By IAN O'CONNOR
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

TAMPA, Fla. - Two years later, Derek Jeter is still waiting for the flashbulbs to light up his eyes. He is still waiting for the self-serving politicians, for the beef and shrimp spread, for something even 17-year-old quarterbacks get the day they announce their college choices inside packed high school gyms.

A press conference. George Steinbrenner never threw him one. The New York Yankees owner showered his embarrassment of riches on Mike Mussina ($88.5 million), Jason Giambi ($120 million), Jose Contreras ($32 million) and Hideki Matsui ($21 million), turning each of their signings into New Year's Eve.

For winning four titles in his first five seasons, Derek Jeter, prince of the city, scored $189 million over 10 years and a pauper's bowl of porridge, a bang-bang conference call with writers working for Saturday's papers, the smallest editions of the week.

Steinbrenner never wanted to pay Jeter the gross national product of Greece, but he had no choice after Alex Rodriguez landed $252 million in fool's gold. Now Steinbrenner wants the very contract he tried hiding from public view to glow in the brightest Broadway lights, to serve as a motivating force for the shortstop whose numbers could be defined like this: stack 'em up next to A-Rod's in a TV ad and there's Mini-Me sitting next to Yao Ming.

It would be wise to dismiss Steinbrenner's absurd attack on the focus, commitment and night moves of Jeter, a beacon of professionalism and a worthy role model in an age when they come in short supply. But it would also be wise to pick through Steinbrenner's trash and find a valid argument.

Truth is, Jeter hasn't been a $189-million ballplayer since he became a $189-million ballplayer. On that point and that point alone, I agree with Steinbrenner.

"You're not the only one," the owner told me the other day. "But I know the young man will come through for me this year."

That young man grew up wanting to play shortstop for the Yanks. He used to tell reporters, "If this is a dream, don't wake me up," before Steinbrenner became the alarm clock raging in his ear, calling out Jeter like he had Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly, and every manager from Billy Martin to Joe Torre.

No matter what Steinbrenner said, this isn't about effort; Jeter's an untouchable there. This is about statistics and dollars and rings. In 1999, when Bobby Cox called him one of the best two or three players in baseball, Jeter hit .349 with 24 homers and 102 RBI and won his third championship. He managed 219 hits, a .438 on-base percentage, and a .552 slugging percentage.

A steady season-by-season decline - aided by a lingering shoulder injury - left Jeter with these numbers last year: a .297 batting average, 18 homers, 75 RBI, 191 hits, a .373 on-base percentage and a .421 slugging percentage. Of more consequence, Jeter is 0-for-2 in the quest for a fifth parade since signing a deal that Steinbrenner shouldn't have to consider a mere reward (he'd paid Jeter $10 million the previous season), but also an agreement that his shortstop would either continue winning titles, delivering superstar numbers, or both.

After signing the second biggest contract in sports history, Jeter was charged to tilt scoreboards with the A-Rods - or at least with the Nomars and Tejadas - or just keep pouring champagne in October places those three haven't been. At the risk of my Jeter-loving, six-year-old son never again speaking to me, I'd point out it's been a while since the shortstop managed either.

"But I don't look at it as living up to my contract," Jeter said. "When I signed that deal, they didn't tell me I had to start hitting 50 homers with 120 RBI. I was told to continue doing the things I've always done. Personally, things weren't as good last year as they were in other years, but I'm still scoring runs and doing whatever it takes to help this team win. If (Alfonso Soriano) is hitting 50 doubles batting leadoff, I'm going to move him over. I'll make sacrifices to help this team.

"You can't win a championship by yourself. You can be the best player in baseball and unless you have good people around you and a good team, it won't matter. ... I couldn't care less about numbers. I'd love to hit .380 with 40 homers and 150 RBI; anyone would. But that's not what winning is about.

"I'm my own biggest critic, so I have no problem with criticizing my play. I know I can do better. A lot better."

The contract says Jeter needs to do a little better, anyway. His deal is far north of the combined total of Barry Bonds' ($90 million) and Sammy Sosa's ($72 million). Jeter never burned to break any salary barriers; he's only shooting for Yogi Berra's record of 10 championship rings.

But at the end of the day, he did take the money. If Kevin Garnett is forever measured against his $126-million deal, it's fair to hold Jeter to the $189-million standard, too.

And he shouldn't spend too much energy sweating this unwanted turn in his otherwise charmed life. When Joe DiMaggio requested a $40,000 salary after hitting .346 with 46 homers and 167 RBI in 1937, his employer, Jacob Ruppert, said the following: "DiMaggio is an ungrateful young man and is very unfair to his teammates. If he doesn't sign, we'll win the pennant without him."

Steinbrenner can't win without his shortstop. Jeter remains his generation's Gary Cooper, the pride of the Yankees. He's bigger than Steinbrenner's rants and those old jealous jabs from A-Rod, the ring-free star who once suggested his friend wasn't a mega-contract player.

Jeter has already proved he's a champion, a pro, a role model for everyone's six-year-old son. Now he just needs to prove he's a $189-million player.