Get over the interruption
The wonderful DJ
I'm no Yankee fan. I'm more of a Yankee hater, but I have to call it like I see it.
Derek Jeter is one of the least appreciated players in baseball. I know, I know he makes $18.6M this year alone in salary. But here's my point. Considering the pressure of New York and the Yankee mystique, since 2003 he has been the quintessential captain of baseball's most storied franchise. Jeter carries himself with an uncanny, down-to-earth demeanor. And don't forget he has put up 10-year stats similar to the immortal Jackie Robinson with more runs, hits, homers and a better batting average. He led his team to World Series victories in '98, '99 and 2000. In these Fall Classics he never hit lower than .353, and was the MVP in 2000 hitting .405.
Say what you want about overrated defense. He is the total package. There's not a better player out there. He makes the must-have play. He has that Jordanesque ability to create synergy, and he never, ever creates a problem for his team on or off the field. In the self-centered world of Barry Bonds, Sammy (the-most-over-rated-hitter-of-all-time) Sosa, Jeter provides the refreshing antithesis to the monster ego. And doesn't exactly embarrass himself between the foul lines.
If he's not the total package of baseball then whom?
Fearless College Football Predictions
1) Georgia will not finish in the ranking's top 10
2) Texas will (finally) beat Oklahoma
3) Texas A&M will beat Texas
4) Mike Price's UTEP Miners will flirt with an undefeated season after going 2-11 in '03
5) BC will beat Florida State at Chestnut Hill
6) Iowa won't live up to their hype
7) LSU will only lose one game all year ... to Arizona State
8) This will be Joe Paterno's last year
9) Matt Leinart will win the Heisman
10) USC will not win the national championship
Tell me what I missed.
I'm no Yankee fan. I'm more of a Yankee hater, but I have to call it like I see it.
Derek Jeter is one of the least appreciated players in baseball. I know, I know he makes $18.6M this year alone in salary. But here's my point. Considering the pressure of New York and the Yankee mystique, since 2003 he has been the quintessential captain of baseball's most storied franchise. Jeter carries himself with an uncanny, down-to-earth demeanor. And don't forget he has put up 10-year stats similar to the immortal Jackie Robinson with more runs, hits, homers and a better batting average. He led his team to World Series victories in '98, '99 and 2000. In these Fall Classics he never hit lower than .353, and was the MVP in 2000 hitting .405.
Say what you want about overrated defense. He is the total package. There's not a better player out there. He makes the must-have play. He has that Jordanesque ability to create synergy, and he never, ever creates a problem for his team on or off the field. In the self-centered world of Barry Bonds, Sammy (the-most-over-rated-hitter-of-all-time) Sosa, Jeter provides the refreshing antithesis to the monster ego. And doesn't exactly embarrass himself between the foul lines.
If he's not the total package of baseball then whom?
Fearless College Football Predictions
1) Georgia will not finish in the ranking's top 10
2) Texas will (finally) beat Oklahoma
3) Texas A&M will beat Texas
4) Mike Price's UTEP Miners will flirt with an undefeated season after going 2-11 in '03
5) BC will beat Florida State at Chestnut Hill
6) Iowa won't live up to their hype
7) LSU will only lose one game all year ... to Arizona State
8) This will be Joe Paterno's last year
9) Matt Leinart will win the Heisman
10) USC will not win the national championship
Tell me what I missed.
posted by DeJon Redd | 12:20 PM
14 Comments:
Tejada over Jeter? I can't call this ludicrous. Miggy is the AS starter, but considering the last 7 - 10 years, I think Jeter does rise above the rest.
Dare to say any has been better than Jeter considering the field, plate and the clubhouse over the past decade?
Tejada didn't hit over .250 or hit more than 21 HRs until 2000.
Synergy: (def): The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
1) Uga won't beat UT in Knoxville, and won't recover
2) You are a homer, Joe.
3) I'll stick buy A&M pulling the upset.
4) I agree with Marshall and UAB as the big challenge, but I'm becoming a big Mike Price fan.
5) My thought: BC over FSU won't even be an upset.
6) After Iowa's (lucky) victory or LSU, my prediction is more a spiteful hope. (I'm a homer too)
7) LSU always starts slow out the gate. Tennessee will be the litmus test, but I stand by ASU sneaking one by us.
8) I'm just ready for JoePa to go away. Thanks for the memories.
