16 times in those 472 at bats in 1936. Bill was a major offensive cog on a team that scored 1,065 runs, and his 1936 version will serve as the catcher for the All-Time All-Star Yanks.

Article Author: Anthony Tobis

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