Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Derek Jeter, Yankee Captain / Bad Ass MC

I just wanted to link to this post on MLB.com because I have yet to find an article about New York Hero/Nobel Prize Winner/Poet Lauriate/Baron Von Clutchtenstein Derek Jeter that doesnt contain the words "Yankee Captain."


First off, I think Derek Jeter is THE most overrated player in MLB history. His stat lines are mediocre, his fielding is way below average, and he isnt even the best shortstop on his team. However, his ability to stay with one high market team is only outdone by the calmness of his eyes and his uncanny ability to find missing children that have been abducted in the last five years.

Secondly, being a captain in baseball isnt saying much, so why use it like its part of his first name? There are only two in the whole freaking league, mainly because you dont need them, and the only other one is Jason "My Last Name is Publically Traded" Varitek. Hmm, interesting trend. Big market teams need captains because most of them are filled with free agents from other small market teams, so they promote the one guy who came up through their farm system to be the "captain." His duties? Well, glad you asked! For Jeter, he needs to be on call any time someone needs a clutch person. Need a best man for your wedding party, day of? Jeter is there. Need a doctor to deliver your baby in a taxi on the way to the hospital? Jeter is there. Need someone to make an overly dramatic throw to first base because his range is so small that he cant properly get into position? Jeter is there. Need someone to hit 50 home runs, OPS a billion, and drive in 150, all with a VORP in the stratosphere? Well, thats another "non-clutch" person on the team.

I love fighting with Jeter fans because they are the people that cite his WS wins, gold gloves and all star appearances like they are stats that actually matter to normal people. They may matter to dumbass HOF voters, but not to people that actually use stats that matter when determining a player's worth. Its like using Wins to determine whether or not a pitcher should be in the hall of fame. "Wait, Bert Blyleven has over 4,000Ks but less than 300 wins? He's out."

Listen, I know he is a first ballot HOFer, and his autos are worth a ton, but I think its a travesty. If Jeter played for Pittsburgh, we would be having a conversation about someone with the star power of Omar Vizquel instead of him. I know there are a lot of people who agree with me, but there arent many sportswriters who acknowledge that fact, right FJM? Regardless, Jeter will still get the most votes for the All Star game because the normal fan is dumber than Paris Hilton after a lobotomy, but that doesnt mean you have to agree. I dont - but I do need someone to jump my car using only mind power, can someone call Jeter?

12 comments:

  1. I think Jeter is a good player, but def. a bit over rated.

    After reading about his alleged affair with Madonna today, he loses points with me.

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  2. I totally agree with you! I'm a Yankee fan as well! This topic came up on SCF and it was quite an interesting discution. But looking at his career stats, overall as you say they are mediocre. As for the WS and All-star game way of judging him. I think he must of helped those teams get to the WS, so I think a little weighting has to go to those, but the All-star voting is purely a popularity contest. So they are pritty much worthless to show his actual on the field production!

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  3. 100% true. I believe you are right with the HOF talk, but history is a cruel mistress. 20 years after he walks his stats will be his memory and there won't be much to see there.

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  4. Oops
    It's A Rod that was caught with Madonna, not Jeter.
    My bad.

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  5. .316 career batting average + 2,400 hits + 3 Gold Gloves + 2 Silver Sluggers = "mediocre"? Riiiight.

    Christ, I don't even root for the Yanks and I find those stats to be impressive.

    Hard to argue with the insinuation that he's the second best shortstop on his team though--a scary thought.

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  6. What the hell are you idiots talking about? He could be the youngest player to 3000 hits. Hits are still important in this day and age right? He averages 150 games a year, it's still important to play in games right? I think you are way off base here, forget the gold gloves and the MVP votes, he has a career batting average of 0.316 and averages over 200 hits a year for 14 years. How many other players right now can say that? Also don't forget the 153 hits he has had in the post season with a post season average of 0.306. It is still important to hit in the post season I think? I'm not saying that he is better than A-Rod because that would be ridiculous, but when it's all said and done A-Rod will be the greatest baseball player ever so is that really a fair comparison. Are you so delusional to think he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame? Is there a more clutch hitter out there right now? Possibly Ichiro, but that's about it. Talking pure baseball right now, just hitting the ball, he is one of the best. Forget the awards, look at his numbers.

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  7. Gold gloves and silver sluggers mean less than all star appearances. First off.

    Secondly, yes, he has a good career batting average, but thats really the only stat he has that matters, but again, still not a good measure of a player. It isnt enough to call him God, like most people do.

    Lastly, post season stuff is crap, especially considering the sheer number of games he has played in. Yes he has been a PART of some great teams, but he plays for the fucking Yankees - its fucking expected that they will make the playoffs. If you spent the money they did and didnt make the playoffs, well fuck, New York would be ablaze.

    Basically, what I was trying to get across in this post was he is not a god among men like people make him. A-rod, well, thats a different story.

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  8. Thank you for writing this! Yankee fans think Jeter played all 25 positions on the 4 WS Championship teams but seem to forget that he was on the losing teams too - let's blame everyone else but Jeter for losing - how about Arod?

    Overrated does not say enough. Screw the GG Awards and SS Awards. If Arod was still at short, what would Jeter have? None of them. Arod is still the best shortstop in baseball and he plays third.

    I love the Yankees myself, but am tired of hearing about how great and touching everything Jeter does is...

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  9. The idea behind baseball - See the ball, hit the ball, Jeter has done that better than any player not named Alex Rodriguez or Ichiro over the past 14 years. He is not a god, but he is definitely HOF worthy. As a follow up to the post season hits not worth anything. Tell Barry Bonds that. Or maybe the entire 2007 WS Colorado Rockies team. They might contradict that statement. I agree though AS and SS awards should not be used as a yard stick.

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  10. Its not all about getting hits though. Baseball is a complex sport. If it was all about getting hits, more DHs would be in the HOF. But, dont worry, he will be in the hall of fame.

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  11. Either way, it still fucking bugs me that every fucking article calls him Yankee Captain Derek Jeter. I havent found one yet that doesnt.

    I mean, they dont say Packer Captain Brett favre every time they talk about him.

    Jeter has been deified in NY because he came up through their system and played with them his whole career. If he was putting up the numbers he has in a market other than the biggest in the world, we wouldnt be talking about him as a fucking god.

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  12. Uh oh. I totally agree about Cap'n Jeter. Gellman, you are one funny dude.

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