Pinstripe Pride

I am too young to remember a time without free agency. However, what I've heard about it sounds good to me. Think about it, an era where your favorite player could possibly play his entire career for your favorite team. I know, it's a crazy idea that seems foreign to people of my generation. Nevertheless, it did work once, and I believe it could possibly come around again if more guys were like Derek Jeter. I realize that he is the captain of a franchise that for many seems to symbolize all that is wrong with the free agency system. However, Derek is entering the final year of a massive contract that has kept him in Yankee pinstripes for his entire career. What does he want to do next year? Quite simply, according to a report I read, he wants to stay in New York for the rest of his career. How many players that have retired in the past 10 years can you think of who played their entire careers with one team? The most reason I can think of who actually played for more than a cup of coffee was Cal Ripken Jr. What a radical idea! Ripken played approximately two decades in Baltimore while many players today are lucky to spend two years in one city. The article I linked to earlier cites the fact that the Yankees might not be able to afford the big bucks Jeter will demand. If Derek wants to spend his entire career in New York bad enough, he won't demand more than the Yankees will pay. Also, there is no way that the Yankees would be cheap with Derek Jeter for public opinion sake. He is a popular player; the Yankees I do not believe would risk the public perception of being cheap with a player who has essentially been the face of their franchise. The Yankees are very frugal in only one way; they do not willingly pass out the title of captain. Derek is one of the few and is therefore in elite company. All in all, I hope that Derek stays with the Yankees. He is a great player, and I would hate to see anything that could result from a unhappy separation damage his reputation.