A five-time World Series champion and New York Yankees legendary shortstop, Derek Jeter sure knows how to lead a team to glory. The Hall of Famer bid adieu to MLB in 2014 and is still being missed, as no shortstop has been able to fill his void. Surely, rookie Anthony Volpe seems promising, but no one does what Jeter did for the club.
Thus, the 2023 season would have remained a tough one to watch for Derek Jeter. It would have pained him to see the team he lifted to glory a decade ago go down on its knees without a fight. Meanwhile, recently, the former shortstop spoke about the Yankees World Series drought and also listed out reasons for the 2023 season’s downfall.
Derek Jeter Says Yankees Fans Are Spoiled! Reckons Winning World Series Is No Cakewalk!
Hall of Famer Derek Jeter led the New York Yankees to as many as five championship rings, including the one in 2009. However, since then, the franchise witnessed an unprecedented drought. A lot of strong lineups put forth strong contenders. But none came close to the finish line. So, what changed overnight? If you ask Derek Jeter, the man with five of them, he says it’s not as easy as it seems. In a recent interview with Post columnist Steve Serby, Jeter opened up on the Yanks’ championship drought. Firstly, he said that he finds it hard to believe that the Bronx Bombers have been unable to cross the finish line even after 13 years.
But at the same time, he understands what it takes to win a championship ring. Derek Jeter further explained that during his time, the team made it look easy, which spoiled the Yankee fans. However, in hindsight, it takes a great team to make it to the postseason and eventually contest for a championship. Jeter’s mantra is that the hottest team always wins. One has to be hot at the right time and have enough breaks in between to rejuvenate to last the 162-game stretch. Undoubtedly, the Hall of Famer’s assessment is not wrong. But 13 years is a long time for any franchise, let alone the Yankees, to set the record straight. If the roster construction is, in fact, the root cause of the problem, maybe the decision-makers need to be held accountable. Overall, a change in leadership seems inevitable.
Yankee Legend Opens Up On Team’s 2023 Season Struggles!
During the same interview, Derek Jeter weighed down his views on the Yankees’ 2023 season downfall and pointed out the things that went horribly wrong. Jeter said consistency remained the biggest challenge throughout the year. Also, at the same time, the East division stayed highly competitive, with Baltimore Orioles coming out of nowhere, posing an imminent threat.
“You go through a 162-game schedule when everyone’s gunning for you, which they always are when you play for the Yankees,” added Derek Jeter. Regardless, Jeter feels the team lacked the consistency needed to qualify for the postseason. The former shortstop is bang on with his assessment. The Yanks did witness multiple rough patches where their playoff odds took a huge hit.