Leyland: Derek Jeter injury 'a tough story for baseball'

By JOHN LOWE | Detroit Free Press ? Published October 14, 2012 Modified October 14, 2012

NEW YORK ? The absence of Derek Jeter in the lineup for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series was felt long before the start of the game.

With Jeter out for the remainder of the season with a fractured left ankle and unavailable to bat leadoff, manager Joe Girardi had to make several changes to his lineup. He moved Ichiro Suzuki up to the top spot from No.2. Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Raul Ibanez were in turn moved up one spot in the order.

Jayson Nix, who had the dubious honor of replacing Jeter at shortstop, batted ninth.

The fans in the bleachers still included Jeter in their roll call of players to start the game.

The Yankees confirmed Jeter's fracture in tests Sunday and announced he will see foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., in the next few days. Jeter was not at Yankee Stadium for Game 2 and will not travel to Detroit, according to the Yankees.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland took no joy in the news that Jeter would miss the rest of the season.

"Well, this is a tough story for baseball," Leyland said before Game 2 this afternoon. "What he has done in the postseason, what he means to the Yankees, what he means to baseball in general. So it makes it a tough thing obviously."

Leyland said when he thinks of postseason baseball, he thinks of the Atlanta Braves, Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson and Jeter.

"I mean, if I said 'postseason baseball', what do you think about?'" Leyland asked. "Those are probably three of the things I would talk about.

"They are going to play it the right way. They are not going to give us anything. The manager is tough, the team is tough, we know that. It would be different, to say the least, not to see him in the lineup. We have been watching him in the postseason lineup for a lot of years."

Jeter is the baseball's all-time playoff leader in hits (200), runs (111), games (158) and extra-base hits (57).

Tigers reliever Phil Coke, who played with Jeter on the Yankees from 2008-2009, said it was "gut-wrenching" to watch Jeter go down in the 12th inning of Saturday's 6-4 win.

"He's a great guy, great teammate," Coke said. "He was really, really good to me when I was there and my family, too."

Coke recalled how his father tried to help an injured Jeter in old Yankee Stadium.

"Jeter kind of shunned him, because he was out of it," Coke said. "Well he came back from the X-ray room and said, 'Mr. Coke. I am so sorry.'"

Although Coke said his father had not taken offense, Jeter returned to tell him he would never walk past him without saying hello.

"He asks me about my family, how my dad is, how my mom is, every time I see him," Coke said. "Every time he sees my dad, he will drop what he's doing to go say hi to my dad."

Coke said Jeter "is probably the nicest guy in baseball."

"He won't lie to you," Coke said. "He'll tell you the truth every time and on the field, off the field he's got your back all the time. He's a special person."

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/10/14/2285471/leyland-derek-jeter-injury-a-tough.html

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