9) Vince Young's Heisman hopes will be dashed by the Aggies.
10) I chickened out a bit by not picking a Champ, and I'll keep that way for now. I've made enough guesses in July!
I thought about mentioning the Razorbacks, but I wasn't sure if they were putting together a team since Matt Jones left.
I'm not ready to bow to Urban Meyer yet. His hiring seem to be as the coach d' jour. I suspect he may have gainesville begging the Ole' Ball coach to return.
Football first:
You forgot USC blasting Arkansas by 40 points, followed by a surprise Hog rout over Bama in Tuscaloosa the next week. Easy to forget, though, since the Hogs will probably go 6-5 this year (if they're lucky, 7-4).
You did, however, overlook Ohio State's week 2 defeat of the Longhorns in Columbus. Mark it down.
:-)
Jeter:
Okay, you make the good argument for Jeter being the "total package" - clubhouse, hitting, fielding - but I think most people's total package argument gets weighted by championship rings, which I don't necessarily buy.
How important are rings to the total package? What do you guys think?
In a team sport, I know that's what you play for, but there are many other factors beyond one guy. You can only "lead" so far...
Was Edgar Renteria more of a total package than Ernie Banks? Renteria is a clubhouse favorite, Gold Glove winner, solid hitter, won a ring, etc.
Tony Parker a better floor leader than John Stockton?
Kurt Warner a better total QB than Dan Marino?
Jeter's a great player & leader, but he's played in NY with the top talent money can buy (players & coaches). Put him in Tampa Bay and see what kind of regular season & post-season numbers he puts up.
So if we're talking the greatest "individual" total package, I think rings could be considered, but with qualifications of who he was playing with...
So if you factor in rings w/o qualifications, Jeter's probably the total package.
Take out rings, and I go with young Albert Pujols hands-down...
(You probably could have guessed my Pujols bias, but I think the "rings" argument is a valid one to consider.)
No, but it puts him in perspective. Jordan was supposedly the miracle worker, but turned out he wasn't w/o Phil, Scottie, Horace, and a steady stream of 3-point marksmen when he was triple-teamed.
I don't think anybody is a miracle worker like that, but when we're talking the value of an individual player in terms of leadership, we need to examine how he makes his team better than they would have been w/o him - not their final record.
I know almost nothing about the inner working of athletics except that I root for the Sooners, for the Astros, and against the Longhorns. :)
(For the record, I do understand offense & defense in both football and baseball, so I'm very far ahead of the game in my little circle of friends.)
Also, I don't know what a homer is, but since it seemed to offend Joe based on its reference to his illogical belief that TX would beat OU, then I think it is a good word. (Tee hee hee).
Of course, seeing as I know little to nothing about football and still think OU will win for a 6th straight year, does that make me a homer, too? (My grandpa's name was Homer...someone help me out here.)
I think its safe to say Whit is definitely an OU homer ... ha.
a.k.a. one who issues an opinion favorable of their home team and would never be swayed by facts or logic.
Oh, that describes Joe AND Me perfectly. Luckily, we still can have fun in October (well, at least I do.) Thanks, Dej.
P.S. Totally off the subject, will Ann be home soon?
1 week, 6 days, 3 hours, 23 mins!
Al, I gave some thought to how championships weight an athlete's stature. I see two perspectives.
1) The fan's: As a fan, rings matter. As a Cubs fan I dare not say what I would do to have somebody (ANYBODY) lead us to a championship. RINGS MATTER!
2) The general manager's: I love the business of sports, baseball's hotstove, salary caps collective bargaining. As a Fantasy GM (and trying to think like a real GM) I don't care. I want them in the future not what some guy did 2 or 3 years ago with a cast that will never be assembled again. RINGS DON'T MATTER!
If I'm building my team today Pujols and Tejada are priorities over Jeter.
If I'm a fan reminiscining over recent years, Jeter gets the nod.
Excellent take on the matter, DeJon.
I took the concept of "total package" as looking at it today - which is why I go with Pujols. Derek Lee is better outside of the clubhouse so far this season, but I was taking into account leadership + having proven yourself over "enough" time (whatever that means).
Given the "reminiscing" approach, its Jeter - and this way I can agree with your "least appreciated" description.
Al says: "Derek Lee is better outside of the clubhouse so far this season"
I'm sorry, but that just sounds really good to me. Now if we could just work on the "W" column.
Neifi Perez for President. Two outta three ain't bad.
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