New York Yankees: Derek Jeter's Call to the Hall

As Derek Jeter approaches one of baseball's most heralded milestones, 3,000 hits, we need to slowdown the clock and realize what the New York Yankee shortstop has done for America's pastime.

Maybe it's the fact that he's be the face of one of the most prestigious franchises in sports history or the shear excellence he's displayed over his 17-year career, the 37-year-old has done it all.

Either way you spin it, Jeter has easily eclipsed all expectations since coming into the league in 1995, becoming a 12-time All-Star, five-time world champion, five-time Gold Glover and arguably one of the best clutch performers in playoff history.

As he inches closer to that elusive 3,000 mark, Jeter's infamous career has become even more elusive than ever.

Maybe the greatest Yankee of all time, maybe the greatest shortstop to ever grace the field, Derek Jeter is a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee that has truly made the best out of an opportunity to play the game he loves.

This is why he's a clear-cut addition to Cooperstown and why he'll go down as one of the greatest players in baseball history.

Heart

Derek Jeter is arguably one of the most dedicated players in baseball history.

Not only on the field, but off.

Jeter has made the impossible look pedestrian, making unbelievable diving catches that most of us wouldn't even dream of making in a video game.

He's played through injuries, played through illnesses and has never used either as an excuse for subpar play.

If you're looking strictly at effort and heart, there's no doubt in my mind that Derek Jeter is the mold for excellence.

Through his 15 years as the New York Yankees shortstop, Jeter has only finished a season once with less than 500 at-bats.

That type of dedication and consistent will has arguably made him a Cal Ripken Jr. copycat.

He's a team leader, an unselfish player and an unscathed performer when the game is on the line.

If heart was money, Jeter would be the Bill Gates of baseball.

Greatest Yankee Ever?

Depending on your stance for either the pioneers of the past or the great players of the present, Derek Jeter has got to be considered one of the greatest New York Yankees of all time.

With the most at-bats in team history, Jeter has accumulated the following Yankee milestones:

* First in hits (should end up with over 600 more than Lou Gehrig)

* Second in doubles and stolen bases

* Second in games (should catch Mickey Mantle by the end of his contract)

* Third in HR by a right-hander (impressive when you consider he's not a power hitter)

* Fourth in runs and total bases

* Fifth in batting AVG

It's sometimes easy to dismiss Jeter in this conversation with names like Babe Ruth, Mantle, Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Roger Maris, but you can only ignore the numbers for so long.

Jeter has been a better defender than any of these greats of the past and has been one of the best postseason players in franchise history.

It may not look pretty, but Jeter deserves to be on the VIP list at club Yankee.

Mr. October

If you don't know what Derek Jeter has done in nearly ever postseason since 1996, get your head out of the sand.

Jeter is a lifetime .309 hitter in the playoffs through nearly 600 at-bats.

He ranks first in postseason games, plate appearances, runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, second in triples, third in home runs and fourth in RBI.

I'm literally exhausted from writing those numbers.

Regardless of my low computer stamina, Jeter has proved that no matter what the scenario, he'll always be able to produce with the best of them.

He's made some of the greatest plays in playoff history, with the most famous one being his flip to home plate to throw out Jason Giambi in the 2001 ALDS against the Oakland Athletics.

Whether it's his 2000 World Series MVP or his .386 average through the 1999 playoffs, Jeter has cemented himself as possibly the greatest postseason threat to ever play the game.

5-Time World Champion

This sort of ties into Derek Jeter's dominance at the plate through his playoff career, but five championships deserve their own slide.

Jeter was the centerpiece of a New York Yankees team that became the greatest team of the 20th century, ending that long stretch with World Series titles in '96, '98, '99 and '00.

If it wasn't for Luis Gonzalez and Josh Beckett, Jeter would have seven championships instead of his measly five, just kidding.

At this point, his career achievements  have been so great that he doesn't even need the eventual 3,000 hits to get into the Hall of Fame.

Jeter has won, won often and could win again in 2011.

As long as he's playing, he'll continue to be fitted for World Series rings.

Mr. 3000

It's what the baseball world has looked forward to since the beginning of the season.

It's the reason why fans come to the ballpark and hold up sign after sign.

It's the reason why Derek Jeter himself has been caught up in the moment.

It's 3,000 hits.

One of the most elusive hitting marks in baseball history, the 27 players who've eclipsed the elusive milestone have also been inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the exception of a steroid-tainted Rafael Palmeiro and an underrated Craig Biggio.

Jeter needs only two more hits to become part of this elite class of hitters.

He'll not only blow away Lou Gehrig for most hits all-time by a New York Yankee when it's all said and done, but Jeter could end up ranking among the top 10 of all time if everything goes as planned.

Like I mentioned before, Jeter's career thus far has been so prominent that he doesn't really need his next two hits to be considered one of the greatest players in history.

It's simply another notch in the shortstop's belt.

Intangibles

Just like Babe Ruth did for old Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter has done for the new home of the Bronx Bombers.

Jeter has brought nearly two decades of excellence into a new stadium that will house some of the best talents over the next 30 years.

Of course, that's assuming baseball lasts that long.

He's one of the greatest shortstops of all time, if not the best, has already cemented himself as a Hall of Fame certainty and can only be recognized as a top flight talent of his time.

Jeter has five rings, numerous defensive awards to go along with his astonishing play making ability and consistently proves that when the game is on the line, there's no one better than "The Captain."

His intangibles for greatness and making the impossible possible, are two reasons why Derek Jeter is, always has been and will continue to be the heart of modern-day baseball.