Yes, its me again..........This was George King's MidSeason report Card on the Yankees less than a month ago. Of course Jeter gets an A. He is 84th in baseball in RBI. He is not even in the top 10 in the AL in runs scored, batting second (and some valiant attempts at hitting third) on the Yankees. Only around 8 players in all of baseball have less homers than him, who play everyday. What does that translate into? An A! Check out Bobby Abreu getting an F. He has more runs scored than Jeter, more doubles, more homers, more steals and more RBI than Jeter. That's an F. You won't look it up, if you find some time, it is fun to look at. A Yankee fan told me yesterday that Luis Castillo is hitting .300!! You guys don't look at anything else. Just to update the Polanco vs. Jeter raging debate.....I would still take Jeter, but its close. Do you really think Jeter is a more productive player than Robinson Cano? Where?
taken from George King's article:
A SS, DEREK JETER Spent most of the first half hitting around .340 and getting on base about 40 percent of the time. Was hitting well over .400 with runners in scoring position. Early rash of errors have him on pace to surpass career-high 24.
C 2B, ROBINSON CANO Hit .342 last year when he was an All-Star and looked like a player on the way to elite status. Hasn’t come close to that average this year and almost was demoted to Triple-A in early May.
F RF, BOBBY ABREU Nobody has represented the Yankees’ morbid first half more than the man who is the primary reason the offense has been wildly inconsistent.
PS Did anyone hear Joe Girardi last night, after Jeter did the little 297 FT poke to right field into the first row?. He said that "it is very frustrating for a pitcher giving up home runs like that. That is not a home run in any other park in baseball." I thought it was funny.
PSS I almost feel bad for him. He's 6'3", 200 pounds and has 51 RBI on August 2. He leads the league.........in at bats. Tricked you there, you thought he led the league in something. Not since 1999 has the led the league in anything. That sounds like an A. Let me go read some articles about "Reyes is lacking production lately" or "David Wright is struggling to find his stroke", but when is the Jeter article going to be printed? You are not allowed to even mention it. The media is great. They're experts.
PSSS I'm out of the Jeter pool. We picked dates on when Jeter would get to 10HR and 26RBI , I said August 1st. Next in line is Rod Smod, that said September 1st, and Relay who has "doesn't even hit 10". Developing......
PSSSS All this talk about milestones: what about the biggest milestone of the season? Jeter got to 50 RBI Monday night.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Do You Ever Question This? (written 7/9/07)
I was looking at the All Star Rosters today, and I just can't believe that Derek Jeter has 5 home runs. He is 6' 3', and 200 pounds and cannot hit a homer. It just baffles my mind that you guys say he is the best player in the game. The only players in the All star game that have less homers than him are Freddy Sanchez, Placido Polanco, Jose Reyes, Brian Roberts, and I think that is it. They are little slap hitters, that get on base and create runs. Is that what Jeter has become? Now I know that home runs aren't everything, and that Jeter is not a home run hitter, but is Sizemore? I mean Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Guillen, Grady Sizemore all have 14+. Those guys aren't trying to jack the ball. They just hit the ball with authority. Why doesn't Jeter do this anymore? What happened to his 20 home run power? I know this breaks the commandments in the Church of Jeter, but don't you guys ever question this? If home runs and run production "are just stats", why are you guys saying that Abreu and Cano are having bad years? They are having GREAT years, according to the NO STATS MATTER crowd. I think Abreu is second in the MVP race. First, of course is Jeter. Did you see that bunt last week? He set up Arod for RBI no. 84 and 85.please check out and enjoy: Click here: Jeter Is An Overrated Player
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
If Jeter is great, is Ray Durham great? - (written 6/21/06)
All I ask is to look at Jeter vs. Durham. Look them up, they both played 11 seasons around the same at bats. Please be objective, its a good debate. Durham played on bad teams, Jeter batted second in 10 great Yankee lineups. If you are objective you will be surprised that Durham and Jeter are close, but nobody will EVER say that Durham is great, neither will I. And Jeter is no Robin Yount, Jeter can never win an MVP....ever. And WS MVP? so was Pat Borders. Jeter will be in the HOF, no doubt, but for the 3000 hit automatic entry. 3000 hits is tough and Jeter will do it, but in my opinion its a soft 3000, he didnt develop into the offensive player they thought after his great 1999 season.
