Posts tagged ‘Derek Jeter’

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November 29, 2011

Derek Jeter Sculpture at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

by Jamie Insalaco

I’m sure you’ve already heard, but the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory has unveiled a Derek Jeter sculpture, or statue, or whatever. Sorry, this sat in my inbox for nearly two months and I’m just now getting to it. The press release is below… if it says what the sculpture is made out of, I don’t see it. The thing has a weird look… is he wood, or maybe wax? I can’t tell. Also, it doesn’t look much like Jeter, although I do think they sorta got his expression right, if that makes any sense.

I’ve never been the Louisville Slugger facility, and this isn’t really motivating me to change that. In fact, the whole thing is sorta weird. Now, the museum has four statues: Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Derek Jeter… that’s a Cooky Quartet if I ever heard of one. Griffey was a great player (though often injured) and Jeter has obviously amassed a career that few could boast, but I would never say either of them are on an even playing field with Ted Williams and Babe Frigging Ruth. It boggles the mind!

Anyway, here’s the press release.

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Unveils Derek Jeter Sculpture

Museum will honor Yankee Captain with “Derek Jeter Day” on Saturday

Louisville, KY (October 12, 2011) — Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory added another superstar to its roster Wednesday as it unveiled a lifelike sculpture of Derek Jeter, team captain of the New York Yankees and future baseball Hall of Famer.

To welcome the new sculpture, the museum will celebrate “Derek Jeter Day” this Saturday, honoring the Yankee Captain. As part of the celebration, a game used Derek Jeter bat will be added to the museum’s Hold a Piece of History exhibit, allowing guests to hold a bat actually used by Jeter. Guests will also receive Jeter mini bats at the conclusion of each factory tour, while supplies last.

In addition, for “Derek Jeter Day” the museum will offer a special $2 admission in recognition of Jeter’s #2 jersey. Proceeds from Saturday’s ticket sales will be donated to Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.

“We are thrilled to feature Derek Jeter in the museum,” said Anne Jewell, Executive Director at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. “Jeter is a baseball rockstar, an ambassador for the game and a huge fan favorite. We’re proud to include him in our lineup of baseball greats and we know our guests will love it. ”

Jeter, the longtime Yankees shortstop, joins elite company as he is just the fourth person honored with a statue at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. The only other player sculptures in the museum are baseball legends Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Ken Griffey, Jr.

“It’s a true honor to be recognized in this way by Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory,” said Derek Jeter. “Louisville Slugger is synonymous with baseball. I’ve used the same bat model (P72) throughout my career and it’s a privilege to have such a tribute in this great museum devoted to the skill and history of hitting,” he said.

Since his major league debut in 1995, Jeter has been one of baseball’s most popular figures and is currently the all-time New York Yankees hit leader. He has been selected as an All-Star 12 times, won the Silver Slugger award four times and earned the Gold Glove award on five occasions. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1996 and helped the Yankees win the World Series the same year.

Jeter was also an integral part of World Series championship-winning teams in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2009. He is the only player in history to win both the All-Star Game MVP Award and the World Series MVP Award in the same year. He has served as the Yankees’ team captain since 2003 and collected his 3,000th career hit earlier this season.

The sculpture unveiling coincides with Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory’s 15th Anniversary Year. In May, the museum welcomed its record 3-millionth guest. With 234,771 visitors last year, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory broke its attendance record in 2010; a record unmatched since the museum opened for its first full year in 1997.

Earlier this year, the museum unveiled its newly renovated, 3,000-square-foot Museum Store, which was designed with a fresh layout to bring a feel of the museum to the store that offers hundreds of gifts, apparel and collectibles.

Also new in 2011, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory announced that its factory is now producing bats year round on Saturdays, and for the first time ever also producing bats during tours on Sundays and holidays, enabling visitors to view bat production on every tour.

Follow Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory on Facebook for more information.

About the Turn 2 Foundation

The Turn 2 Foundation was created during Derek Jeter’s 1996 rookie season with a goal to create and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and “TURN 2” healthy lifestyles. Through these ventures, the Foundation strives to create outlets that promote and reward academic excellence, leadership development and positive behavior so that children of these programs grow safely and successfully into adulthood and become the leaders of tomorrow.

About Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory:

Experience history-in-the-making as you stroll through the factory where world-famous Louisville Slugger bats are created. Award-winning factory tour, newly renovated galleries with interactive exhibits, historic memorabilia, the World’s Biggest Bat, and more. Create a Louisville Slugger bat with your very own name on it, just like the pros. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, 800 West Main Street, is open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sundays 12 noon – 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (60+), $5 children (6-12), and free for children 5 and under. For more information, log on to sluggermuseum.com or call 502-588-7228.

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October 7, 2011

ALDS Post Mortem: RISP Fail

by Jamie Insalaco

Here’s some numbers for ya from last night’s ALDS game 5 between the Yankees and the Tigers:

Yankees Offense:
LOB: 20
Team LOB: 11
RBI: Cano (9), Teixeira (1)
2-out RBI: Cano; Teixeira
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Posada; Cano; Gardner 2; Swisher 2
Team RISP: 2-for-9

Pretty abysmal, right? I wonder why they couldn’t get the big hit last night – they certainly ran into some good pitching, that’s part of it, but maybe not the whole story. I really thought someone was going to come up with a single the second time the bases were loaded, but we all know now that Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher bot struck out – not to be confused with Russell Martin and Brett Gardner grounding out the first time the bases were juiced. Maybe I can find the answer if I drift through the local papers…

OK, this was a mistake. When I am going to learn to stop reading NYPost.com?

The richest team in baseball history, the most talented in the game, and you could almost hear the players’ knees knocking over the din of the crowd. Does that come from the manager? Girardi was forced to his bullpen early when Ivan Nova’s forearm started to bark, but it was his choice to use Phil Hughes for only four outs, his choice to use CC Sabathia, his choice to use seven pitchers.

Those relievers, save for Sabathia, were perfect. And you could argue Girardi was merely matching the urgency of the situation.

But you could also argue that anxiety and stress flow from the top down.

Here are the batting averages for the ALDS for the following players:

Alex Rodriguez:.111
Mark Teixeira: .167
Nick Swisher: .211
Derek Jeter: .250

Obviously, batting average isn’t the best measure of offensive production (especially across such a small sample size), but since Mike Vaccaro went with batting average elsewhere in his article, I might as well, too. Obviously, the dominance of Justin Verlander and some of the other Tigers starters has a lot to say about this, but really, Mr. Vaccaro? You think these guys didn’t get the big hit last night because Joe Girardi was too anxious and his players fed off that same anxiety? Talk about having no respect for the guy throwing the ball… I’m not trying to let the Yankees’ bats off the hook, but that’s a pretty far leap from these guys just not getting it done to some psycho-semantic stress response that induced knee knocking tension. “Does that come from the manager?” Really? I have no idea where Mr. Vaccaro got that from. I guess that in the search for answers, some grasp at straws… or just make shit up.

I checked some other papers, but to no avail: Mike Lupica just complained that the Yankees are the most expensive team in baseball and have only won one ring over the last 10 years. This seems like a silly argument because most teams don’t even make the playoffs every year, which the Yankees have save one – never mind win the World Series. If 1-10 over the last decade isn’t enough for Mr. Lupica, how many World Series victories would be? Two? Three? Four? Five? Does he expect them to win the whole damn thing every single year because they have the highest payroll? Surely he knows that’s not how it works… Anyway, the NY Times just offered reporting as that’s what they’re best at.

What else can I say? It was a close game, the Yankees lost, and it was probably closer than it should have been considering the Yankees fashioned 7 innings out of their bullpen. Once Ivan Nova left the game, visions of the 2003 World Series and David Wells‘ balky back began to drift across my mind – not to mention the fact that teams hardly ever win games when their starter doesn’t give them at least 5 innings. I’m forced to go back to my musings from Spring Training – at that point, I thought the Yankees didn’t have the pitching to win a World Series, but when it came down to this game 5, they just couldn’t muster the offense.

In the end, I don’t feel to bad about this loss – the Yankees just couldn’t get the big hit and for whatever reason, I’m OK with that. At least they didn’t get shelled – that would have really bothered me.

