On a different subject: does anyone understand why Joe refuses to use Aaron Small?

That is, any other CF in the game but our backup Gerald Williams, who cost Jae Seo another shut-out last night.

As Joe Sheehan wrote about that game:

“All of the attention after the game was focused on Derek Jeter, who tore up his face diving into the third-base box seats after making a running catch to end the top of the 12th. Without taking anything away from Jeter, though, the play of the game was Alex Rodriguez’s double-play turn in the 11th. On a ball that took a strange bounce just to stay fair, Rodriguez made a stab, a tag of the base, and a perfect, only-line-he-had throw to the plate to prevent the tying run from scoring.

Nothing against Jeter, whose catch–of a ball that I think was going to land fair and score two runs–required a great jump and excellent raw speed, but Rodriguez had to do about four things correctly in less than two seconds to get the optimum result, and he did. Jeter’s play was simpler, although the requirements of making it–a sprint into short left field–led him to injure himself after completing the catch.

We’re dealing in gradations of excellence here, which is really what last night was all about. Keith Foulke wiggles out of a jam? OK, here’s Mariano Rivera escaping a tougher one. Pokey Reese makes a highlight-reel catch? Here comes Rodriguez, and then Jeter, pushing him to the cutting-room floor. Manny Ramirez comes up with another huge hit with his team up against the wall? Nice, but the Yankees get down to their last strike, more stars on the bench than in the lineup, and get back-to-back hits from the waiver-bait segment of the roster.”

Batters vs. Mussina innings 4-6: .318/.352/.486 (.280 GPA)

Batters vs. Mussina pitches 76-90: .353/.364/.578 (.308 GPA)

He becomes dominant again in innings 7-9 and pitches 91-120.

Joe in Jersey, love your enthusiasm about Jeter, as I share it, but factually, you overlooked Garciaparra. His career OPS is .912. Now part of that could be Fenway, but even after ballpark adjustment, I believe his overall numbers would be significantly better than Jeter.

I think JVarghese81′s post covers that anyway.

Moose’s fifth inning ERA must be approaching hundred or something.

1) Rodriguez is terrible at tracking flies, he’s said so himself. That’s not a useful comparison.

2) I was at that July 1 game when Jeter dove into the stands. It was the greatest game I’ve ever seen in person and that was a thrilling, game-saving play. But it was July 1. When you’re such an important player, giving up your body mid-season, regardless of the opponent, is not brave, it’s foolish. I’m not coming down on Jeter for it. I’m sure he didn’t think about anything other than recording that out. But a player’s willingness to risk a mid-season injury to save a game shouldn’t be applauded. Had Jeter landed on the DL as a result of that dive, it could have handed the Red Sox the division, which would have been mighty ironic.

Now I see why there are 98 comments in the next thread. Can’t wait to read people’s thoughts as it all came apart.

So much for that fantasy.

http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/12076.html

After Jeter’s GG and improved fielding (better than last year according to the rate stats) this year as well as Nomar’s injury problems, it might have changed a little bit but still, really good reading.

I saw those “blips” last night as well, but I noticed it when Matsui was up to bat in the early innings. His hands and face were all messed up with the blue screen in the back. It seems it was not necessarily a problem with the blue jay logos, but with the blue screen and cameras.

rbj,

I rather have fans not interfere at all than interfere. Main reason, sometimes at a game, with all the drinking, fun and commotion, a fan doesnt always realize who is at bat. (i.e. the cub’s infamous fan, Bartman)

Probably the influence of reading “juicing the game”… but if that is the case, do you think Bud would make them change to logo so it doesn’t interfere with the ads during the telecast?

I’d like to start this post off with a final thing about the Jeter…clutch….criticism…debate we were having a couple of posts ago. I wasn’t able to get anything else in and I want to just put a cap on my thoughts.

There are two ways to look at Derek Jeter.

1. By comparing him to his peers, especially those paid like him.

By this way of analyzing Jeter, there are dozens of players who put up a better 162 games. No argument. There are guys who mash home runs, drive in runs, score runs, play their positions like acrobats. Jeter doesn’t do anything better than many of these players, with the exception of run the bases and make the fade away throw to first.

Look at Tejada and A-Rod (before he moved to 3B) at SS. You’ve got Pujols and Sheffield and Matsui and Andruw Jones and Vlad Guerrero and Barry Bonds, etc, etc, etc……

Over 162 games Jeter will compete with this group in runs and hits, and probably little else.

2. You can evaluate Jeter by what he’s meant to the team in big situations. All I need for the rest of my life to give Jeter a permanent benefit of the doubt was his diving head first into the stands against the Red Sox in a regular season game.

Beating the Red Sox means that much to him. As a Yankee fan, anyone who in his heart and soul wants to give himself up to beat the Red Sox is my hero. That’s the stuff that legends are made of.

He has the post-season numbers to go along with everything else. I accept that the Yankees as a team won those titles and have put together a great stretch of playoff appearances, but I look at it this way. In 22 post-season series he hit below .316 eight times. Those eight times he was pretty bad. But if you take those 8 series out of the mix, over the course of 14 post-season series, Jeter hit .382 against some of the best pitching in baseball.

Again, I’m not saying that Jeter deserves all the credit for the great Yankee success, I’m just combining it with what he means to the team from a symbolic standpoint, and by the fact that a guy who makes 18 mill a year would dive headfirst into the stands in a regular season game against his arch rival.

I can’t say whether or not Barry Bonds would sacrifice his body and run into an outfield wall at top speed to beat the Dodgers in May. I can’t say whether Manny Ramirez would either. I believe that Varitek would dive headfirst into the dugout to catch a game saving pop up against the Yankees, and that’s why he’s the captain and one of the most loved players on the Red Sox. He combines heart, passion, and guts with his hitting.

That’s how I see Jeter. A guy who is generally outstanding in all phases of the game, sacrifices himself for the team, plays best in the spotlight of October, and does it all the right way.

Finally, I can’t fault anyone for their opinions on this subject. I think it’s really okay for us to see this differently. I take the position that we will continue to see Derek Jeter excel for the Yankees through the time he gets his 3000th hit, hopefully his 5 and 6th rings, and when he tops virtually every post-season record list. The Yankees will have been the team that helped him get all those chances to shine, but when some players dim in the spotlight, Jeter will make play after play that you will look back on in 25 years and smile.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.