Credit Jeter for being willing to change

TAMPA, Fla.

Kevin Long, the Yankees' full-time hitting guru, has worked with Robinson Cano in the Dominican Republic and Alex Rodriguez in Miami. He has entertained Curtis Granderson, Nick Johnson and Nick Swisher near his home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

This past offseason, Long added another charge to his list. In January, he reported to the Yankees' minor-league complex - just down the road from George M. Steinbrenner Field - to work with Derek Jeter.

"I have no problem making adjustments if it's going to make me better," Jeter said Sunday.

Few athletes can attain the greatness that Jeter has without a bundle of confidence bordering on obstinence. So give the captain credit for acquiring some humility in anticipation of this 2011 season.

Of course, who among us wouldn't be more humble after putting up the worst season of our career and seeing our employers publicly diss us?

Jeter's aforementioned adjustment is significant. The trademark stride in his swing no longer exists. The shortstop began the transition last Sept. 11 in Texas, out of necessity, and worked on it with Long during their January tutorial.

"I was striding too far forward [toward the plate], and I think it was tying up everything in my swing," he said. "So toward the end of the year, when we made those adjustments, I tried to take the stride out. But I've been hitting like that for 30 years, so it's pretty difficult to do in one day in Texas. I'm trying to continue that throughout the offseason."

The idea, Long explained, is to thwart many pitchers' strategy of pitching inside to Jeter. By keeping his feet square, therefore giving him the ability to use his hips more, he should be able to pull those inside offerings - cut fastballs from lefties in particular - to left and left-center.

He looked good taking batting practice during the Yankees' first full-squad workout - although, as Joe Girardi said, "The true test really comes in games."

Just as meaningful, however, is Jeter's willingness to meet with Long - with whom he has shared a professional relationship but not a particularly close one - in the first place.

It helped that as soon as Jeter began his alterations last September, he produced results. He had a .342 average, .436 on-base percentage and .392 slugging percentage in the final 19 games of the regular season before struggling to a .286 OBP and .375 SLG in nine playoff contests.

You can say that a shortstop 36 going on 37 isn't going to get much better. That as he kicks off this new four-year contract after the winter's acrimonious negotiations, it's time for him to recognize his baseball mortality.

To be sure, every future Jeter transition - from leadoff to further down in the batting order, from shortstop to wherever he plays next - figures to be awkward and uncomfortable. "I don't think you prepare yourself for a negative," he said. "That's just the way I look at things."

But if he can't do that, the next-best thing is to stave off the negative for as long as he can. His defense surprisingly improved from 2008 to 2009, thanks at least partly to Jeter's understanding that he needed to get better. Now his offense falls into the same category.

"There's got to be a point in time when things are going to slow down. Is that part of this equation? I'm sure it is somewhat," Long said of Jeter. "How much? I don't think any of us know that . . . I'm sure he slowed down a little bit. I don't think it's to the point where, is Derek Jeter's best baseball behind him? I wouldn't say that."

If some wisdom can come with his advancing age, maybe Jeter can give himself some extra time.