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October 4, 2011

The Yankee Fan’s Prayer

by Jamie Insalaco

a-j-burnett-new-tattooLord, protect us from your servant, A.J. Burnett.

Protect us from his fastball command,

Protect us from his 59 feet curve balls,

And give strength to that new tattoo that is not helping at all.

 

Lord, guide Russell Martin’s Canadian glove hand,

Let him block pitches and wield a mighty April-like bat.

 

Lord, help Derek Jeter hit with runners in scoring position,

Seriously – people are booing A-Rod and Jeter has left a small village on the base paths.

 

And Lord, speaking of Alex Rodriguez and, while we’re at it, the middle of the order -

Can you do something about Mark Teixeira while you’re at it?

 

Lord, keep Joe Girardi’s head in the game and out of the match up binder.

Make sure he doesn’t stick with A.J. for too long like he did with C.C. Sabathia last night.

I still can’t believe he let Brett Gardner bat in the 9th inning when they were down by one with a runner on.

 

Lord, How did it come to this?  A season in the pitching hand of A.J. Burentt;

Is this because Jesus Montero didn’t get into the game last night?

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September 21, 2011

Yankees Take First Half of Double Header & More

by Jamie Insalaco

Phil Hughes missed yet another start due to injury – this time, it’s the back spasms again. The Yankees bullpen put together a superior effort after Hector Noesi’s start – well, I guess Howell didn’t get anyone out but the combination of Valdes, Kontos, Laffey, Wade, Logan, Ayala and Mariano Rivera blanks the Rays completely. Joe Madden probably left Big Game James Shields in the game too long and the 8th inning proved to be his undoing as Eduardo Nunez homered and he lost a hard fought battle with Brett Gardner and then walked Derek Jeter. Robinson Cano made Madden pay for going with JP Howell for a lefty on lefty match up by doubling in the rest of the damage – before that inning, the Yankees only other scoring that the could eek out was a double by A-Rod that plated Derek Jeter. The Yankees are so close to clinching the AL East I can taste it! (It tastes like… victory.)

And since I’m already being weird: Red Sox starter Erik Bedard was served legal papers by a Yankee fan attorney regarding a child support dispute – the mom wants a cost of living increase because Bedard’s salary has gone up since their original agreement. Anyway, the Yankee fan, Tom Cabral, posted about it on Facebook and Yahoo.com didn’t have any problem taking screen grabs of what he wrote – or, what anyone of his Facebook friends wrote. They didn’t even bother to obscure his friends’ names. You can view the torrid tale here. Other stupid crap that’s currently posted on the MLB page at Yahoo includes a video discussion regarding whether or not Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer of all time. Was that ever a question, even before he broke the record? And if no Mo, then who? Trevor Hoffman? Don’t make me laugh.

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September 20, 2011

Game 151 – Phoning it in

by Jamie Insalaco

There’s resting players and then there’s "Eh, I could care less about the outcome of today’s game." Sunday’s game was the latter when Joe Girardi sat Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson. I completely understood why he did it – off days in September are over for the rest of the month and on their last off day, they were flying from Seattle to Toronto, so that probably doesn’t offer much in the way of relaxation. Here’s the lineup they trotted out, which was able to produce zero runs.

Brett Gardner, CF
Eduardo Nunez, 2B
Robinson Cano, DH
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Nick Swisher, RF
Eric Chavez, 1B
Russell Martin, C
Chris Dickerson, LF
Ramiro Pena, SS

Freddy Garcia, SP

I would usually talk a lot about how Freddy Garcia didn’t last five innings, but when the offense doesn’t score any runs, what’s the difference?

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August 15, 2011

The reports of Derek Jeter’s demise have been greatly exagerated…

by Jamie Insalaco

I’m not going to say I’ve never talked trash about Derek Jeter, because I have… well, not trash, but I do feel like I’ve been on the side of reality, if not the ‘what have you done for me lately’ wagon. Still, no matter who you are, you can’t deny what he’s done since he’s come off the DL:

derek-jeter-2011-stats

The Captain - Makin' it happen!

I know batting average isn’t the most en vogue of stats these days, but .292 in July and .356 in August is hard to argue with.  Jeter had another good night tonight, picking up 3 hits in four at bats and 3 RBI.

