Jeter’s Postseason Continues to Get Better and Better

It was the year of the young shortstop in baseball, and the postseason awards voted by the Baseball Writers Assn. of America figure to confirm that.

--Alex Rodriguez, in his first full season with the Seattle Mariners, may win the American League’s most-valuable-player award, to be announced on Nov. 14.

--Edgar Renteria of the Florida Marlins and Rey Ordonez of the New York Mets are among leading candidates for the National League rookie-of-the-year award, although outfielder Todd Hollandsworth of the Dodgers is favored in the Wednesday announcement.

--And Monday, in a unanimous vote by a 28-member committee of the BBWAA, New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter won the American League’s rookie-of-the-year award to go with his World Series ring.

“This is great, but winning a world championship is the best,” Jeter said in a Yankee Stadium news conference.

The 22-year-old rookie batted .314 with 10 home runs and 78 runs batted in during the regular season, on which voting is based. He is the eighth Yankee to receive the award and first since Dave Righetti in 1981.

Chicago White Sox pitcher James Baldwin, who was 11-6, got 19 second-place votes and 64 points, based on five for first, three for second and one for third. Detroit Tiger first baseman Tony Clark, who hit 27 home runs, was third with six second-place votes and 30 points.

Angel outfielder Darin Erstad, who appeared in only 57 games, received a third-place vote from a voter clearly looking for a free pass to Disneyland.

Jeter was the fifth unanimous choice for the award and the first since Angel outfielder Tim Salmon in 1993. He credited Manager Joe Torre for his support and confidence.

“I had rough periods all season,” he said. “In spring training, I was convinced they’d send me out when the season started, but Joe told me I was the shortstop and he was behind me every time I had a problem or didn’t play well.”

Jeter brought stability to a position that had been in flux. He became the Yankees’ sixth opening-day shortstop in six years, following Tony Fernandez, Mike Gallego, Spike Owen, Randy Velarde and Alvaro Espinoza. By the end of the season he had made only 22 errors and had appeared in 157 games, the most by a Yankee shortstop since Bucky Dent in 1977.

His 78 RBIs were also the most by a Yankee shortstop since Frank Crosetti had 78 in 1936, and he became the first full-time shortstop for the Yankees to bat better than .300 since Gil McDougald hit .311 in 1956. Jeter’s $120,000 contract carried a $10,000 bonus for winning the award. He is also in line for a Series share of more than $200,000.

“He has a sense of humor and he enjoys himself and that, coupled with the ability, makes him what he is,” Torre said. “He never played scared.

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Head of the Class

Voting for the 1996 American League rookie-of-the-year award, with first-, second- and third-place votes and total points on a 5-3-1 basis:

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Player 1st 2nd 3rd Tot. Derek Jeter, Yankees 28 -- -- 140 James Baldwin, White Sox -- 19 7 64 Tony Clark, Tigers -- 6 12 30 Rocky Coppinger, Orioles -- 1 3 6 Jose Rosado, Royals -- 1 3 6 Darin Erstad, Angels -- 1 -- 3 Tony Batista, Athletics -- -- 1 1 Tim Crabtree, Blue Jays -- -- 1 1 Jeff D’Amico, Brewers -- -- 1 1

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