Derek Jeter: Peak Performance Case Study

"I don't know what it would be like, but I wouldn't change. Now don't get me wrong. I do understand it's a game of numbers and people are going to pay attention to your numbers, say you did this or did that. I would love to hit .400. That would be a lot better than .200. You take pride in how you play. But that shouldn't be your main focus. Your main focus should be whether you win or lose."
-- Derek Jeter, New York Yankee shortstop, discussing his attitude about winning and success.

In 2005, Derek Jeter hit .343 with 97 runs batted in and had a .417 on-base percentage. In 2006, he hit .381 with runners in scoring positions, had 14 home runs and, again, had 97 runs batted in.

"Everybody has always said that Jeter has all these intangibles and you can't measure him because he's got these other qualities that don't translate into numbers. But I thought this was the year (2006) you really could measure what he meant to the Yankees."

--Bob Klapisch, Hackensack, New Jersey columnist.

Relaxing with Derek Jeter: Success by Keeping It Simple and Cool

"You can tell he enjoys every aspect of the game. The good, the bad and the ugly, he thoroughly enjoys all of it."
--Doug Mientkiewicz, Yankee teammate.

From August 20, 2006 through May 3, 2007, Jeter had at least one hit in 59 of 61 games. That stretch began with a 25-game hitting streak, 14-game streak and a 20 game hitting streak. Since 1900 only one other player has had as many as 59 of 61 games with a hit. That was Joe DiMaggio who hit safely in 60 of 61 games in 1941, when he had his still-record 56 game hitting streak.

As of May 13, 2007, Jeter was leading the American League in hitting (.368) and hits with 50, despite the Yankees' poor start as a team.

With two outs and runners in scoring position early that season, Jeter hit .600, with nine hits in 15 at-bats, an indication of his pressure production and focus.

Leading the Yankees into the playoffs in 2007, Jeter finished the season batting .322, with 206 hits, 12 homeruns, and 73 runs batted in.

A Kid's Dream: To Be the Best Clutch Hitter of His Generation 

Timely Hits in Key Situations

"Even when you're a little kid you think about those situations. Every time you envision yourself in those situations, you come through. ... I like those situations," says Jeter, the long-time Yankee shortstop and team captain.

On September 16, 2007 Derek Jeter hit a three-run homer off Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox to break an eighth-inning tie as the Yankees held off the Red Sox 4-3 and cut Boston's AL East lead to 4 1/2 games.

"It's an honor to watch the best clutch hitter in history do his thing, and the best closer in history do his thing," said Roger Clemens, who in his first start since Sept. 3 dueled Schilling to a 1-all tie before leaving after six innings. "Jeter is one of the reasons that I got up off the couch and came back."

Jeter is batting .441 with runners in scoring position and two outs -- the best mark in the majors in 2007.

Schilling (8-8) outlasted Clemens but couldn't beat Jeter, who drove a 2-2 splitter over the Green Monster to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead. Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera, in typical fashion, held on, even after Boston cut the deficit to one and loaded the bases in the ninth.

Excerpts from ESPN.com.

Derek Jeter Continues to Have an Impact on the Yankees in the 2009 Playoffs

Captain October

VISION

"Our goal when we come into the season is to win a championship. That's how it is every year. You don't go home and celebrate regular-season championships. You don't go home and celebrate getting to the World Series. Our goal is to win it. That's been my mind-set since I've come up and it never change."

--Derek Jeter, captain and shortstop of the New York Yankees.

PASSION

"The one thing that I noticed very early on in 1996 is that he had as much fun playing this game as anyone I've ever seen," said manager Joe Girardi, who played with Jeter from 1996-99. "The amazing thing is that he did it from Day One. It wasn't like he took a couple of years to do it. He did it right away."

CONSISTENCY UNDER PRESSURE

He was the leadoff hitter for the best team in baseball in 2009 (103 wins), and the player most trusted to come through in the moments when the Yankees need it most.

"I try to get better every year," Jeter said. "I try to contribute and I try to be consistent."

Look at the career postseason leader boards in most offensive categories and you'll see that most of the top performers have had 50 or 100 plate appearances in the playoffs. Jeter's had 576. He's played nearly a full season of pressure games and enters this year's ALCS with a .311 average, .380 on-base percentage and 45 extra-base hits.

Jeter hit .412 in his very first postseason series, a Division Series win over the Texas Rangers in 1996. He was 22 and batting ninth. Jeter went 4-for-10 against the Minnesota Twins from the leadoff spot in his 26th October series in 2009.

In Game 1, he was on base four times and hit the first postseason home run at the new Yankee Stadium. In Game 2, he doubled and scored a run to draw the Yankees level in the sixth inning. In Game 3, he went 1-for-4 but made a critical -- and unusual -- play in the field to squash the Twins' best opportunity to tie the game in the eighth.

THE JETER LEGACY

"He just gets it done," Jorge Posada, Yankees veteran catcher said. "He just gets it done always."