 

Also:  tied for 1st with Boston – again!

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July 13, 2011

Home Run Derby, All Star Game

by Jamie Insalaco

Over the last 15 or so seasons, I’ve done by best to give the All Star Break festivities as much attention as I could. I did not make the slightest effort to acquire tickets when the game was here at Yankee Stadium and probably won’t when it comes to Citi Field in a year or two, but still, I watched a fair amount of coverage on TV.

NOTE: If you found a way to watch workout day coverage, Bud Selig should kiss you full on the lips – tongue/no tongue, you’re choice.

I should mention that in the recent past, I have not felt any excitement leading up to the All Star festivities and watched them out of some strange sense of obligation. I think I hit a low point last year while I watched the Home Run Derby while replacing tiles on the basement floor.

This year, I decided, "The hell with it. I’ll watch movies on these nights. I’ll play with the dogs. I’ll cook dinner. I’ll change the oil in my car. I’ll get a head start on my 2011 tax returns. I’ll go to the dentist! But I am not, NOT, NOT going to bother with the All Star festivities.

So I skipped the derby and watched the first inning of the game. Hey, I can’t go baseball cold turkey, just like that – I’m hooked, I needed my fix!

The Home Run Derby
Anyway, Robinson Cano, as I’m sure you’ve already heard, won the home run derby. This immediately brought to mind articles I’ve read about the Home Run Derby effect. The home run derby effect (which I have heard championed by one Dr Alex Rodriguez a reason for not participating in said contest) states that if you participate in the home run derby, it’ll ruin your swing for the rest of the year, the primary example (and only that I remember) being Bobby Abreu. This article explains that because analysis that says the home run derby ruins a hitter’s swings is invalid because the experiment lacked a control group. Uhm… yeah, I guess so! That’s a little over my head; but this all started because of Abreu. Check it:

The idea grew in part from Bobby Abreu‘s performance in 2005, when he hit 18 home runs before the break, then 41 home runs in the actual Derby, but wasn’t the same player afterward. From July 14-to-October 2 of that year, Abreu belted only six big flies.

However, a lot of people don’t believe that argument. This article explains that many winners of the derby have seen an INCREASE IN POWER.

In fact, since 2000, the only year during which Derby participants experienced an increase in power after the contest was 2001, when the likes of Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez were competing.

I wonder why.

…
Six of the past 10 Derby winners have seen their rates improve in the second half. For example, Prince Fielder went from hitting long balls once every 14 at-bats before the All-Star break last year to once every 11.8 afterwards.

Anyway, let’s hope that Cano sees an increase in power down the stretch and doesn’t fall off the map like Abreu did.

All Star Game – Who didn’t show up:
I feel as though almost all of the talk I’ve heard leading up to the All Star game was regarding who was going to be there. After all, who wouldn’t want to go to Arizona in July? Finally, after much gyrations and snubbing, CC Sabathia was selected to the All Star team. I have no idea what took so long, but I also don’t care. Anyway, he couldn’t pitch as he just pitched on Sunday, and I believe he didn’t go to the game. (Tampa Bay’s David Price was in the exact same situation and I believe he also did not attend. Haven’t heard a word about that from anyone… shocking.) As we all know, Alex Rodriguez had knee surgery and didn’t go to the game – obviously, he wouldn’t be available to play in it. Mariano Rivera did not play and I believe he also didn’t attend – I believe his arm is still sore. Derek Jeter bowed out, citing mental fatigue from his 3000 hits chase and that his calf is still not 100% – people seemed to have the biggest problem with Jeter’s absence. Apparently, MLB (or FOX) planned a video montage of his career and wanted to honor him, so even if he wasn’t going to play, they still wanted him to show up and wave his hat to the crowd – I guess he wasn’t into that idea. I’ve also heard a lot of people/sports media saying that as Jeter was voted into the game by the fans, so he had an obligation to go. I head Boomer & Carton (which is like a really pathetic version of Mike and the Mad Dog – which is way better with just Mike, by the way) saying that if George Steinbrenner was still alive, Jeter would have went and played in the game; uhm, presume much, guys? How on earth could you speculate what someone would do if they were still alive? And which George Steinbrenner do you mean: the one who spoke his mind loudly and often, or the one that was content to spend time with his family in Tampa and let other people run the team? Maybe they meant to say, "If this was 1997, Steinbrenner would have made Jeter play in the game." (Anyway, that show sucks.) The point is, the thought is that if you’re a player and your selected to the All Star team, you have an obligation to play, or, at the very least, go to the game. I don’t agree with this idea at all. The All Star game is a farce, and the idea that it determines home field advantage for the World Series is ludicrous. As long as the best pitcher doesn’t start the game and stay in for as long as possible, it’s not a real game. As soon as you make substitutions just to give everyone who showed playing time, it’s not a real game. And any time you interrupt a game (even in between innings) to give Roger Clemens a set of commemorative candle sticks, its not a real game! Hence, at this point, it’s probably best if they just shut the whole thing down all together – have the home run derby, and that’s it – although I don’t think even that is necessary. If the players need 3 days off in a row in July, I’m fine with that – they work every weekend for 6 months straight. I know that’s why they get paid the big bucks (amongst other reasons), but it still sucks, and a little break in the middle is a nice respite for the fans, too – even if you watch the festivities. But for me, I don’t want a single Yankee going to the All Star game, because if anyone gets hurt in that travesty (anyone see that sliding catch Jose Bautista made near the right field wall?), I will lose my mind! Can you imagine what Phillies fans would say if Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay got hurt during this game? They would curve the All Star Game until they were blue in the face, and they’d be right.

