My wife, god bless her soul, was a baseball fan before she met me. Her father was one of the Marlins’ original season-ticket holders and my wife was the only one of his three children that loved to make the one-hour drive down to Miami to see Chucky Carr patrol centerfield for the expansion-Fish. (Luckily, through some intense debriefing, I have convinced her that Miami, and everything associated with it –especially the Dolphins and Marlins– are the problem with the modern world).
That said, she has reached a new level of baseball appreciation since the start of the 2008 season and her love of the Rays is only surpassed by our two-year-old daughter’s fandom. Because she loves the game now, I thought it would be appropriate to write occasional posts based on her observations (which are not clouded by the propaganda old baseball men in Tampa pound into the heads of little leaguers) and her questions. All those posts will be tagged “Questions from the Mrs.”
That was a long introduction but the background was necessary. One of my wife’s favorite baseball debates is when cheating is cheating and when it is “gamesmanship.” (First, can we all agree that there is no way that “gamesmanship” is a word?)
AP
This discussion, of course, arose last night when the Yankee captain faked his way to first base pretending that he was hit by a pitch. When it happened, I sent a string of profanity-laden text messages to Yankee-fan friends
and threatened to head over to Jeter’s new Davis Islands home and burn it to the ground (that was obviously
an idle threat because I’d need the Great Chicago Fire to even dent that monstrosity).
But, upon further review, perhaps I owe Jeter an apology. Here was his take after the game:
“The bat,” Jeter said. “The umpire told me to go to first.”
Was Jeter attempting to shake off the vibrations?
“Vibrations and acting, both,” he said. “That’s part of the game. My job is to get on base. I have been hit and not gotten on base.”
Truth is, I sort of agree. It was a one-run game, in September, and first place was on the line. If Jason Bartlett did that in front of a BJ Upton home run, I’d be praising him for doing anything necessary to win the East. Jeter, I suppose, was doing the same thing at time when he is scuffling at the plate. So, in this instance, my vote is that Jeter’s antics, while unsavory, fall within the accepted range of baseball gamesmanship — akin to stalling at the mound while a pitcher warms up in the bullpen.
I think the stalling thing is a bit different. To me, the better analogy is the guy making the safe sign in an effort to “sell” the ump, or the “neighborhood” play at 2nd base. The goal of the batter is to get on base and the goal of the fielder is to get the runner out. Jeter didn’t cheat; he just tried to sell his way onto first base. Just like every other player would have done.
Just as Cleveland’s Jason Donald didn’t raise his hand and say “yes, I am out” in Andres Galarraga’s non-perfect game. Is Jeter any more required to be honest about a bad call than Jason Donald?
Well, if they are taking ethics lessons from those credit card commercials where the high school basketball player tells the ref he touched the ball, then yes, they are required to tell the umpire the truth. But it’s hard to blame them for not doing it. Especially in the heat of the pennant race.
Not speaking up over a bad call in your favor is one thing, even though that values commercial says otherwise. LOL However, that is not the same thing as causing the bad call by blatantly lying, making faces, jumping around and acting like an injured little girl. That said, if you feel the need to lie and cheat at least stick to your story! Don’t tell the media afterwards that you were acting. At least show determination by sticking to your story.
You make a fair point. For whatever reason, baseball has its own rules in these situations that are not acceptable in other walks of life. I agree with everyone that says it is a bad example of general ethics but I also know it is how the game has always been played.
To your point on consistent stories, that actually scored points with me. I am much more annoyed by players that stick by their lie when they know that 20 cameras showed us all the truth. I might feel differently if I was the home plate umpire Jeter threw under the bus in the newspaper.
I don’t Think its Cheating but I do hope Mr. Price reminds Mr. Jeter
what its like to wear a 98mph fastball. First at bat when he can claim he hand’t “settled in yet”!
That is the one thing about the Jeter situation that stunk. His next at bat came in the 9th inning of a one-run game when he was free from retaliation. It will be interesting to see if he gets one in the back in New York. Knowing the Yankees, they will overreact to it and all hell will break loose.
To Michele’s assertion…Jeter was absolutely “not guilty” of “causing the bad call by blatantly lying, making faces, jumping around and acting like an injured little girl”. Watch the replay. Ump was waving him to 1st AS he turns his head to the left watching Jeter exiting the batter’s box. Jeter’s antics may have confirmed the call in the ump’s mind; certainly DID NOT create the call. As the Ray’s “colorful idiot” repeatedly said, “Let’s get it right”.
To your comment about the NY trip. Jeter will (and should) get plunked in NY. Let’s respond like we’ve been there, though. Yankee team reaction to it is expected, and part of baseball. Any respectable team reacts to one of their own getting thrown at…whether it’s appropriate or not never matters.
Good job, Mark. Looking forward to reading more.
Fair point Doug. I am not sure when the umpire awarded the base. But, if it was before he saw the antics, then they become sort of irrelevant.
As for our reaction, I am less worried about us than the Yankees. Girardi has shown time and again to be a petulant little child when it comes to his players getting disciplined by other teams.
Thanks for the kind words. Keep reading and tell your friends.
Will do.
Yeah, add Girardi to the mix and you’ve got a fair point. That was one thing “Mr. Torre” gave them…a reasoned approach to things = class.
Love the TB – NYY matchups.