Every postseason game, every at-bat, every hit furthers Jeter's legacy as one of the best ever in the playoffs. He's played more games than anyone (124), had more hits than anyone (155) and scored more runs than anyone (88). His home run hitting power even seems to increase in the fall. He has 18 postseason homers, tying him with Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle for third all-time, behind Bernie Williams (22) and Manny Ramirez (28).

Does Jeter's way of playing baseball have an effect on the Yankees' opponents?

"I hate it when I play against them, but I do enjoy watching the way they play. They are professionals. They are baseball players."

-- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, talking about his envious thoughts about the Yankees.

Excerpts from MLB.com (10/06/2009), Newsday.com (10/07/2009), New York Post (10/12/2009), Westchester (N.Y.) Journal News (10/14/2009).

How Does Jeter Do It? 

KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid

"I think that's where people get in trouble, when they start complicating things. It's really not that complicated. The more complicated you make it; the more difficult it is on you. You're playing a game where you fail more than you succeed. You've got to try to keep it as simple as possible."
-- Derek Jeter, discussing the essence of his ability to consistently perform at a peak level.

"Jeter is the most relaxed person that I've seen in the postseason. I would relate him to the way Ron Guidry approached it or Catfish Hunter or Mariano Rivera. There's a relaxed way to go about playing. At the same time, there's tension. You have to be mentally and physically alert. Jeter is always ready.

"The postseason is not just another game so you're not going to play it the same way. You're going to be nervous. There are going to be butterflies. But Jeter understands how to control the butterflies by getting them in the right formation. He does that very well.

"When you look across the room and you see #2 on your team, you know he's going to be ready. You know he's going to be calm. Everyone sees that and it makes them calm, too. The leader of all of this is Jeter. I put him on a high level as a postseason player."

--Famed major league baseball legend Reggie Jackson, talking about the calm approach Jeter takes to the game of baseball.

"Derek is the same person every day. He just seems to be able to play the game every day and not really concern himself with what it looks like as much as what the results are. And he's very unique in that regard."

--former New York Yankee manager Joe Torre, discussing Derek Jeter's approach to his high-level and consistent baseball performance.

Positive Outlook and Long-Range Vision

The Jeter Mentality

"I'm optimistic by nature. Even when things are going poorly, you've got to find something positive. You have to. Because if you get caught up in being negative all the time, you'll never get out of any kind of funk."

--Derek Jeter, discussing the value of positive thinking.

"I don't think about it, really. All I try to do, pretty much is to be consistent. I don't try to overanalyze anything. I don't try to sit back and say, you’re doing this and that. I just try to consistently help out every day.

"You look at it that way, especially when things are going bad, you're able to get out of it, because you're not concerning yourself with how you're doing individually.

"When the season's over, you get a chance to reflect on what happened during the season. One you sit around and start talking about what you've done, that's when you're in trouble. You always strive to do something better."

--Derek Jeter, discussing his anti-analysis approach during the season.

This Peak Performance Case Study was originally published in my book, Razor Thin:  The Difference Between Winning and Losing (2012).  

The San Francisco Giants Make Their Luck as a Team

“It’s amazing what a team can do when they set aside their own agenda and that’s what they’ve done all year.  Really, it’s been a beautiful thing to watch.  The only thing that bothered me through all this was that I kept hearing people say we were lucky. We were getting the breaks, the bounces.  You don’t luck into 94 wins.  You don’t luck into the postseason.  You don’t luck into the World Series.  You don’t sweep a great team like the Detroit Tigers by being lucky.”

--Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giants' manager, discussing how the Giants won their second World Series in 24 months.

The Giants are World Series champions because of their emphasis on pitching excellence. This emphasis is truly important in the postseason where hot bats can rarely be counted upon. However, perhaps more importantly, they value team play as well.

“We’ll still keep a low profile. That’s who we are as people. That’s who we are as an organization.
We don’t promote ourselves. That won’t change. That will never change.”

--Giants' general manager Brian Sabean.

Are you a team player?  Are you selfless?  Can you describe your team or organization like the Giants describe their championship team?  Do you hire selfless people who can set aside their own agenda?  Can you achieve excellence any other way? 



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Alex Rodriguez Shows Leadership

"I couldn’t be happier for Raul.  Ten years ago, I might have reacted differently. I admit I might not have taken it as well. But I have matured. I told Joe when he came to me that he had to do exactly what he felt he had to do." 

--Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees All-Star, celebrating a winning home run by the Raul Ibanez, who replaced him in the lineup in the ninth inning.  

Wednesday night in the Game Four of their best-of-five American League division series with the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium, with the New York Yankees behind and facing a 2-1 series deficit, Alex Rodriguez saw Yankees Manager Joe Girardi walking toward him.  It was the ninth inning, the Yankees were trailing by a run, and Rodriguez had gone 0 for 3 in the game, with two strikeouts.  Girardi told Rodriguez that he was going to replace him with Raul Ibanez, a pinch hitter.
Ibanez tied the game, 2-2, with a home run to right field. Perhaps surprisingly to many people, Rodriguez was the first Yankee to greet Ibanez at the top step of the dugout after he rounded the bases.

