Are y'all saying an amputee can't be an asshole? Because that's just prejudice.

Not denying that Jeter was a good player, but he benefited not just from the fawning attention of the NY media, and the Yankee PR machine, but from being surrounded by generally excellent lineups. Ma Hunkel could've hit what Jeter did if she were ensconced in lineups dominated by the likes of  Williams, O’Neill, Martinez, Posada, Giambi, Sheffield, Rodriguez, Teixeira, Cano, Hideki Matsui, et al.

The Yankees and the media tramps who carry their water (Hell, they dig the damn reservoir: did you see Ken Davidoff applying his lips for the umpteenth time to the Sainted One's backside in the Post today?) anointed him the "Face of the Franchise," and why not? He was fresh-faced, unthreatening, photogenic and  (the big key here) "respectful." Did you never throw up in your mouth hearing about how he always said "Mr. Torre?"
Bleeah.

Most franchises have guys-who can-do-no-wrong. Up here it's Ortiz and Pedroia, although I cannot imagine any New York writer or radio guy going after Jeter as often or as bitingly as the Boston guys have periodically done with these two.

Did I fear him coming to the plate in the clutch? Yes, for a few years there. He always seemed to be good for a double to right when you didn't want one. But I have to tell you, that didn't last.  In the epic 2003 and 2004 series against the Sox, Jeter had BAs of .233 and .200 and OBPs of .281 and .333. Hardly awe-inspiring, and also hardly remembered, as those Biggioesque performances do not serve to burnish the reputation of the 255th-best on baseball's all-time OBP leaders. This, from the guy New York writers and fans are elevating above such humpties as Gehrig and DiMaggio on the scale of Yankee greatness. (Read Davidoff. Listen to the interview he gave this morning on a Boston radio station.)

For me the signature Jeter image isn't his vaulting throw from "deep" in the hole or his leap into the stands or the toss to throw out Jeremy (If he'd've slid, he'd've been safe, but his brain must've shrunk with his man-berries) Giambi. It's that haughty hand-in-the-face to the ump every time he gets in the box, as His Jeterness, He Who Must Be Respected, determines just when the game will continue. 

Obviously, I fault Jeter for his fielding ... but not for his hitting. He hit about as well as any long-term (which adjectives leaves out A-Rod, of course) SS not named Honus Wagner, really.

I'll give Henrik Stenson a 9 on the Bo Jackson scale.





Rory McIlroy leads after the first round. If his form holds from the rest of the year he'll shoot 80 tomorrow and barely make the cut. Tiger only three off the pace.

Rory shoots another 66 and is now four clear of the field at the halfway mark.

Tiger hit his drives about as straight as I do and barely made the cut with a 77.

Shot of the day from Sergio Garcia, an eagle two on hole #2

I just could never get into baseball. There was no one to ever sit me down and explain to me how it works and why it's fun. To this day I'm still not completely aware of the all of the game nuances. I know the basic rules, but when it gets to statistics and how they're significant and what specific reasons why I have no idea. It's a shame, because I feel like I've missed out on a great game that has brought joy to a lot of people. When the SF Giants finally won a World Series I felt a little bit like an outsider relishing in the glory of it all. I was living in the city at the time for both victories and attended the second parade. I know the first one still means a lot to a good amount of people because of how long it took to finally get a ring for the franchise when it relocated to SF.

I'm also the same with basketball. Just not that familiar with a lot of the players that made the game great and still don't know every significant nuance and dynamic of the game.

Now in regards to NFL I'm the complete opposite. That was the one sport my family thrived with and passed down to me. I've been a 49ers fan my entire life can tell folks about players before I was born. Including players of other franchises in the same regard. So the spring and summer time are pretty dull for me as far as sports is concerned. Unfortunately. I hope I am able to open my mind and tune into more sports that isn't the NFL and learn more. Now that me and my wife got a big TV it might be worth the investment to get cable and start watching some sports.