HIGH AND TIGHT
Those of you who follow my Blog and my TV show know that I am a huge fan of the career and exploits of Derek Jeter. But I've always been a realist, and I have never viewed his current 3-year contract (with player option for a 4th) as anything but a golden parachute for time served. Let's face it, more than any other team in professional sports, the New York Yankees operate like a Fortune 500 corporation.
Seriously, the talk of "how the fans would react" was completely lost on me, and of no consequence. I never bought into the "well if they gave A-Rod..." argument. If Derek Jeter chose to walk for $10 million less per annum just to spite the Yankees, savvy Yankee fans would have thought him a fool. The Yankees treated him like a top salesman at the end of his run, and clearly saw great value in his getting his 3,000th hit in Pinstripes.
This post, however, is about his current inability to get around on mediocre fastballs, as well as his current place atop the Yankee batting order, and any "controversy" that might occur should Joe Girardi attempt to drop him down to 8th. This post is about Derek Jeter, captain and "team" player.
My "partner-in-crime" Eddie Mayrose will probably find this amusing, but these are thoughts I've always had, as I've never gotten that attached to a player since Thurman Munson's passing.
Columnist Ian O'Connor is about to release a book about the tiff between A-Rod and Derek, beginning with the Sport Magazine article in 2001 when Alex stated the obvious about the differences in their power numbers. In the analysis of certain events that have happened since, it has been my observation (one of which I witnessed 1st hand and close-up, more below) that Derek Jeter is the one that has not been acting like a grown-up.
I was in the sacred "Giuliani" seats at the old Stadium for that June 2006 game against the Orioles when Alex and Derek went for the same pop-up. Rodriguez got there first, and Jeter bumped into him from behind, causing him to drop the ball and allow a run to score. My customer and I saw the expression of hurt on A-Rod's face, as well the look of scorn on Jeter's face. My customer turned to me, and said succinctly "A-Rod just hit bottom". Jeter then proceeded to throw Alex under the bus with the Press after the game.
The title of this post comes from the scene in Pulp Fiction when the boxer Butch (Bruce Willis) and Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) are going over the terms of the fix of a boxing match. Wallace tells Butch that, "Night of the fight, you might feel a slight sting. That's pride effin' with you. Eff pride! Pride only hurts, it never helps."
So exactly when does Derek Jeter, "team player" go to Joe Girardi, and say "Skip, I'm hurting the team, take me out of the top of the order?" Is it "pride"?
Was it when he said in 2004 "A-Rod's a better shortstop, I''ll play 3rd"? Didn't happen.
How about when the Selena Roberts PED story came out: "I support Alex". I guess I missed that one too.
It's a historical fact that when C.C. Sabathia was being courted by the Yankees, he was paid extra by Brian Cashman because of his fear of the Yankees dysfunctional clubhouse, and the lefty's known ability as a leader. Stop me if you've heard the one about C.C. threatening to make Francisco Cervelli's half 2009 WS share a full share out of his own pocket.
It's ironic that Derek Jeter is the one in the Yankee promos that gives the quote attributed to Joe DiMaggio that "someone may be seeing me play for the first time". Joe D retired when the Dodgers 1951 scouting report about his shortcomings became public after that World Series against the NY Giants.
Now is the time for true leadership. 50 hits to 3,000 is not that many. Derek can make that from 8th spot. Show me.
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