Then, in the 12th inning, Ibanez did it again, winning the game, 3-2, with a second homer.

Asked if he was insulted by Girardi’s decision or if he would harbor any hard feelings, Rodriguez shook his head.

“No, no way,” he answered. “I’m one of the leaders of this team now. It’s about winning. We won; I’m pleased. Whatever it takes.”

Excerpts from nytimes.com (October 11, 2012), "Slumping in Middle of Lineup, Rodriguez Is Center of Attention" by Bill Pennington.   

Robinson Cano Can't Remember, and That's Good

“I’ve been struggling with men on base.  You just go out there every game, every at-bat, and forget about what happened in the past.”

--Robinson Cano, New York Yankee second baseman.

One of the most useful mental conditioning techniques that elite athletes use is the ability to quickly get past a mistake or error quickly.  During game conditions, it is highly valuable to be able to erase, recover, and move on.

Although you want to be able to learn from your mistakes, often game situations are not the place to dwell or analyze.  The time to analyze and evaluate is through debriefing and videotape sessions scheduled after one's competition is over.

As Robinson Cano emphasizes, a poor memory is perhaps the best tool that a hitter can utilize. Despite a recent slump, Cano's "poor" memory has allowed him to hit 30 home runs, knock in 82 runs, and hit for an average of .297 with 177 hits.

In addition, the Yankees are leading their division and have the second best record in the American League.  

Quote from nytimes.com (9/27/2012).  "With  Swisher and Cano, It's Trust and Symmetry" by Pat Borzi.

Adversity Fuels Championship Runs

“You’ve got to embrace the adversity. Otherwise, you are going to be miserable and don’t belong in this clubhouse. Adversity is to be expected when you put on the pinstripes.”

-- Russell Martin, New York Yankees catcher, responding to a sustained late-season losing streak.

Championship are not easily won.  Championship seasons do not go smoothly.  Injuries, slumps, trades, travel, difficult scheduling, fatigue, family issues, etc. are all part of the adversity that all teams must face.  However, it is the championship teams that deal with adversity well.  

Winners welcome pressure and embrace the challenge of adversity.  Teams that understand that adversity is to be expected and are willing to take on the challenge are the teams that succeed. Frustration, stress and pressure must be met head-on.  

Most importantly, successful teams and franchises that win consistently understand that mental toughness and the ability to deal with adversity must be part of their team DNA.  

Historically, the New York Yankees are a franchise that has been highly success at dealing with adversity.  Will this year's Yankees team successfully meet the challenge of adversity?


Excerpt from nytimes.com, "A Study in Pinstripes: ‘Embrace the Adversity’", Bill Pennington, September 8, 2012.

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Darwin Barney, Shift in Mentality and Preparation Pay Off

"A lot of it was positioning around the bag along with positioning pre-pitch.   It all goes together.  Along with that, it was just putting in the hours and accepting the mentality of trying to be perfect every day." 

--Darwin Barney, Chicago Cubs second baseman, talking about his improvement as a fielder.

Barney, 26,  is in his second full season as a Cub.  With only one fielding error in 112 games, he is widely considered to be the best defensive second baseman in major league baseball.  He made the switch from shortstop to second base only two years ago.  He is four years older that the Cubs' current shortstop, Starlin Castro, a rising star in his own right.  Without the switch, Barney would be playing behind Castro.  This way, both young stars can start.  Along with their first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, 23, this young Cubs' infield trio has the makings of a great combination.  

Barney last made an error on April 17, 2012 against the Miami Marlins.  With the help of Cubs' infield coach Pat Listach, a former American League rookie of the year (1992), Barney has improved greatly. Barney and Listach study hours of game film to determine hitters' tendencies and help Barney expand his range through thorough pre-game planning and in-game anticipation.

Are you working on your fundamentals this hard every day?


Excerpt from "At Second, at Least, Cubs Are a Force", Benjamin Hoffman column Keeping Score, nytimes.com (8/19/2012).

Nick Swisher Gets His Head and His Swing Straight

"I’m way more proud of the things I’ve been able to accomplish mentally this off-season than what I’ve done physically.”

--Nick Swisher, New York Yankees, who spent the off-season working out physically with other professional athletes, and mentally, with a sports psychologist.

Swisher was concerned about a slow start that morphed into a terrible slump last season.  He did not hit a home run until the end of April, and as June approached his batting average was barely above .200.

“You want to do so well, and in this game, I think, you get caught up in the numbers,” said Swisher, who finished the season with a .260 average, 23 homers and 85 runs batted in. “When I got out of the gate slow, it just ate me up. I wanted to pop out of the gate like a sprinter, and when it didn’t happen I started getting frustrated.

“Those are things I worked on. How do you deal with failure? How do you set your expectations to where you feel they’re obtainable and not a billion miles away? Because that’s where I’ve always kind of kept my goals. I do a lot of things now that are a lot more non-outcome-related — you know, the process of getting to a point.”

Excerpts from the nytimes.com (March 18, 2012).

Atlanta Braves' Collapse Due to Poor Mental Conditioning

Atlanta Braves' Free Fall