Jeter to miss all star game for "exhaustion"

[Eja117]

Jeter may feel a guy can get too tired to do his job or fulfill his responsibilities and I don't see why that should be exclusive to him.

Again, this seems to be the crux of our differences.  Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm unaware of appearing in the ASG if selected as being one of his responsibilities. 

He has done his job remarkably poorly this season, to the tune of a career-low 86 OPS+.  I don't assess this particular issue relevant to the discussion of how he does his job or fulfills his responsibility.

At some point can't a writer say "Yeah that guy was good. But he was a jerk. He felt like it was ok to just sorta take a huge dump on the game and the fans. I'm not voting for Jeter, or Pete Rose, or Bonds, or Kofax, or Ty Cobb, or Shoeless Joe. I'm just not doing it"? 

Putting aside for the moment the hyperbole used here, sure, a writer can say those things.  And then we can have a Hall of Fame made up of something other than the guys who were the very best at baseball.  That would be a shame for those of us who think it would be cool for the Hall of Fame to serve as a shrine for the guys who were the very best at baseball.

-sw

If it's not his job, whose is it? If it's not his responsibility whose is it? 

The HOF isn't just for guys that were good at the game. It's for guys that respected the game and guys the game respected.

What you're suggesting is kinda like saying it would be a good idea to have a HOF for the world's strongest men and then allow in men that used that strength to beat up women and the elderly.  I mean hey. The place should be a shrine to the strongest, right? Doesn't matter how they went about it or anything.

I see sports like baseball as bigger than individuals. Like in Field of Dreams when Ty Cobb showed up they told him to stick it.  It's not like they asked him to play and he was just too tired to be bothered. 

I admit the all-star game isn't as important as it once was now that we have interleague play and 24/7 coverage on multiple channels and the internet.  It's still important. Yes it's an exhibition. That's the whole point. Exhibit. Let people see the best play each other.  Let fans see all their favorite players play at the same time. That's kind of the point. When a guy acts like he can't be bothered I don't see how anyone owes him anything any more. Other than what's in his contract I guess. That goes both ways. There's a reason why baseball isn't what it once was and guys like Jeter are part of the reason why.

[Steve Weinman]

What you're suggesting is kinda like saying it would be a good idea to have a HOF for the world's strongest men and then allow in men that used that strength to beat up women and the elderly.  I mean hey. The place should be a shrine to the strongest, right? Doesn't matter how they went about it or anything.

Yes, that's what I'm suggesting: That Derek Jeter choosing to use his once-elite (albeit not as much in recent seasons) baseball skills only to attempt to beat up on opponents in games that count in the standings is analogous to strong men beating up women and elderly people instead of beating up other strong men.  Or lugging huge poles around.  Or picking up cars with one hand.  Or something.

Even at my peak level of physical performance (which was assuredly nothing to write home about), I was not of the fitness level to chase anything moving with the velocity with which the goalposts of this discussion are flying.

It's been a pleasure.

-sw

[Eja117]

What you're suggesting is kinda like saying it would be a good idea to have a HOF for the world's strongest men and then allow in men that used that strength to beat up women and the elderly.  I mean hey. The place should be a shrine to the strongest, right? Doesn't matter how they went about it or anything.

Yes, that's what I'm suggesting: That Derek Jeter choosing to use his once-elite (albeit not as much in recent seasons) baseball skills only to attempt to beat up on opponents in games that count in the standings is analogous to strong men beating up women and elderly people instead of beating up other strong men.  Or lugging huge poles around.  Or picking up cars with one hand.  Or something.

Even at my peak level of physical performance (which was assuredly nothing to write home about), I was not of the fitness level to chase anything moving with the velocity with which the goalposts of this discussion are flying.

It's been a pleasure.

-sw

What can I say? I grew up watching Adam Viniateri so my expectations are for people to be able to routinely hit field goals through blizzards and wind.  Now there was a Hall of Famer that showed up.   

[soap07]

The HOF isn't just for guys that were good at the game. It's for guys that respected the game and guys the game respected.

Let me know where you draw your arbitrary line on what is respecting the game and what is not.

