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Ridiculous Patch is Latest Proof No One Believes in Derek Jeter's Legend More Than Derek Jeter

Lil Bit Special

By Lil Bit Special
in Baseball

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Lil Bit Special

Lil Bit Special

Posted
Posted

Jeez, I don't know who writes the headlines around this place, but that's waytoo harsh.

So before I get inundated by Yankees message board dwellers -- U BETTER RESPE2T THE CAPTIN YOU CHOWDAHHEAD 27 RINGS!!!?!, etc., etc. -- let me amend that shameful lack of respect by said anonymous headline writer:

Fox Sports during the McCarver years believed in Derek Jeter's legend more than Derek Jeter. But among believers in Derek Jeter's legend, Derek Jeter was a close second.

Also: I wrote the headline.

Listen, I'm being facetious to some degree. Believe me, I'd like to dig up that ancient argument from my relative youth that Nomar is a better. For a brief time, he was. But Jeter won the debate a decade ago. Maybe you can evenpinpoint it to the precise inning.

Jeter has been damn fortunate in his career -- no player in history has been a better match of position, place and time than he was as the shortstop of the New York Yankees in the 1990s and early 2000s.

But greatness becomes him. Jeter earned it through longevity, consistency, and frequent high-profile brilliance. Even a Red Sox fan must acknowledge that he is an all-time great, a face of the game not just for his era but through all of the eras.

That's not up for debate. He's sixth all-time in hits (3,445), has been a central figure on five champions (his performance rarely wavered from regular season to postseason, a heck of a feat given the enhanced competition and pressure), and he's done it all with the same team, a rare achievement worthy of salutation.

I'm just not sure this requires acknowledgment with a commemorative patchwhile he's still playing.

Did you see this ridiculousness?

The Derek Jeter patch will be worn by the team from Sept. 7 through the end of the 2014 season.#FarewellCaptain pic.twitter.com/0J80fJnCSX

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) 

September 2, 2014

Commemorating an active player with a patch -- something his current teammates are obligated to wear -- is tacky enough. But that's not the end of it.

Steiner Sports, the high-end memorabilia dealer, has an agreement with Jeter that permits them to sell the game-used merchandise from these final games, including baseballs carrying the logo. Steiner is already selling game-worn Jeter jerseys that reportedly sell for $25,000. Imagine the haul they'll get for jersey with the patch.

Maybe there's a charitable aspect to this that we don't know about. Many of the gifts on Jeter's farewell tour -- say, isn't such a thing also against his alleged humble nature? -- have included a donation to his Turn 2 Foundation.

But for a player who is relentlessly praised as the epitome of class, this sure does smell crass. And it's a recurring theme recently. Jeter recently wore cleats decorated with his own accomplishments -- in essence, they were an ode to his baseball-reference.com page.

a classy cleat pic.twitter.com/y7UBrihhWZ

— nick pants (@nick_pants) 

August 5, 2014

You'd think he'd have had the self-awareness to take a black marker to that five Gold Gloves nonsense. But maybe self-awareness, like ranging to his left, is one of the tools he lacks.

He's long been feted as the ultimate team guy, and I'm sure the vast majority fortunate enough to have played with him see him that way. Hey, Mythmaking of the Captain isn't exclusive to the Yankees -- it happened here to a lesser degree with Jason Varitek. But there are clues that Jeter's team-first approach stops somewhere short of sacrificing something important to him for the betterment of the team.

He should have moved from shortstop a decade ago. Robin Yount did it. So did Cal Ripken. Why didn't Jeter? Because the identity of being the Yankees shortstop mattered above all else.

And now, there's this: With a postseason berth slipping away from the Yankees -- with 26 games left, they're five games behind two teams in the race for the second wild-card -- shouldn't he take the burden off manager Joe Girardi and volunteer to take his .619 OPS (.560 in the second half) to a lower spot in the order. Isn't that what a captain should do?

Or does he think that No. 2 on his jersey entitles him to the same spot in the batting order?

What's puzzling about all of this -- what makes you believe it's Jeter driving it -- is that no franchise in sports does a better job with homages and honoring its franchise history than the Yankees. They have so much history and success to draw upon. Tragedy too.