Anyway, the NL won – two years in a row after a long drought! There goes home field advantage. I bet the AL team would have scored more than 1 run if Jeter was there – don’t you?

TODAY’S MARKETING MAIL FROM THE YANKEES: Rent with Mini U Storage and get 2 tickets to a Yankees game.
You can’t make this stuff up. This is cross marketing at its finest. Kudos to everybody on this gem. Yankee fans everywhere could be heard to remark, "Damn it, if only I had something to put in storage – then I could get free Yankee tickets!"

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July 12, 2011

Jeter's 3000th Hit

by Jamie Insalaco

Is this the 3000th time you’ve read or heard something about Derek Jeter’s 3000th hit? Probably more like the 3 millionth, but I feel that I would be remiss if I didn’t comment at all after all of the other Jeter posts I’ve written about excessive media coverage, more coverage and the merchandising that goes along with his 3000th hit.

Jeter’s 3000th hit is a big deal, I can’t deny that – there are less than 30 players who have gotten to 3000 hits in all of baseball history, so 3000 hits is certainly the mark of someone with talent, longevity and good overall health. Its just annoying because until he got close, the press spent the previous year and half tearing Jeter down for his batting average hovering between 250 and 275, but now all of the sudden, he’s a golden god again. Now it was fair to say that Jeter wasn’t performing up to expectations, his contract or the role of the team captain or the lead off hitter, but some of the coverage we’ve seen has been more than extreme. Sometimes I think I’m tired of Jeter all together, but then I realize that its not the man that annoys me so much, just the way he’s portrayed, or, more to the point, the volume at which he is crammed down my throat!

The hypocrisy knows no bounds; before, everyone liked to write the aforementioned ‘Jeter can’t hit anymore’ articles (which weren’t totally unfair, but were certainly driven into the ground), but now everyone likes to write articles about how incredible it is given the legacy of other great Yankees players, no other Yankee has ever gotten to 3000 hits. Yet, if you stop and think about it, its not that incredible at all. Think about who the other great Yankee players were and what kind of players they were – mostly power hitters who walked a lot. Babe Ruth obviously came over from the Red Sox, so that scratches him off the list immediately. Lou Gehrig became ill and had to retire; otherwise, i’m fairly certain he’d hold most of the overall offensive records, because he was that good. Joe DiMaggio lost a few seasons to WW2; Mickey Mantle was always dealing with some injury or another (not to mention his lifestyle), and Yogi Berra was a catcher, and as good as he was, never had 200 hits in a season – not to mention the fact that none of these guys played in a 162 game season, so its fairly hard to compare. And then there are the zillions of other factors that separate different generations: ball composition, bat composition, the advent of the night game, coast to coast travel, free agency, personal trainers, and so on.