As a Yankee fan, I can't defend Jeter not going, but he's entitled to do what he wants. A lot of players decline to go, except this year he was the glaring one of four Yankees not going. ARod had knee surgery the day before and Mo is dealing with a nagging injury. CC made plans after he didn't make the team and was scheduled to pitch on Sunday. Even if he got selected, he couldn't play. Why sit around for the chance to go stand around in Arizona?

As for Jeter, whatever. I'm sure he regrets it now because of all the fuss made of it, but he was just getting over an injury and had to deal with all the publicity of 3000. Four full days off sounds a whole lot better than traveling to Arizona to play 3 innings. I personally didn't care that he wasn't there, and I don't know why so many non-Yankee fans took offense to it. Sure, he got voted in unjustifiably, but he didn't ask for it, I don't recall him campaigning for votes.

Honestly, there are only a fringe few-non Yankee fans and bored sportswriters who took offense to Jeter not being there. That's it. And the chances of Jeter regretting not going are slim to none. I truly don't think he cares and nor should he. He has done more than enough for the game.

Not that he should've made the team anyways, but that's besides the point.

[Eja117]

The HOF isn't just for guys that were good at the game. It's for guys that respected the game and guys the game respected.

Let me know where you draw your arbitrary line on what is respecting the game and what is not.

As a Yankee fan, I can't defend Jeter not going, but he's entitled to do what he wants. A lot of players decline to go, except this year he was the glaring one of four Yankees not going. ARod had knee surgery the day before and Mo is dealing with a nagging injury. CC made plans after he didn't make the team and was scheduled to pitch on Sunday. Even if he got selected, he couldn't play. Why sit around for the chance to go stand around in Arizona?

As for Jeter, whatever. I'm sure he regrets it now because of all the fuss made of it, but he was just getting over an injury and had to deal with all the publicity of 3000. Four full days off sounds a whole lot better than traveling to Arizona to play 3 innings. I personally didn't care that he wasn't there, and I don't know why so many non-Yankee fans took offense to it. Sure, he got voted in unjustifiably, but he didn't ask for it, I don't recall him campaigning for votes.

Honestly, there are only a fringe few-non Yankee fans and bored sportswriters who took offense to Jeter not being there. That's it. And the chances of Jeter regretting not going are slim to none. I truly don't think he cares and nor should he. He has done more than enough for the game.

Not that he should've made the team anyways, but that's besides the point.

Since the goal posts keep getting moved for all the excuses and rationalizing we do for star athletes it's getting harder to draw the arbitrary line, but it's somewhere on the opposite side of the ever expanding field of low expectations for our star athletes and future hall of famers.

He shouldn't have to show up to work if he doesn't want to. He did that yesterday.   I mean how do I respond to that?   I mean I just 100% completely accurately summed up the position of all the Jeter apologists.


I admit we live in a democracy and a free society of market ideas so I'm fine with the idea that the all star game is no longer supported by the players and  fans and maybe I need to see that.  if baseball players like Hank Aaron and Curt Schilling and Willy Mays start saying the All-star game is dumb then maybe it should be changed and this Jeter thing isn't the dump on the fans that I thought it was. 

[Moranis]

Jeter may feel a guy can get too tired to do his job or fulfill his responsibilities and I don't see why that should be exclusive to him.

Again, this seems to be the crux of our differences.  Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm unaware of appearing in the ASG if selected as being one of his responsibilities. 

He has done his job remarkably poorly this season, to the tune of a career-low 86 OPS+.  I don't assess this particular issue relevant to the discussion of how he does his job or fulfills his responsibility.

At some point can't a writer say "Yeah that guy was good. But he was a jerk. He felt like it was ok to just sorta take a huge dump on the game and the fans. I'm not voting for Jeter, or Pete Rose, or Bonds, or Kofax, or Ty Cobb, or Shoeless Joe. I'm just not doing it"? 

Putting aside for the moment the hyperbole used here, sure, a writer can say those things.  And then we can have a Hall of Fame made up of something other than the guys who were the very best at baseball.  That would be a shame for those of us who think it would be cool for the Hall of Fame to serve as a shrine for the guys who were the very best at baseball.

