tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

The Captain, ARod & All Star Game Nonsense

Yesterday Derek Jeter put another item on his Yankee resume' with a 5 hit day that had him reach the 3,000 hit plateau with a home run and then a game winning RBI single that led the Yankees to a 5-4 win over the Rays.  Jeter's home run in the 3rd inning was hit number 3,000 and the Stadium erupted.  What a class move by Casey Kotchman as he tipped his cap as Jeter rounded first base during his home run trot.

There has been so much criticism of Jeter leading up to yesterday.  His skills are diminshing.  He doesn't deserve to bat lead off.  When will they move him from shortstop.  His hits are not Jeterian and are hits of a declining ballplayer.  But yesterday, the Captain showed that there is still some gas left in the tank.  We have followed a career of a Yankee icon.  One that will take awhile for us to see again.  So instead of criticizing and questioning, how about enjoying what could be the last time that we see such a player in pinstripes again.

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The news on the MRI of Alex Rodrieguez right knee was not good: a slight meniscus tear that requires surgery.  ARod can either play through it or have arthroscopic surgery that would sideline him for at least a month.  While the Yankees will definitely suffer without him in the lineup, at ARod's age I think if he doesn't have the surgery he will be a shadow of himself in September when they will really need him.  In my opinion, he needs to have the surgery.

This will be a tough decision.  Brian Cashman may now need to make a move to get a stop gap veteran to play third.  The other option is to go with Eduardo Nunez.  Certainly they can start with Nunez after the All-Star break and see how it goes.  If it doesn't work then they can move on a trade.  If ARod is out, then others will have to step up.  Derek Jeter's game yesterday may be an indication that the Captain is ready.  They will need him and Swisher and Cano and Texiera and Posada to carry the load.

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Yesterday on Twitter, Buster Olney called out those players, specifically Rivera, Jeter & ARod , who are pulling out of the All-Star Game.  Then Karl Ravitch chimed in to agree with his talking head teammate from ESPN.  These guys should wake up.  If I'm a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees or Atlanta Braves do I want to have Ryan Braun, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, ARod or Chipper Jones risk further injury thus hurting their team's chances to play in October to play in an exhibition game???

What Olney and Ravitch don't understand is that the ASG is a joke and it was made a joke by interleague play.  In addition, its a joke because you can go on the internet and vote 25 times for your all-star favorites.  Bud Selig knows its a joke because he tried to make it mean something by having home field advantage determined by which league wins the exhibition game.  Going one step further, Selig wanted all players who were on the all-star teams to wear special all-star hats yesterday and today to highlight Tuesday's game.  The Yankees elected not to because they are a team and as a result no one should be given a special designation over team members.  The Rays followed suit.

The only reason why Selig does this is because he knows the game has lost its luster.  The only reason why Olney and Ravitch are all concerned is because they are MLB mouthpieces.  If Youkilis, Ortiz and Pedroia declined to play would the ESPN dynamic duo have said anything???  Probably not.  What I also find interesting is that I never hear any of the NFL talking heads on ESPN criticize the boat load of NFL players who take a pass on the Pro Bowl.  In fact, that game is after the season so there is no concern that a team's chances to make the playoffs may be impacted in an injury that takes place in the Pro Bowl.

Selig, Olney and Ravitch want to go back to when the Baseball ASG meant something, when it was an event to see the best players from both leagues play each other.  Back then the only time you see NL stars play AL stars was at the ASG and the World Series.  Not anymore because of interleague.  You can't want to claim to be traditionalists when you've destroyed that.  The Baseball ASG will never be the same no matter what Selig and Company try to do and the reason for that lies in what they see when they shave in the morning.