Yankee Stadium's Misfits of Row X

Derek Jeter named S.I. Sportsman of the Year

Derek Jeter is everything that is right with professional sports. 

DJ. Mr. November. Jetes. The Captain. El Capitan. #2 .  and now Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

Since his first full season in 1996 Derek Sanderson Jeter has given this generation of Yankee fans a taste of what our father's generation saw with DiMaggio and his Yankee teams. In an ESPN polluted era where the word "substance" is more frequently aligned with steroid discussions than with a positive evaluation of character Jeter has been a model for little leaguers everywhere.

Think thats not relevant?  Wake up, look around, watch the news. 

Derek Jeter isn't going to cure any diseases, or bring about world peace. But in a world where each day provides fewer and fewer things you can truly believe in, and there seems to be such a dearth of admirable famous figures to look to, he stands up and he does it in a sports city where the expectations and scrutiny are multiplied exponentially

This is a special award for him, because it transcends what he does on the field , it recognizes HOW he does it - and thats largely what makes watching him conduct his business such a pleasure. Individual awards for recent Yankee players are rare. In 2006 Jeter could have easily and fairly been awarded the AL MVP trophy, but it went to a TWIN, who also had a fair argument for garnering the award.  I don't think anyone would argue that there is an anti-Yankee bias outside of New York, when a Chicago writer awards him a 5th place vote for MVP, and nobody else went lower than 3, it sure riques of something rotten. So its nice to see something big, and something formal being awarded to him.

Jeter always knows what to say to interviewers. He always knows what not to say to antagonists.  He always gives the perfect close ended answer.

Jeter's Turn2 foundation has awarded over $10 million in grants to support and drive programs that help keep young people on the right path, and steers them away from drugs and alcohol. This isn't even Jeter's only recognition this fall. On October 29 before WS G2 Jeter was awarded the Roberto Clemente award for his various charitable works.

For those who think Jeter got the award just because he is the quintessential professional, playing shortstop for the quintessential championship franchise,  saying all the right things, you sadly have missed what was an MVP caliber season for the Yankee shortstop whom some have recently said was over the hill and a step too slow to play shortstop.

Your audience is the one that reads an occasional box score, sees highlights on ESPN, or catches an occasional game on YES.  Its so sad for you, so sad that you deny yourselves.

In 2009 Jeter had an MVP caliber season for the team with the best record in MLB.  He broke Lou Gehrig's record for most hits as a Yankee. Yes, THAT Lou Gehrig.  Last year Jeter broke Gehrig's record for the most hits all time at Yankee Stadium.  These are tremendously revered accomplishments. Every time Jeter takes the field you have a chance to see greatness.

The consistently quiet Jeter asserted himself a bit more this October. He went into the postseason talking about "winning the WS for the Boss", Mr. Steinbrenner. As is his wont, he played excellent baseball through another postseason, he made some more vintage Jeter plays at SS, and with the bat he hit .344 and registed a .432 OBP.

Since he arrived on the scene Derek Jeter has been a shining star for Yankees, the most storied franchise in sports, in New York,  the most relentless environment, and he has been a rose in the thorniest era of the greatest sport on earth.

Yankee Winter of Content? - Hal Steinbrenner knows better...

"Its important to win it EVERY year."  

That was Hank Steinbrenner's response after WS G6 when Michael Kay asked him if it was "important to win the World Series in the first year of the new Stadium."

He has never sounded more like his Dad then when he answered that question.  He answered it almost before Kay could get the words out of his mouth, and it wasn't lip service.

It was sincere passion and fire. 100% Steinbrenner.

For MLB 2010 is a new year. For the Yankees, its the year that they go for #28.

It starts with pitching, and Yankee fans have to hope that Andy Pettitte will decide to come back and slot into the #3 spot. The AL EAST is tempestuous and don't think that Boston won't be right back fighting for the top. 

Lester, Beckett, Matsuzaka are a very tough top 3, you have to expect DiceK to have a better year in 2010, sans WBC to tear down his arm.  Lester's ceiling is very high and Beckett is still healthy. Wakefield provides depth.  The Yankees still don't know what they'll get from Joba and/or Hughes in a full time starting role. Its been two years since they were held out of potential trades for Santana. Right now all we know is that they both can be very effective out of the pen. 

