As stated in a previous article, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is the most beloved New York professional athlete of this generation and now there is even more compelling evidence to justify this claim.
According to Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily, in an exclusive survey of media personalities and sports business executives, Jeter was the unanimous choice as the most marketable player in Major League Baseball.
The survey, conducted by SportsBusiness Daily, was distributed to corporate brand managers, marketing and branding executives, agencies and baseball media, who were asked to list, in order, the top five most marketable players in MLB. Points were awarded on a five-point scale, with a player awarded five points for a first-place vote, four points for second place, etc.
With no other player receiving more than three votes for the top position, Jeter earned an overwhelming 80% of first-place votes and was included on 47 of 49 ballots. St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, who appeared on 39 ballots, finished a distant second, receiving only two first-place votes.
Although recently finishing in the top ten of the most disliked people in sports, Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez ended up ninth on the list, receiving one first-place vote, finishing right behind his Queens counterpart, New York Mets third baseman David Wright, who didn’t garner any first-place votes.
Also noteworthy is Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg receiving three first-place votes, second behind Jeter, to finish fourth in the survey after less than two months in the big leagues. A clear indication that the 21-year-old is well on his way to becoming baseball’s next biggest superstar.
For the Yankees captain, this was the third year he topped the list as baseball’s most marketable player, earning the same honor in 2003 and 2005.
"Derek is so marketable due to his likability, passion, hard work, leadership and most of all, his humility,” Premier Partnerships President & CEO Randy Bernstein said. “He is a proven champion and has led his one and only team to multiple championships while also building up exceptional Hall of Fame statistics."
At the age of 36 and having just played in his 11th All-Star Game, it is crystal clear that Jeter is at the tail end of his career; so Yankees fans and baseball fans would be best served to appreciate him while they still can because a player of Jeter’s talent and stature comes along once in a lifetime.
Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and George M. Steinbrenner, III would certainly be proud of how Jeter has represented himself and the New York Yankee organization.
Here is the complete listing of MLB’s most marketable players for 2010:
1. Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
2. Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
3. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
4. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
5. Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
6. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
7. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
8. David Wright, New York Mets
9. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
10. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox; Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special video presentation featuring Derek Jeter.
Credit SportsBusiness Daily
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