"Jeter always plays great against Boston", the media has it wrong again. - (6/15/06)
Just wanted to keep you guys updated on the Jeter pool. After Arod started 10 homers and 29 RBI in the first 3 weeks, I asked when everyone thought Jeter would touch those numbers. My pick was August 3rd., but many of the others have nice picks. John Relay came in with "Jeter doesn't even hit 10", a bold one. Smod is looking at September 1st for Jeter's 10th. All of these predictions for "the best player in the game". I might as well repeat this because you guys love to switch it: Derek Jeter is a good player. I do not hate Derek Jeter. You guys overrate Derek Jeter. That's all. I watched the Red Sox series. Jeter didn't have a good series, not bad, but not good. He made a few bad errors, and went about 3 for 16. Not many articles in the paper yesterday or today about..."Jeter ALWAYS plays great against Boston", or "don't have to worry about Derek in these big series, bigger the game, the bigger he plays". After those 2 errors, thank God we didn't have to read that made up crap. Jeter had 2 bad series against Boston in the LCS, but you never read it. But, this is where power and run production come in. His home run was big. It gave them the lead. 3 for 15 didnt matter, because the home run put his team in position to win. It was Scott Doctor or whatever who couldn't hold it. Posada, Varitek, Lowell, Jeter, Arod, etc all hit home runs that turned the games around on a dime. Who cares what these guys did the rest of the series? These homers were huge. And speaking of "power isn't important"...where did all the David Eckstein emails go? I check my mailbox everyday for emails telling that Eckstein does all the little things for his team to win. Someone let me know when Larussa has him in the 10 or 11 hole, because Larussa can't find a spot for him...leadoff...second....sixth...now eighth......only one more place to go.
Some observations: Jeter is now down to 13th in you guys favorite category: batting average. That's in the AL rankings. We all agree, he is the BEST player in baseball. He is 34th in RBI, 20th in runs scored, 32nd in doubles, 26th in OPS, and forget slugging, etc. he's non-existent. Don't you think the greatest player in the game should crack some categories? Now I know numbers don't matter, its field presence. I also know that Arod is not clutch, and if he is clutch it has to be against Boston. If it is against Boston, it has to be a walkoff. And if it is a walkoff, it has to be in the playoffs. If it is in the playoffs, it has to be in the clinching game. And if it is in the clinching game, it better be off Papelbon or Okijima.....and on and on and on....
PS Singles are nice, but what separates good players from great players is Arod's 0-2 right center field missile off of Papelbon to give them the game. Only a certain amount of players can do that.
PSS Jeter got up last night against Bobby Jenks, down 6-4 and a guy on first. Not a worry in the world, a grounder to short.PSSS Anyone see Arod's numbers versus Boston over the last 4 of 5 series? maybe he is "stepping it up"???? just a thought I still love you guys.
Love always, Joe Bruno
Crack Committee Member of the Year 2005, 2006
Some observations: Jeter is now down to 13th in you guys favorite category: batting average. That's in the AL rankings. We all agree, he is the BEST player in baseball. He is 34th in RBI, 20th in runs scored, 32nd in doubles, 26th in OPS, and forget slugging, etc. he's non-existent. Don't you think the greatest player in the game should crack some categories? Now I know numbers don't matter, its field presence. I also know that Arod is not clutch, and if he is clutch it has to be against Boston. If it is against Boston, it has to be a walkoff. And if it is a walkoff, it has to be in the playoffs. If it is in the playoffs, it has to be in the clinching game. And if it is in the clinching game, it better be off Papelbon or Okijima.....and on and on and on....
PS Singles are nice, but what separates good players from great players is Arod's 0-2 right center field missile off of Papelbon to give them the game. Only a certain amount of players can do that.
PSS Jeter got up last night against Bobby Jenks, down 6-4 and a guy on first. Not a worry in the world, a grounder to short.PSSS Anyone see Arod's numbers versus Boston over the last 4 of 5 series? maybe he is "stepping it up"???? just a thought I still love you guys.
