New York Yankees Derek Jeter has a lot more working against him than turning 37 this past Sunday, and I am referring to the local New York press.
In my opinion, age is just a number and the Captain is without a doubt hitting the later part of his torrid career. Instead of embracing Jeter before he returns from the DL just six hits short of making baseball history, the NY media extorts him.
How do I know this for a fact?
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation 2011 Golf Classic. This event’s purpose is to raise money for the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation; a program that enlists professional counselors to teach children about abuse while providing a safe haven for them to talk about any problems they are facing.
As a press-newbie, I was so excited to here from Mr. Torre about this wonderful program that has already helped over 10,000 kids. I had my questions written out, and even if my nerves got the best of me, I could always just record responses to the other reporters’ questions.
Well, was I dumb to ever think that the press was actually reporting on the Charity in hopes of getting as much exposure to it as possible?
Instead, when Mr. Torre got to my group of print and internet reporters, NOT one asked him anything to do with the huge issue of domestic violence in homes.
It was all about Derek Jeter, and the two minutes when it wasn’t about the Captain being a failure it was about the Dodgers going belly-up and if Don Mattingly, who replace Mr. Torre in 2011 as the skipper was scared or distraught and would he make any trades.
This un-classy clan kept asking Mr. Torre would move him in the line-up or if he thought Jeter should step-down and demotes himself?
Torre, being the class act as always answered honestly without giving his opinion. He rightly replied that he is not the Yankees skipper and ask Joe Girardi if they were in such dire straits.
One example of how the event was not the headline, New York Post’s Tim Bontemps story titled, Torre says Jeter would move in Yankees lineup, if asked only mentioned the event as the locale that is it.
Maybe Bontemps missed when Jorge Posada had a temper tantrum after learning he was moved to ninth in the batting order a few weeks back.
Posada got benched, but apologized and admitted it was a bad decision. It was refreshing because it was an honest reaction from a baseball player who is struggling, because he is used to playing everyday.
Jeter, like other Yankee player, will do the job they are given. Understandably it will be hard to adjust but Posada’s immaturity did not last even 24 hours because he is a team player and baseball is a team sport. Continue reading ‘Press Needs To Lay Off New York Yankees Derek Jeter’ »