As I’ve aged, I’m long past feeling uncomfortable that most (um, everyone but Mo, I think) of the Yanks are younger than me. Age has provided perspective (and graying hair). I’m OK with this. However, hearing that Jeter is turning 36 tomorrow (Saturday) still surprised me. I’ve written about his age plenty of times so it’s not that I didn’t realize it, but it’s still amazing nonetheless. It’s amazing that he’s been front and center on this team since he was a kid and he’s clearly no kid any longer.

ESPNNY is celebrating Jeter’s birthday in a number of ways. Ian O’Connor has a good piece up today, talking all things Jeter:

A few months before Jeter turned 33, the shortstop came across [Gene] Michael one spring training day and asked him, “How much longer do you think I can play shortstop?“

“One year,” Michael joked.

“One year?” Jeter said. “Nah, I’m serious. What do you think?“

This was in the trainer’s room in Tampa, and Michael asked Jeter why he was even raising the subject.

“I want to play another 10 years,” the Captain said.

“Ten years?” Michael responded. “Not at shortstop.”

“I can DH later.”

“Well, don’t you have anything else you like to do besides play baseball?“

“No I don’t. That’s what I love to do.”

Jeter told Michael what he’s told others: He plans on spending his post-playing days as a team owner.

“But I found out through that conversation that Derek doesn’t want to do anything but play baseball,” Michael said. “He’s a baseball rat.”

A baseball rat with an expiring $189 million contract. The Yankees have no regrets over that 10-year deal, as they believe Jeter earned every single penny of it.

Go have a read. I’ll wait here.

The naysayers will always call Jeter overrated. Those of us who bleed navy pinstripes know what Jeter means to us, our hero, our legend.