I read a very nice article from another site the other day, wherein the author ranked Jeter as the very best Yankee. His argument made complete sense: if you were born in the late 80s or early 90s, basically 20 - 30 years old, you only remember the Yankees with Jeter. He has been the face of the franchise for nearly two decades and is always a class act.
In fact, the author put him above Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantly, and Yogi Berra. However, he pointed out that WAR (wins above replacement) only puts Jeter in 5th of 6th, just ahead of Yogi. As for myself, I believe Jeter is closer to 5th than 1st on this list.
Yes, I grew up with Jeter, too. I never saw Mickey play like my grandfather did; I do not remember the great 50s and 60s teams. But I definitely have a strong appreciation for what those Old Timers have done. Is Babe Ruth the greatest Yank? No. But the Sultan of Swat definitely did his part to bring baseball to prominence and boost the Yankee name by crushing 60 long balls in a season. Joe DiMaggio was a true superstar and a war veteran. His hitting prowess was undeniable, and his popularity, insurmountable. Then we come to the Mick. He could do anything and was loved by all. Jeter, in a similar way, is respected by all, and certainly has done everything to help his team win.
But to me, there is no greater Yankee than Lou Gehrig. The man was nearly unstoppable for years collecting MVP awards, the batters Triple Crown, and setting RBI records. His sad end was shared not just by Yankee fans but everyone in baseball. The living legend deteriorated in front of the public's eyes. Everyone knew they had seen possibly the best player ever have his life cut short so quickly. His iconic speech pervades baseball lore. It is this sad end to an amazing career and an amazing person that really strikes the observer. He gave everything he had to the Yankees until he literally had no more.
If I had to choose one person to represent the Yanks on a monument or placard, I would want it to be Henry Louis Gehrig.
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