-sw

If it's not his job, whose is it? If it's not his responsibility whose is it? 

The HOF isn't just for guys that were good at the game. It's for guys that respected the game and guys the game respected.

What you're suggesting is kinda like saying it would be a good idea to have a HOF for the world's strongest men and then allow in men that used that strength to beat up women and the elderly.  I mean hey. The place should be a shrine to the strongest, right? Doesn't matter how they went about it or anything.

I see sports like baseball as bigger than individuals. Like in Field of Dreams when Ty Cobb showed up they told him to stick it.  It's not like they asked him to play and he was just too tired to be bothered. 

I admit the all-star game isn't as important as it once was now that we have interleague play and 24/7 coverage on multiple channels and the internet.  It's still important. Yes it's an exhibition. That's the whole point. Exhibit. Let people see the best play each other.  Let fans see all their favorite players play at the same time. That's kind of the point. When a guy acts like he can't be bothered I don't see how anyone owes him anything any more. Other than what's in his contract I guess. That goes both ways. There's a reason why baseball isn't what it once was and guys like Jeter are part of the reason why.

So then Tom Brady is not a HOFer because he skipped a pro bowl that was after his season was over.  I mean he must not respect the game to miss a meaningless exhibition game and thus should not be in the HOF.

[WeMadeIt17]

This is no big deal to me at all. All red sox fans would be fine if you all star took a break so come on. I see the MlB reasoning saying the could have celebrated his 3,000 hits but who cares. Its an all star game that nobody watched anyway.

[Finkelskyhook]

This is no big deal to me at all. All red sox fans would be fine if you all star took a break so come on. I see the MlB reasoning saying the could have celebrated his 3,000 hits but who cares. Its an all star game that nobody watched anyway.

Wholeheartedly agree.

It would be amazing if anybody in MLB said a peep about one of the leagues perceived good and clean guys skipping a meaningless event ....After taking the money that the steroid era brought while taking a blind eye to the entire era....Then hiring a disingenuous pompous hack to "investigate" after to save face...

I'm no fan of Jeter's "gamesmanship" (cheating)....But this is such a non-issue.  To have our C's limping into a meaningless pickup game instead of resting...Then to see their tanks empty in the playoffs...I like Jeter's approach a lot better.

[Eja117]

This is no big deal to me at all. All red sox fans would be fine if you all star took a break so come on. I see the MlB reasoning saying the could have celebrated his 3,000 hits but who cares. Its an all star game that nobody watched anyway.

Wholeheartedly agree.

It would be amazing if anybody in MLB said a peep about one of the leagues perceived good and clean guys skipping a meaningless event ....After taking the money that the steroid era brought while taking a blind eye to the entire era....Then hiring a disingenuous pompous hack to "investigate" after to save face...

I'm no fan of Jeter's "gamesmanship" (cheating)....But this is such a non-issue.  To have our C's limping into a meaningless pickup game instead of resting...Then to see their tanks empty in the playoffs...I like Jeter's approach a lot better.

But MLB did make a peep.

I totally agree with you on the steroids era. I'm not a big fan of those guys getting in either, although a big reason is more the lying than the actual taking.

There is no way on Earth Jeter would limp into the post season on empty because he played 2 innings in an all-star game. And if he did then he probably doesn't deserve to win. I assume whatever team he plays in the post season would have all-stars too.

This is what I don't know or understand. I don't know lots about the all-star game.  I think the NBA all star game was important for a long time.  Then Kobe waived off Malone to go one on one with Jordan, injured players from China started getting voted in as a starter, and I think that game is lost.

I know very little about hockey.

I know the Pro Bowl was after the regular season in Hawaii. Nobody ever played hard. I have no idea when the Pro Bowl started or if it was ever taken seriously on any level. Did Dick Butkus ever play in one?  Did he ever bite anyone in one of those?  Plus you get named to the team differently, right?  Didn't Rodney Harrison one year not make the Pro Bowl, but made the All-Pro team?