Jeter is great – he’s a first ballot hall of famer, and I don’t mean to take anything away from his accomplishments or his overall career. I think he’s great. But it sure would be great if we could put it in perspective – he got his 3000th hit, he’s relieved that the pressure is off (to paraphrase his quote a little) – lets all move on. I don’t care that the guy gave the ball back! Who cares? Why is this story so important to everyone? He gave it back; great. If he kept it, and then went on to keep it forever or sell it, well, that’s great, too. Maybe he’s got a mortgage, student loans, or just hates his job… who cares what he did with the ball? Jeter and everything around him gets so blown out of proportion that frankly, I don’t know how the guy doesn’t lose his mind.

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July 6, 2011

33 Dogs Named Jeter

by Jamie Insalaco

 

33 dogs named jeter

"I got it!"

If you frequent the New York Times as often as I do (almost daily), it’s still easy to miss articles because their publication is so massive, and is even more so online, so it’s understandable if you missed this gem: Some Pet Owners Judge Jeter Name Best in Show

Before we get to the article, let me say this: Jorge Castillo has OUTDONE HIMSELF. This is sports journalism at it’s finest. Seriously. Pulitzer – no, F that – Nobel! Castillo deserves the Nobel Prize for this article!

Here are some notable quotes:

New York City, you see, is home to 33 dogs actively registered under the name Jeter. Across the Hudson, at the Valley Animal Hospital in Clifton, N.J., there are seven clients who go by the name Jeter, and on a single mail route in nearby Montclair, there are at least two Jeters — both reported to be friendly. In Jersey City, a Labrador is named Jeter; in Stamford, Conn., the city’s lone Jeter is a beagle.

Oh, those two Jeter dogs are friendly – that the lord! What if they were vicious, insane killer dogs who bark and when they bark, bees come out of their mouths? So, this begs the question: is Jeter one of the more popular names for dogs in our area?

In New York, Jeter does not come close to cracking the city’s 10 most popular dog names. That list consists of traditional dog names like Max, which 942 dogs answer to in the five boroughs. The only top name that could possibly be associated with an athlete is Rocky, which is the third-most popular name in the city, with 644 dogs licensed.

Guess not. But, let’s remember: Mr. Castillo said “Some Pet Owners Judge Jeter Name Best in Show,” not all. But do people name their kids after Jeter? Turns out, they do.

Check it:

But pets are not the only Jeters around. According to the Social Security Administration, 47 baby boys nationwide were named Jeter in 2010, up from 39 in 2009. In 1998, five newborns were given the name.

Yet, Jeter as a baby name does not compare to another Yankees legend. In 1957, Mickey Mantle won the second of his back-to-back American league Most Valuable Player Awards and led the Yankees to the World Series title. That same, year 944 babies were named Mickey.

I was totally going to ask if Jeter was the most popular name for Yankee fans to name their kids, but nope, doesn’t look like it’s close. But, uhm, you know… nice factoid, I guess.

More Quotes:

Jack Beibel, 16, of Montclair said he named his dog Jeter because the shortstop was his favorite player. His cockapoo has taken to it.

“If we yell, ‘Yankees,’ he starts barking,’ ” Beibel said. “And if we yell, ‘Red Sox,’ he kneels down.”

When reached for comment, my German Shepard mix remarked, “I find this all very undignified.”

Additional Quotes:

Jeter, by this canine measure, is more popular than his teammates, according to statistics provided by the New York City Department of Health. There is, for instance, one licensed dog named A-Rod. There are eight licensed dogs named Tex in the city, although it is far from clear whether they are all named in honor of Mark Teixeira.