Although Joba has shown me that he has the stuff to be a successful starter, he needs work. He showed us in the postseason that coming out of the bullpen for him is as natural as peanut butter and jelly. It just worked, for him, and the team.  Hughes, still needs work.

Two big arms out there - John Lackey and via trade, Roy Halladay . There are others, but remember we are talking about the AL East here. 

Even if the Yankees do bring Pettitte back, they still have to think about 2011, 2012, etc.. Ted Lilly will be a 35 year old free agent, and Cliff Lee will be 32, but you have to think that the Phillies will extend him and keep him with this current contending group. Point is, there aren't any other impact arms expected to be available that year. 

Brian Cashman has a championship core in place today. Its in your clubhouse now. They are NOT a young team. But for the next 2-3 years you have to think that if you can have that 3rd stud behind CC and AJ you should be there.  Jeter, Posada, Arod, and Rivera make up roughly 33% of the Yankees payroll. Does it make sense to deny them a Roy Halladay caliber pitcher for the next few years, when they are still closer to their more productive years - in order to "preserve the youth".

Are the Red Sox upset that Hanley Ramirez is turning into a Hall of Famer down in Marlin-land? No - Hanley was lost in order to WIN the World Series on Josh Beckett's right arm.

Who is going to give the Yankees the best chance to win the World Series in 2010-2012, etc, Halladay or Phil Hughes? Considering Rivera's age, and the way that Joba embraces the bullpen, I'm assuming Hughes would be the one to go. 

I am much more comfortable with the idea of having Halladay in the rotation and Joba throwing the 7th and 8th innings, than not having Halladay, and having CC, AJ, and then "wait and see" with Joba/Hughes to see who slots in at #3.

But wait a second, Mr. Yankee Misfit of Row X, "John Lackey is a gamer, he can be had merely for a lot of money? Why not get him?" -

Fair point, but Lackey has had arm problems for 2 or the past 3 years? Who's been more durable the last 5 years? Who's more efficient mechanically? 

This is the Yankees. The way that they are making money, hand over fist, without paying revenue sharing anymore, they cannot cry any money blues to me.

To pull a quote phrase from the maligned, and somewhat misunderstood, Al Campanis: Cashman, "doesn't have the necessities".  

LISTEN TO HAL!  If its important to win it every year, and you have a great team in that clubhouse right now you need to get the most championships out of them that you can.  That means sacraficing some youth to get the hands down best hired gun out there.  With Pettitte, Halladay could put this team back in that rarified air of the late 90's teams - without Andy - he simply makes them a "better" best team in baseball.

You are an AL team in a 5 game, and then a 7 game playoff series facing Sabathia, Burnette, Halladay - in any particular order. How you feeling about that?

YOU ALWAYS SACRAFICE FUTURE STARS FOR WORLD SERIES' TODAY!

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Parade down the Canyon of Heroes for #27

28

Yankees win 27th World Series Championship

9 years after they last completed the feat, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte make key contributions and win another world series together.

But the big changes from recent past years came in the form of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixera. It should also be mentioned that Damaso Marte has not taken residence in the perpetual World Series nightmares of Philadelphia Phillies star Ryan Howard.

The Core 4...Over 10 years later Jeter, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte do it again

Misfits of Row X Celebrate Yankees 27th World Series Championship

Yanks lead by 2 in going into the 7th inning - Do you bring in Mo?

If you have a chance to go to MO in the 7th inning with a lead do you try to sneak an out or two, or 3 out of Marte, or Joba?

Considering that the Phillies can foul so many pitches off, and that by starting Mo in the 7th you can run into the 9th inning with 40 pitches already on his arm, I think that if the lead is two or more you have to try to get an out or two, with the other guys.

Realistically/ideally, you hope to get 5 out of Pettitte and then Marte and Joba bridge you to the 8th. 

But if you are up by just 1 run going into the 7th you have to put the ball in his hand. He's rested and you could never forgive yourself for not leaving it with him. It shouldn't take him 50 pitches to go through 3 innings.

One key guy still waiting for pie...

Now batting for the Yankees

#2

Derek Jeter

#2

With a chance to go ahead, the Captain hit into a rally killing double play 2 nights ago in Philadelphia.  Could he just be "waiting for the Good Lord" to put him back in the Bronx?