But baseball's all-star game was important once, wasn't it? It was a big deal at one time, wasn't it?  Players actually wanted to go, right? Nobody complained "But I'm too tired!"  Now it's a chore.  What happened? What changed?

Also I'm not buying this whole "I could get hurt" stuff. Has anyone ever been hurt in any all-star game in any sport ever? I'm not aware of "Oh that guy was great that year till the all-star game injury".   It does sound a lot like Beckett pulled a very lame excuse.  And possibly Brady too. Brady does lots of lame things.

[Moranis]

But MLB did make a peep.

Bud Selig sure didn't care.  

"Let's put the Derek Jeter question to bed," Selig said Tuesday. "There isn't a player that I'm more proud of in the last 15 years than Derek Jeter," Selig said. "He has played the game like it should be played. He's even been a better human being off the field as great as he is on the field. So any concerns that I keep hearing about Derek Jeter, I know why Derek Jeter isn't here. I respect that. And I must tell you I think I would have made the same decision that Derek Jeter did."  "Derek Jeter has brought to this sport great pride. He's become a role model. Earned it. Still earning it. And so any suggestion that I, or anybody else, is unhappy with him about not being here is just false."

And for the record, Jeter has said it was his calf not exhaustion and has denied making the quote that was in the original foxsports article

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6770218/new-york-yankees-derek-jeter-explains-decision-skip-all-star-game-festivities

He also indicated he told the media on Friday he wasn't attending, which was before the 3000th hit.

[Eja117]

But MLB did make a peep.

Bud Selig sure didn't care.  

"Let's put the Derek Jeter question to bed," Selig said Tuesday. "There isn't a player that I'm more proud of in the last 15 years than Derek Jeter," Selig said. "He has played the game like it should be played. He's even been a better human being off the field as great as he is on the field. So any concerns that I keep hearing about Derek Jeter, I know why Derek Jeter isn't here. I respect that. And I must tell you I think I would have made the same decision that Derek Jeter did."  "Derek Jeter has brought to this sport great pride. He's become a role model. Earned it. Still earning it. And so any suggestion that I, or anybody else, is unhappy with him about not being here is just false."

And for the record, Jeter has said it was his calf not exhaustion and has denied making the quote that was in the original foxsports article

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6770218/new-york-yankees-derek-jeter-explains-decision-skip-all-star-game-festivities

He also indicated he told the media on Friday he wasn't attending, which was before the 3000th hit.

I look forward to Jeter dumping whatever friend quoted "exhaustion" and then the endless twittering.

I hate sports these days.   So wrong. So not the way it was

[soap07]

Also I'm not buying this whole "I could get hurt" stuff. Has anyone ever been hurt in any all-star game in any sport ever? I'm not aware of "Oh that guy was great that year till the all-star game injury".

Ray Fosse would like a word.

[BASS_THUMPER]

leave him alone he had a date

[celticsclay]

Also I'm not buying this whole "I could get hurt" stuff. Has anyone ever been hurt in any all-star game in any sport ever? I'm not aware of "Oh that guy was great that year till the all-star game injury".

Ray Fosse would like a word.

The patriots had a pretty promising rookie running back about 15 years ago, I believe his name was robert edwards. He ran for over a 1000 yards in his first or second season and then almost had to get his leg amputated after a freak accident pro bowl weekend (though I don't think it happened in the game). He ended up having a cup of coffee with another team a year or two later, but was never close tot he same player.

[Eja117]

Also I'm not buying this whole "I could get hurt" stuff. Has anyone ever been hurt in any all-star game in any sport ever? I'm not aware of "Oh that guy was great that year till the all-star game injury".

Ray Fosse would like a word.

The patriots had a pretty promising rookie running back about 15 years ago, I believe his name was robert edwards. He ran for over a 1000 yards in his first or second season and then almost had to get his leg amputated after a freak accident pro bowl weekend (though I don't think it happened in the game). He ended up having a cup of coffee with another team a year or two later, but was never close tot he same player.

Worst beach volleyball accident ever.  Perhaps that weighed heavily on Jeter's mind