Derek Jeter is the captain and starting shortstop for the New York Yankees, the most storied franchise in all of sports. He?s one of the most recognizable faces in the sporting world and his sharp looks complement his impressive skills on the baseball diamond. He?s already enjoyed his fair share of accolades - 1996 AL Rookie of the Year, 2000 World Series and All-Star Game MVP, a pair of Gold Gloves (2004, 2005), and even an ESPY for his incredible back-handed flip at the plate during the 2002 AL Divisional series against Oakland. As good as Jeter has been during his eleven seasons in the Bronx, one award has always seemed to allude him, the American League Most Valuable Player Award. His teammate Alex Rodriguez has won the award twice, once as a member of the last-place Texas Rangers and again, last season with the Bronx Bombers. New Yorkers crave excellence, and both A-Rod and Jeter have excelled in their decade-long careers. So why does Jeter have the key to the heart of New York, while Rodriguez seems to remain the Big Apple?s most expensive whipping boy? It?s probably because Jeter grew up in the eyes of New York City. He?s a homegrown product born down the line in New Jersey. He?ll go down in history as one of the greatest players of his generation and he?s just as marketable as he is talented. Wait a minute...Rodriguez was born in New York City, and he?s also all those things Jeter is and in some cases more. Rodriguez?s swing has a great deal more power than Jeter?s does, although Jeter is a much more timely hitter. There are more differences between the two legends in the making though. Jeter allows the heat of the moment and the pressure of the press roll of his back like beads of sweat in the mid-August sun. Meanwhile, Rodriguez shrinks under pressure and tries futilely to absorb what is said about him in the mainstream media. I?m not here to knock on A-Rod anymore than he has already been this season. I am a big supporter of Rodriguez?s. I think he?s simply more human than Jeter allows himself to be in the public eye. Rodriguez takes things to heart and remains painfully honest with the same media that disrespects him. Jeter says what is right in the moment and moves along, staying away from controversy and criticism in the process. I remember heading into New York City for the NBA Draft in late June listening to the Yankees telecast on AM radio. The game ended with a walk-off home run by none other than Alex Rodriguez. I thought to myself maybe this is what he needed, he finally got a clutch hit at a very opportune time. Yankee fans cheered A-Rod, but in a New York-minute, those cheers turned to jeers when he struck out in one of his plate appearances the very next day. Is A-Rod not human? Is he so good that we should expect him to get a hit in each and every at bat? Does Jeter have a 1.000 batting average? Has he delivered in every clutch situation ever presented to him? The answer to both is an obvious ?No.? The answer is as simple at the first sentence of this column. Derek Jeter is the captain and starting shortstop for the New York Yankees, and has been for over ten years. Jeter will forever be in pinstripes and he?ll also have been a part of bringing the World Series trophy back to the Bronx. His place in the New York sports lore is like that of teammate Bernie Williams, who?s skills have deteriorated recently but in the eyes of New York, he can do no wrong. Alex entered New York at the wrong time. The Red Sox-Yankee rivalry is at it?s all time highest point, and after dominating the late nineties, the Yankees have been denied a championship for nearly six years? now, that an eternity in the minds of the Yankee faithful. A-Rod was supposed to arrive and immediately help Jeter lift New York back on top of the baseball world, instead the Yankees have fallen short of reaching the World Series in back-to-back seasons. It isn't entirely his fault, baseball may be the most individual of the major American sports but it?s still a team effort. A-Rod couldn?t have lost four straight games to the Red Sox in 2004 on his own. When the dust settles on the 2006 season, will A-Rod have fallen deeper into the collective doghouse of Yankee fans? Will Jeter reach even greater heights? Of course ,it all depends on whether or not the Yankees bring the World Series title back to the Bronx, and whether or not, A-Rod is a part of making that happen. But, with a little over a month left in MLB?s regular season ,could Jeter finally win his first AL MVP, while A-Rod continues to struggle at the plate? Jeter is having a career-year. He?s hitting .343 with 71 runs batted in and 26 stolen bases, all while reaching base .418 percent of the time. Only Minnesota?s Joe Mauer is ahead of Jeter in the race to become the AL batting champion with an average of .362. He leads all AL shortstops in an array of categories including - runs scored, stolen bases, batting average, and on-base percentage. And if he?s not leading the category, he?s in the top five. The simple fact that Jeter is having a career-year, while the Yankees are putting more players on the disabled list than on the field, gives him a greater chance of earning MVP votes. The Yankees have seen several everyday players sit due to serious injuries. Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield are still not back, yet the Yankees sit atop the AL East with a three game lead over the second-place Red Sox. If he holds the current pace he?s at, he?s projected to finish the season with pretty impressive statistics for a 32-year old shortstop: A .343 batting average, 115 runs scored, 216 hits, 14 home runs, 100 runs batted in, and 37 stolen bases. Those look like MVP numbers to me, but will the media be too distracted with bashing A-Rod to realize the tremendous season Jeter is having? If Jeter can become the 2006 AL MVP, it?ll be just another accolade in his Hall of Fame career, and it?ll further immortalize Jeter as a Yankee legend. As for Rodriguez, he?s only as loved as his current at-bat... Andrew can be reached at [email protected]