 

 

The Yankees have Monument Park and the coolest old timers' day of anyone. And they pulled together superbly graceful farewell just last year when Mariano Rivera, the finest closer of all-time, said his goodbye.

Jeter was appropriately central in the perfect final scene, joining longtime teammate Andy Pettitte on the mound to remove Rivera from his final game. Perhaps the Yankees will match or trump that during Jeter's final game in New York, though its certainly trending toward the commercial and the maudlin.

Rivera has to be the most respected opponent in Red Sox history, particularly after Opening Day 2005.

Jeter? Sure, he's earned similar respect. Respe2t, even, if he prefers his personal, Nike-branded version of the word.

But don't deny that "Re$pect" has become a strange part of this too.

I'm not suggesting the emperor has no clothes. But the captain, man, he sure does have some gaudy cleats.

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Bugg

Bugg

Posted
Posted

Jeter has had a tremendous career.

 

Having said that his monetizing of his retirement which he is very much  part of is an embarrassment.Steiner couldn't do this without him.

 

And while he is not the only reason the Yanks wn't make the playoffs he is part of why they won't. Batting him 2nd all year was a bad idea.

 

He is now below replacement value. Brendan Ryan and Stepehn Drew are no worse offensivelly, both are better defensively.He cannot get around a good fastball any more.  

 

"His .261 average is devoid of much impact. He has 18 extra-base hits. That is tied with Stephen Drew, among others, for 253rd in the majors. But Jeter has come to the plate 539 times and Drew 225. So while Drew is hitting just .167, I am not sure he is a worse option than Jeter — at least the potential to hit for impact is greater." Joel Sherman

 

What stats don't tell you is his range (never great) is now limited to popups and balls hit right to him.

 

May be there are some empty-headed Yankee fans who will scoop up the farewell tour tickets and merchandise. But for the life of me cannot understand why. Have nothing with Jeter making all the cash he can, but that doesn't mean it's a dignified way to do things.

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Bob

Bob

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I'm not springing for the merch, but seeing a game on his farewell tour is a fair thing for Yankees fans to want to do, despite his decline. He's been important to us for a long time.

 

Some of the criticism is fair. He should not be batting second, but Girardi lacks both the balls and brains to do anything about that. The Yankees were not going to make a serious playoff run this year, anyway, with their limited talent and idiot manager, so keeping Jeter at short, where the fans want him, causes no real harm.

 

I hate the patch, too, and think it's weird that he'll be wearing it, himself. Still, Boston fans like the tool who wrote that column can go **** themselves.

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shawn306

shawn306

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I'm not springing for the merch, but seeing a game on his farewell tour is a fair thing for Yankees fans to want to do, despite his decline. He's been important to us for a long time.

 

Some of the criticism is fair. He should not be batting second, but Girardi lacks both the balls and brains to do anything about that. The Yankees were not going to make a serious playoff run this year, anyway, with their limited talent and idiot manager, so keeping Jeter at short, where the fans want him, causes no real harm.

 

I hate the patch, too, and think it's weird that he'll be wearing it, himself. Still, Boston fans like the tool who wrote that column can go **** themselves.

 

Nomah's Bettah !!!!!!

 

Good to hear from you Bob

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Maxman

Maxman

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I'm trying to ignore and forget everything about this season, I'll just get mad otherwise. I don't want remember Jeter for this fiasco.

 

This year is painful. Just painful. Losing Mo last year, Jeter after this year....more pain.

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kay_gee

kay_gee

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Posted

Totally agree. Rivera will be the acid test. If he is not unanimous than I doubt Jeter will be either.

no one will ever be unanimous because the voters are ridiculous. "well if babe ruth wasn't unanimous, no one should ever be!!!!!1!!!1!!!"

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PFSIKH

PFSIKH

Posted
Posted

Lets face it, we've been spoiled for almost 20 years. it cant last forever.

 

Word.

 

With Brady's ending coming in the next 1-10 years, I am realizing football will never be the same for the rest of my life.

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