How Derek Jeter turned himself into Mr. November

Hall of Fame Yankees fable Derek Jeter, an expert for Fox’s pre- and postgame World Series coverage, takes a plaything astatine immoderate Q&A pinch Post columnist Steve Serby:

Q: October successful The Bronx — really intimidating tin that beryllium for a visiting team?

A: It could beryllium very intimidating. It’s funny, because you ever perceive each clip personification plays successful a series, they say, “I ne'er heard this loud, I ne'er heard it this loud,” OK, great. Go to a Yankee crippled successful The Bronx successful October, a World Series game. That is by acold nan loudest venue I’ve ever played in, nan loudest stadium I’ve ever been in. It tin beryllium very intimidating. The fans are intelligent, they understand nan game, they understand nan intricacies of nan game. All nan mini things, they understand that. They salary attention, they watch, they’re really knowledgeable. They’re animated and they’re loud.

Q: What would The Boss deliberation of this Yankees team?

A: I deliberation he would clasp each judgement til aft nan Series.

Q: I deliberation he mightiness for illustration nan truth that these are nan Bronx Bombers again, right?

A: Yeah, look, nan Boss was ever into prima power. He ever said, it’s nan New York Yankees, you person to person stars, fans want to travel retired and watch nan stars play. But he would, successful my opinion, hold until this Series was complete earlier he passed immoderate judgment.

Q: What made Derek Jeter Mr. November?

A: I deed a [10th-inning walk-off against Byung-Hyun Kim successful Game 4 of nan 2001 Series against Arizona] location tally soon aft midnight (laugh).

Q: What’s nan cardinal to being Mr. November?

A: I deliberation nan cardinal to having immoderate occurrence successful nan postseason is to dainty it for illustration it’s a regular-season game. I deliberation guys person nan astir problems erstwhile they get to a postseason crippled and each of a abrupt successful their mind, they make it look for illustration it’s much important now. I deliberation that’s erstwhile nan crippled speeds up. I didn’t do thing different successful nan postseason, I treated nan postseason for illustration it was a regular-season game.

Q: How would you picture Juan Soto’s mentality successful nan batter’s box?

A: From an outsider looking in, each at-bat is simply a title for him. I mean, evidently it is simply a competition, but he has nosy doing it. He does his full small creation successful nan batter’s box, but that each comes from I deliberation he enjoys nan competition. He doesn’t plaything astatine bad hitter’s pitches, he makes contact, he hits for average, he hits for powerfulness — he does everything you tin deliberation of, aliases you would want a hitter to do.

Q: If you were still skipper of nan Yankees, what would your recruiting transportation to him beryllium to enactment arsenic a Yankee?

A: I wouldn’t person a recruiting pitch. He already knows what nan Yankees are about, he knows what playing successful New York is about, truthful if you person to person anyone astir coming to play for nan Yankees, past you’ve already lost. I don’t deliberation you request a recruiting pitch.

Q: What would your proposal to nan existent Yankees captain, Aaron Judge, beryllium playing successful his first World Series?

A: Enjoy it. I retrieve Mr. T [Joe Torre] utilized to ever mention really difficult it is getting to nan World Series. And erstwhile you’re there, you person to bask nan acquisition because rather frankly, you don’t cognize erstwhile you’re gonna get that chance back. So I would bask each azygous portion of it. And obviously, if you triumph you bask it a full batch more. But I deliberation you person to admit really difficult it is to get there.

Follow The Post’s sum of nan Yankees successful nan postseason:

• Aaron Judge tin free himself of Dodger Stadium and playoff demons successful 1 fell swoop
• Sherman: Gerrit Cole pitching for his Yankees — and shot — legacy
• Heyman: Dodgers had to return a chance nan Yankees couldn’t stomach
• Yankees outfielder has other World Series motivation: ‘I was upset’

Q: The Aaron Judge-Shohei Ohtani matchup?

A: I deliberation it’s awesome for nan sport. It’s awesome for nan crippled of baseball. You person arguably nan 2 biggest stars successful nan game playing connected nan game’s biggest stage. East Coast, West Coast. This is what I presume MLB was dreaming of was to person these 2 teams and get to showcase stars. There’s a batch of stars playing successful this game, but those are 2 of nan biggest.

Q: What amazes you astir about Ohtani?

A: Where do you begin? I ne'er really DH’d. But DHing is not an easy point to do, because a batch of times [if] you don’t get a deed you don’t consciousness for illustration you contributed astatine all. And for him, to spell done what he’s gone done successful position of, he had nan limb issue, not being capable to pitch, focusing conscionable connected hitting, and to return nan strides that he took, it seems for illustration he conscionable keeps getting amended and better, which is scary for nan league. But it’s beautiful awesome what he’s been capable to do connected nan field, but I deliberation moreover besides not really interest astir distractions. He had a batch of distractions coming into nan season, astatine nan opening of nan season, and it didn’t look to impact him astatine all.

Q: How overmuch of a limb could he beryllium pitching successful this series?

A: I conjecture anything’s possible. I deliberation it’s highly unlikely. He’s signed for different what, 25 years pinch nan Dodgers? I don’t really spot ’em jeopardizing and taking a chance conscionable throwing him successful nan World Series.

Q: What person you seen from Giancarlo Stanton this clip of nan year?

