Archive for Derek Jeter

We’ve all been there: In a text message exchange, with no idea how to end it. Do you respond to the smiley face? With a smiley face of your own? Do you show some teeth? What about the smiley face wearing a party hat? Or the one wearing sunglasses? A thumbs up? What’s the bloody protocol? It’s all very confusing.

At least it was, until Wednesday. Until the one and only Cliff Lee showed us all how it’s done. Prompted repeatedly via SMS by his former teammate Ian Kinsler to “Just sign it,” the Texas Rangers’ contract offer, Lee responded by sending Kinsler a photo of a deer shot on Clifton Phifer’s estate by a friend.

Brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that?

Anyway, the electronic banter between buddies Kinsler and Lee got me thinking: What have Derek Jeter’s former — for now — teammates been texting him? Thankfully, we here at NotGraphs have immeasurable resources, and were able to find out.

Mark Teixeira, Nov. 20, 2010, 8:48 pm:

I can’t believe they’re offering you less per season than Burnett!

Andy Pettitte, Nov. 22, 2010, 3:37 pm:

Tell CASHman you’re thinking about retiring. Works. Every. Time.

Mariano Rivera, Nov. 22, 2010, 9:07 pm:

You know Derek, 3 years and $45 million isn’t so bad. Jesus is everything!

Alex Rodriguez, Nov. 23, 2010, 4:31 pm:

Cameron Diaz. Your move, Captain.

C.C. Sabathia, Nov. 26, 2010, 9:32 am:

We gotta talk. Free for lunch? Buffet! I’m buying.

A.J. Burnett, Nov. 28, 2010, 10:01 pm:

I can’t believe they’re offering you less per season than Burnett!

Nick Swisher, Nov. 30, 11:42 am:

WHAT UP BRAH?

Alex Rodriguez, Dec. 1, 3:11 am:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Brian Cashman, Dec. 2, 6:21 pm:

No hard feelings?

The New York Yankees: One big, happy family.

Two posts into my not-so-illustrious NotGraphs career, and they’ve both been about Derek Jeter. I’m sorry. For your sake and mine, let’s pray this gets resolved before next Tuesday.

If you need me, I’ll be in my backyard, hunting.

Image courtesy Greg Schmigel.

One of the many websites I treasure on the Internet is Yahoo! Answers. It’s where you’re left with little to no doubt that there are people out there much, much dumber than you. And who doesn’t need a little self assurance every now and then?

Last week, as contract negotiations between the New York Yankees and Derek Jeter went from bad to worse, Yahoo! user snc413 became rightfully concerned. He asked:

if the red sox sign derek jeter, will the yankees have the curse of the captain? [sic]

Fellow Yahoo! community member Rick was quick and to the point in his response. His answer, voted the best by two souls, settled the matter:

Derek Jeter will never sign with Boston. ever. [sic]

It was user acedelux’s answer, though, that reminded me why I adore Yahoo! Answers:

I do not know about this “curse” on the Red Sox however, the Red Sox organization should not have to pay millions of dollars to someone with no brain. Jeter will want millions and millions of dollars and the Red Sox organization will say “Are you out of your mind!?” [sic]

Here’s what we learned:

Derek Jeter, apparently, has no brain. He’s made it awfully far in life, and with women, without one.

Derek Jeter wants millions and millions of dollars. As much as The Captain may be out of his mind, he’s a five-time Gold Glover, and don’t you dare forget it.

Now, picture this: Derek Jeter in a Boston Red Sox uniform, the captain’s “C” on his jersey, and The Curse of the Captain wreaking havoc in the Bronx. If I’m Theo Epstein, I’ve had my people call Derek Jeter’s people. We’ve had lunch. And I’ve tabled an offer. One year, $25 million. You know, for sh*ts and giggles. What’s a little gamesmanship amongst Evil Empires?

Image courtesy The Los Angeles Times, and a tip of the cap to Yahoo! Answers. Don’t ever change.

The always-excellent Joe Posnanski submitted his vote for Sportsman of the Year this Monday, and his selection couldn’t be more different than the man the voters chose last year. Derek Jeter was the sportsman of 2009, and he was a veteran that had reversed some statistical signs of aging and poor defense to turn in the second-best season of his career (by WAR) at 35. His team won the championship. He was the starting shortstop. He was a matinee idol in the cultural capital of America, he was getting married, and babies were being named after him.

So it’s kind of a long way from there to Armando Galarraga, Posnanski’s vote for 2010. Galarraga didn’t make his substantial major league debut until he was 25, and in his best season hasn’t approached Jeter’s worst season (by WAR). He’s not a great pitcher – a 4.87 FIP is about right for a flyball pitcher with a below-average strikeout rate – and this season he wasn’t even an average pitcher. Obviously, this isn’t about excellence at his sport. Take it away, Joe:

Joyce would handle his mistake with great dignity. But the real hero was Galarraga. He did not argue with Joyce on the field. He just sort of smiled. He retired the next batter, Trevor Crowe, and finished off the game as a one-hitter (making this, in the minds of many, the first 28-out perfect game in baseball history). And then he went into the clubhouse and told reporters that he was very proud of the way he pitched. When asked about Joyce immediately afterward, he said that Joyce should not worry about it, that everybody makes mistakes. He actually planned to go to Joyce to make HIM feel better. Later, when Joyce came to see Galarraga to apologize for missing the call, the pitcher reiterated his stance. It meant a lot to him that Joyce came over to apologize.

“Nobody’s perfect,” Galarraga said.

Of course, Posnanski covers the different definitions of “Sportsman” in the preamble for his vote. And it’s no brain-buster to point out that we admire athletes for their excellence as well as their grace or good conduct – when we can. Former winners of the award seem to have won because of excellence and timing – such as Dwyane Wade the year he won the championship and the Boston Red Sox in 2004. But there are those that have won for other reasons, such as Arthur Ashe in 1992. Look at the whole list of winners and you realize that the definition is malleable and usually depends on the crossover appeal of the story. The “size of the story” was probably behind Posnanski’s 2008 vote for Stephen Curry and the fun he brought back to college basketball, and was probably also be behind his vote for Gallaraga.

But is there some sort of link – intentional or not – between last year’s winner and this year’s vote? Jeter’s big moment this year was very un-“sportsman”-like, in terms of fair conduct, and then there’s the relative excellence and careers of these two baseball men. Perhaps I’m being guilty of cynicism, or maybe I’m just making a connection where there is none. I’m certainly not accusing Posnanski of any untoward behavior. It’s just funny thing that occurred to me while considering a below-average ‘sportsman’ for the Sportsman of the Year. The most likely explanation is the fact that Galarraga and his near-perfect game were the baseball story of the year in the way that it warmed our collective heart.

But it’s also at least worth considering what candidate baseball might have been put forward if the focus were instead on excellence as it has been in years past. Would we be considering Buster Posey more heavily? He made his major league debut at a difficult position and then was instrumental to taking the Giants to their first San Franciscan title. If only he had put forth a more spectacular postseason line, this might be our story. .288/.354/.390 is pretty good, especially for a rookie, but it doesn’t win you postseason hardware or the imagination of the Sportsman of the Year voters – especially on a team full of so many characters and heros. At least this is the right track, judging from Tom Verducci’s vote – the Giants as a whole.

In the end, though, the Sportsman of the Year seems to be the main character in the story that most captured the sporting worlds’ imagination. Is that Armando Galarraga’s “im”perfect game for baseball and for you?