Take that, A-Rod! You may have MVP awards, a World Series ring, millions of dollars, fame,Cameron Diaz (you can keep her, actually), but hey, almost nobody is naming their dog after you. Almost nobody. Anyway, I asked my Golden Retriever for her thoughts on Jeter and she replied, “I go to my right better than he does.” I can’t argue with that – she’s the most gifted athlete since… well, since A-Rod. I think she could certainly field the ball at all infield and outfield positions, but I’m not sure how she’d do at making throws, especially to the plate from right field…

This is a real article. I did not make this up – I can’t stress that enough, because this seems like the sort of joke I’d make. (NOTE: see ‘Derek Jeter has a distinct old man smell.’) I can’t imagine what the New York Times wa thinking. I know the 3000 hit chase is nearing its close (as the article notes), so up until then, is it going to be general press policy to get these weird peripheral Jeter stories out there until he gets it done? Did everyone stop what they were doing and write their stories praising his career already so they wouldn’t have to rush when it happened, only to find that he got hurt and they had all the time they could need and now have nothing else to write about? I just don’t understand who comes up with this concept, writes the article and publishes it – via the New York Times. The Times! This is the sort of BS filler I expect from The Post. I love dogs, and to an extent, I’m a big fan of Derek Jeter; but lets get a hold of ourselves.

LINK DUMP:
If you haven’t already, check out NoMaas.org’s interview with Mark Newman concerning the Yankees farm system – it’s interesting stuff. If you are not familiar with NoMaas, please be advised BEFORE you click the link that I am not responsible for any content on their site or affiliated with them in any way. I don’t have a problem with their site, but they make this blog look like courtesy class – especially the comments. (Just FYI)

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July 5, 2011

Somebody wake up Joe Girardi!

by Jamie Insalaco

AJ Burnett is not necessarily the best pitcher to ever grace a mound with his presence. Sure, you’ll hear tales of his filthy stuff, and it’s true, to an extent: Burnett has some good pitches in his arsenal, including a hard fastball and a snapping curve ball. In yesterday’s fourth of July game, he struggled but overcame in the 1st inning but overall, pitched 6 solid innings. Sure, at the end of the 6th, he looked a little tired, but I couldn’t begrudge Joe Girardi for sending him out there for the 7th, especially after how much the bullpen worked in the Mets series. But at some point, you have to go to your bullpen.

AJ Burnett is not the sort of guy who saves your bullpen; he’s just not. Sure, he’ll go 8 innings every once and a while, but it’s just not who he is. So after that Shelly Duncan at bat, during which Burnett was clearly tired and didn’t have anything left and couldn’t snap off a curve ball to save his life, Girardi left him in there. He didn’t go to his bullpen, he didn’t send Larry Rothschild or even Russell Martin out there to give him a breather.

After the Duncan single, I thought it was obvious that it was time for a call to the bullpen to get somebody up before the ball got back to the infield, followed by a lengthy mound visit. Then, the next batter should have been given the unintentional intentional walk. By then, your bullpen guy ought to be ready to go, and you make the change. It’s that simple.

Instead, BOOM – home run, and the Yankees go on to loose a game they should have found a way to win. Nice job, Girardi!

YANKEESNEWS VIA TEXT:
Today’s text reads: “HBO & MLB Productions to produce a 1 hour special chronicling Jeter’s 3K chase.”
My guess is that working titles include, “Boring as Hell: Jeter’s 3000 Chase” or “Jeter Documentary: The Best Editing You’ll Ever See,” because this must be one boring film. How much drama could the end possibly have in store? Jeter did not have a good offensive year last year (.270 average, 179 hits), nor has he this year (.256 average, 68 hits), and he’s been hurt for the last several weeks with 6 hits to go. Maybe I’ll get more excited about this as we get to the end, but right now, I’m not interested in Jeter’s personal achievements – but I’m happy to have his glove back, because Edwardo Nunez can not field.

YANKEES VIA EMAIL:
subject – MLB best Six Yankees are headed to the All-Star Game
In case you didn’t already hear, the Yankees heading to the All Star game are

Can we PLEASE climb out of Jeter’s ass? A-Rod has been to the All Star Game a few times, why can’t we count how many times he’s been? And really, Jeter is one of the six best Yankees on the team? Really? Derek Jeter is having a better year and/or is more valuable to the team that Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia or Brett Gardner? Or how about David Robinson, for that matter? I feel like I spend a lot of time writing negative things about Jeter in this space, but I don’t hate the guy – I just don’t think he’s the golden god everyone else makes him out to be – at least he’s not anymore.

Whatever, I don’t care about the all star game and I wish no Yankees were going, because if anyone gets so much as a cramp from appearing in the farce, I’m going to be PISSED!

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