A: He’s a large logic why they’re there. It goes without saying what he’s done, particularly nan past series, but he always seems to measurement up successful nan postseason. The point pinch Stanton is, I cognize his clip successful New York he’s been dealing pinch a batch of injuries that’s kept him disconnected nan field. But erstwhile he’s connected nan field, he’s arsenic vulnerable arsenic anyone successful position of being a powerfulness threat. He showed that successful nan past series. Personally I’m highly happy for him and hopefully for him it tin continue, but he’s not afraid. And nan 1 point you ever for illustration astir him watching from afar is he ne'er makes excuses. I deliberation that’s a logic why he’s had occurrence successful nan playoffs.

Q: Gerrit Cole getting nan shot successful Game 1.

A: He should get nan ball, he’s nan ace, he’s been arguably, erstwhile he’s healthy, nan champion pitcher successful baseball. So that’s precisely who you want it to beryllium if you’re a Yankee fan, if you’re a Yankee subordinate and you’re successful nan Yankee organization, is Gerrit Cole connected nan mound successful Game 1. Who knows really it works? Back successful nan day, guys utilized to transportation Game 1, you’d spot him successful Game 4 and past they’d travel backmost successful Game 7. Who knows really it’s gonna play out? But if you’re nan Yankees, this is precisely why you brought Gerrit Cole to nan organization.

Q: What scares you aliases concerns you astir nan Dodgers?

A: The Dodgers are bully … first of all, let’s not put it connected maine what scares aliases concerns maine (laugh) … what concerns nan squad that’s playing successful New York. The Dodgers are experienced, they’re professional, they’ve been location before. They don’t plaything and miss overmuch … neither do nan Yankees though. I deliberation it’s 2 evenly matched teams.

Q: Thoughts connected nan Yankees bullpen?

A: They’ve been awesome. I said connected nan aerial nan different time nan point that stood retired was [Luke] Weaver, erstwhile he came back, he gave up that large location run, came backmost and he unopen nan doorway nan adjacent night. The person has to person a short memory. The Dodgers bullpen has carried ’em.

Q: Does Aaron Boone punctual you successful immoderate measurement of Mr. T?

A: No, Mr. T is Mr. T. He’s a small much spot much animated than Mr. T. Mr. T was much even-keeled from appearances. When you’d look astatine him, he looked for illustration he was very calm. I knew erstwhile he was upset, but I deliberation Aaron shows his emotions a small more.

Q: Your first World Series successful 1996.

A: We played nan Braves my first World Series and location was nary interleague play. I retrieve going into nan World Series, and nan only point I knew astir nan Atlanta Braves is what I watched connected television, and really was what I watched connected TV increasing up … [Greg] Maddux, [John] Smoltz and [Tom] Glavine, Fred McGriff. These guys were guys that I watched erstwhile I was successful precocious school. But we ne'er played ’em. So I conscionable knew that they were nan champion squad successful nan National League and location was a enigma there. A small spot of that enigma is gone because of interleague play, but that’s what I retrieve nan most.

Q: Did you person butterflies astatine nan start?

A: Of course, yeah. You person to person butterflies. Having butterflies and being tense are 2 different things. Having butterflies intends you care.

Q: Your 2009 World Series title team.

A: It’s truthful funny saying it but it seemed for illustration it had been specified a agelong time. We hadn’t been to a World Series successful six years and it had been 9 since we had won. But you almost consciousness like, “Man, it’s astir time.” I ever said winning a World Series isn’t easy moreover though we made it look easy. But you really get an appreciation for really difficult it is to conscionable moreover get to a World Series.

Q: Your emotions now that nan Yankees are yet backmost successful nan World Series?

A: I’m excited, man. They’re backmost wherever they belong. We are back.

Q: What do you for illustration champion astir this Yankees team?

A: I said this connected aerial nan different time — it brings maine backmost to erstwhile we were stringing together a bunch of championships, and Jorge Posada utilized to ever say, “We gotta grind it out, we gotta grind it out.” And Mr. T would ever person him opportunity it successful our meetings earlier we started a series:

“Georgie, what do we gotta do?” “We gotta grind it.” And I get that consciousness from this team. With nan ups and downs of nan regular season, moreover nan postseason, a batch of those games could person gone either way, but it seems for illustration they conscionable recovered a measurement to win, truthful …

Q: Who are immoderate of your Mr. October candidates?

A: Tune successful to Fox.

Q: I ever do now that you’re connected it.

A: (Laugh) Appreciate that. Well tune in, and I’ll fto you cognize (laugh).

Q: Beyond Ohtani and Judge, are location others?

A: I can’t springiness you each my information! Research goes into this.

Q: How astir X factors for either team?

A: You gotta tune successful (laugh).

Q: Do you person 1 cardinal to nan Series?

A: I’ll springiness you a small spot of — nan squad that makes nan slightest magnitude of mistakes. That’s important. Can’t springiness other outs particularly erstwhile you sewage squad for illustration this.

Q: Can you get Big Papi to guidelines for nan Yankees connected nan air?

A: Highly unlikely. I would presume he’s gonna prime nan Dodgers. I’ll activity connected him, I’ll activity connected him.

Q: I would presume you’ll prime nan Yankees?

A: Tune into Fox (laugh).

Q: What do you cognize astir nan Dodgers-Yankees World Series history?

A: That’s wherever Reggie [Jackson] made his name, hitting nan location runs against nan Dodgers, back-to-back ’77, ’78 and past evidently nan Dodgers won successful ’81. But it’s been a agelong clip since these teams person played each different successful World Series. It should beryllium a nosy one.