Jeter vs. Mantle

[HOOTIE]

Sportswriters can get awat with anything they want. Look at Bonds. Jeter is a HOF ss, but he's far from Mantle. I have Mantle around 5th all-time.

[tomkatt]

Ha ha ha ha. Comparing Jeter to Mantle is certainly very humorous. I like Jeter a lot, he's a helluva player. Gives 110% all the time. Let's face it though, he's no Mickey Mantle. Mantle was a sensational player, and if not for the knees, who knows where some of his career numbers would've ended up.

I think where some people make the mistake is they compare the talent of players like this, when in reality it's the SPIRIT of the players that are comparable. You could make the comparison fairly easy that Jeter is as valuable to the heart and soul of the Yankees now as Mantle was then.

[Los_Dodgers]

I actually started giggling to myself when I read the title of this thread.

[bigh0rt]

I actually started giggling to myself when I read the title of this thread.

Did you think they'd be Greco-Roman Style Wrestling one an other or something?

[Strasil42]

Mantle didn't have the calm eyes that Jeter has.

True, he also doesn't have Ortiz's smile.

If we could somehow merge these 2 emoticons:

we would know what a Papi/Jeter lovechild would look like. Creepy.

lmao

[moochman]

Classic sportswriter crap. Hype a player outrageously and see how many people are paying attention. He's argueably not even the best player on his team.

[Matthias]

Mantle: Top 10, top 20 baseball player of all time.

Jeter: Probably the 5th-10th best shortstop of all time.

I think what you mean is that Jeter is probably the 5th-10th best shortstop of HIS time and MAYBE the 50th-100th best shortstop of ALL time.

And Peter King is an entertaining writer. And he does know his football. But he is prone to those maudlin comparisons where he's talking out of his gut rather than looking at any hard #s. So I'd take anything that King says that does a historical comparison or hypes up a superstar with a grain of salt. He likes who he likes. Doesn't mean that the rest of the world would agree.

[Tavish]

Mantle: Top 10, top 20 baseball player of all time.

Jeter: Probably the 5th-10th best shortstop of all time.

I think what you mean is that Jeter is probably the 5th-10th best shortstop of HIS time and MAYBE the 50th-100th best shortstop of ALL time.

He is certainly in the top 10 SS all-time, but there have not been a great number of great SS in the history of the game.

Wagner
A-Rod
Ripken
Vaughan
Yount
Larkin
Banks
Cronin
Reese
Trammell
Smith

Jeter belongs above almost half of that list.

[disgruntledjetsfan]

First of all, while some overrate Jeter's ability to deliver in the clutch, I HATE when people say Jeter is overrated, and isn't really that great. Those people don't watch Jeter play, and simply go by stats to determine how good he really is.

First off, I want to talk about his fielding. I think Marver, who started this thread, said "let's face it, jeter simply isn't a good fielding shortstop." That is such utter bullsh*t it's not even funny. I could not care less about the specific statistics about his range factor and what not, if you watch Jeter play, you would understand how good of a fielder he really is. I'm just wondering, did anyone see the play he made at the end of the Yanks/Red Sox game about a week ago? I think Mariano was pitching, and Jeter got to a ball in the hole that VERY few SSs in the league today would get to. He has a great arm, and always gives it his all on every play.

As for his hitting, look at the numbers he is posting this year. Can you say MVP? He puts the ball in play and although his power will never be incredible, he does in fact come through in the clutch, and this year is driving in an incredible amount of runs. As of four days ago, his pace was: .353, 18 hrs, 123 rbis, 130 runs, and 32 SBs. Will he end up with those totals? Most likely not, and if he did there wouldn't really be any contest for MVP. But my point is lets not act like his career is over and he is past his prime. He will have 3000+ hits, and that's something that I believe no yankee has ever done.

Is he better than Mantle? Of course not, mantle was one of the top 5 or 6 players of all time, but I'm just saying Jeter is going to be up there by the time his career is all said and done, and I'm SICK of people saying he is overrated, a poor fielder, and undeserving of everything he has achieved over the years.

[BronXBombers51]

Answer: Peter King's smart with football. Not with baseball.