Yuku free message boards

I was wondering if Derek Jeter's numbers would be Hall of Fame worthy if his career were to end today. He's not a power hitter, doesn't steal a ton of bases and he's had only one season with more than 100 RBIs. I know he's a great leader and great hitter for average, but does he have enough to make the Hall of Fame?
-- Elizabeth C., Scarsdale, N.Y.

The knee-jerk reaction is to say, "of course," but let's look at it. Even though it's easy to project Jeter eventually reaching the 3,000-hit plateau, he would still appear to have a near-sure shot at Cooperstown five years down the road if he retired today. If he does reach 3,000 hits, Jeter would be the fourth shortstop to accomplish the feat, joining Honus Wagner, Robin Yount and Cal Ripken Jr. -- Hall members all, even though Yount left shortstop after the 1984 season.

Realistically, it's just so difficult to imagine voters snubbing Jeter when his day comes, the same way it would five years after Mariano Rivera retires. The official rules of the Hall of Fame stipulate that "voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

OK, so let's look at that. Jeter's reputation as a leader, clutch performer and contributions for the Yankees' 1996-2000 World Series dynasty would readily outweigh any arguments some make now about his defensive abilities. Jeter's skills are backed up by eight All-Star selections and two Silver Slugger Awards, among other categories. He has clearly been among the upper echelon of players in his era.

Using a quick glance at tools found online, the sabermetrician Bill James has a few formulas to determine the quality of players' careers and likelihood of Hall of Fame induction. To date, Jeter measures in the class of average Hall of Famers, scoring a 50.9 (the average Hall of Famer is a 50; Babe Ruth is a 100) and is far and away considered a lock for induction, scoring a 221.5 (a likely Hall of Famer is more than 100).

Without belaboring the point, Jeter should do just fine when Cooperstown calls. With a career .317 batting average and 162-game averages of 208 hits, 122 runs scored, 17 home runs and 82 RBIs, Jeter has done fine for his role and shouldn't have much to worry about if he decided never to play another game. Luckily for the Yankees, that isn't the case.