Certainly it helps Jeter that he is solid at the balls he does get to. Errors can quickly take a guy with great range and turn him into a liability because they result in extra bases being given up. If Jeter can't get to a ball, then it's a single. (Not what you would have hoped for, but not the end of the world, either.) But when you throw one into the seats you've given up an extra base and a guy is in scoring position.

That's why it seems harsh for anyone to say he "sucks" at defense. I'd say a guy who can avoid errors will always be above the "sucks" standard, almost regardless of how poor his range is, simply because he avoids making the big mistakes.