Saturday, March 28, 2015

Who gets Derek Jeter's locker remains a question with Yankees

A lot of questions face the New York Yankees as they head into the final week of spring training but one lingering quandary stands now out: Who's getting Derek Jeter's locker?



It's decision that will have to be made sometime within the next few days, before the team's Opening Day game against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium April 6, clubhouse manger Lou Cucuzza Jr. said.

The locker is significant because it was the space the recently retired Jeter occupied since the stadium opened in 2009. It's also prime real estate, positioned in the back of the clubhouse, near the entrance to the players' only section.

And unless Jeets heads to that stadium in the sky, it remains an available cubicle.



Cucuzza said he approached home-grown Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner more than a week ago about possibly taking over the spot, but Gardner hadn't made a decision yet.

Alex Rodriguez joined the Yankees in 2004, but he was suspended for all of 2014 for using performance-enhancing drugs. That interruption makes Gardner the longest consecutively tenured Yankee. 

Yeah ... and it's A-Rod.

Gardner made his big league debut in pinstripes in 2008.

"We'll figure out it out," Cucuzza said. "We've still got time."

Didi Gregarious, who will replace The Captain at shortstop this season, is too much a newcomer. And trying to fill Jeter's shoes on the field and then drop your sweat socks in the Yankee icon's locker might just be a little too much to handle.

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