Joe Posnanski asks that questions and names some possible successors to Derek Jeter’s throne. I won’t tell you who his first choice is -- you have to read it -- but many of his candidates seem like good ones. My choice is on that list too, but I’m not gonna tell you right now. I may write separately about it later.
I will say, though, I’m not keen on Mike Trout for that title for the same reason Joe isn’t. He’s not exactly charismatic, even if he is pretty darn affable and, so far anyway, a safe media bet. He’s a Jersey ballplayer in the best sense of those words. That makes him accessible and relatable. But he doesn’t have all that much about him one could call enigmatic, mysterious or even somewhat intriguing.
Which I think is important. Separate and apart from playing for the Yankees and winning championships, the key for Jeter has been that you can project just about anything you want to on him in a way that lets you use him as some sort of avatar with which you explore the world of baseball. He’s a leader, even though we haven’t heard many stories about specific things he’s said or done to rally the troops. He’s an anti-PED ideal, even though he’s hardly said anything on the topic (and what he has said has been fairly sympathetic to PED users). He’s an example for all the kids out there although we know next to nothing about his personal life.
That’s not a criticism of Jeter. Indeed, most of it is pretty damned admirable. But I do think there is some need for the Face of Baseball to allow fans, reporters and everyone else to sort of read what they want into the guy in many respects while still being his own person. Tough trick. One that requires no small amount of guile, I imagine. Not every ballplayer fits that description.