Love always, Joe Bruno
Crack Committee Member of the Year 2005, 2006
Goes 12 games without an RBI, yet media says "He's Smoking" - (4/20/07)
I don't want to get into this Jeter thing again, but I just wanted to update my fellow Crack Committee members on the continued brilliance of the New York media. In today's New York Post, they did a player vs player analysis of Yankees/Red Sox over the weekend. When you get to shortstop, the Post, year after year, always says things like, "Jeter here in a landslide", "Jeter of course has a big edge", but today was tremeundous for laughs. Us committee members over here at my work, , were laughing out loud. It is on page 136, and it says: SHORTSTOP "Derek Jeter has six errors, but he is smoking at the plate." You guys still think Jeter "is smoking" this year. He has one RBI since the second game. They see .323 and think he's amazing. He has the least RBI on the Yankees among starters (tied with Melky). He is playing good, but smoking? Stand strong Committee members, the tide is turning. When Baseball Tonight is on, and Jimmy Rollins is running around, and Jose Reyes is running around, the Jeterites get that little pit in their stomach, and they curse Joe Bruno. But don't blame me, he has NOT developed into the player you all thought he was in 1999.PS: I am starting a pool, please email me your picks, and the question is: When will Derek Jeter get to 10 HR, and 26 RBI? My pick is July 3rd.
Baseball is a game of runs, not hits - (7/6/06)
No, not enough said. Do you expect Cashman to put together a team of Brosius, Leyritz, Charlie Hayes, David weathers, Graeme lloyd? Guess what, you don't make the postseason. You bring up throws that jeter made, or when Jeremy Giambi decided not to slide, but Arod's doubles, home runs, rbi's make up for that and more that Jeter's flip plays. Jeter is a very good player, plays every day, plays hard. great baserunner, good average hitter. But don't tell me he's the best player in the league. That's a joke. What is batting average if you don't drive in runs and score runs? Baseball is a game of runs. If Jeter hit .434 this year, shattering Ted Williams record, but drives in 75 runs and scores 110, is he more valuable than Manny Ramirez, Guerrero, Ortiz, Arod, Giambi who drive in 130, but hit .290? Of course not. He's a good player, but a singles hitter. You keep bringing up rings, and those teams were great. The Yankee teams were great, but that was 2000, what is Jeter waiting for? If he "turns it on" tell him to turn it on, hit 2 doubles, a HR, drive in 5, and take over (like Arod did last night), but, Joe .....he can't do that, he doesn't have gamebreaking talent. Why can't Jeter have the year like he had in 1998? The era of juiced balls, watered down pitching, and expansion, Jeter can't even get to 40 doubles or 20 homers. He's good, but not great. You are not allowed to criticze him, but Arod (who will break Aaron's, record, possibly the best player of all time) gets booed. I dont get it. Joe, what has Jeter's slugging percentage declined every year since 1998? You will reply: Jeter's number don't matter....but I ask, why not?
But again with the rings..... - (7/3/06)
But again with the rings.....if Jeter was the reason for the rings , why isn't his fault for not winning the last 6 years? So the rings were his doing, but its arod's fault for no rings? But how do you expect a GM to go out and get marginal players like brosius, chad curtis, leyritz, duncan when you have a chance to get Sheffield, arod, giambi, mussina, damon, pavano, johnson? Do you not bring in Arod and bring in Joe Randa? Do you pass on signing Giambi and bring in JT Snow because may have intangibles? No you bring in the best players. How do you determine best players? You look at their production over time. why isn't Tino playing anymore, shouldn't the Cardinals trade Pujols for Posada? trade a loser for a winner, sign Tino, put him at first because he's a "winner"? Of course they wouldn't. This offseason if the Yankees have an oppurtunity to bring Jason Schmidt, should they? I say of course, but you would say no, he has no rings. But doesn't Pavano have a ring? all this ring stuff is a joke, measuring players on rings?
Remember when Arod wasn't clutch? (6/26/06)
A NO BRAINER MVP: Before the season began, ESPN's Harold Reynolds (expert analyst), told us that his pick for MVP was Oakland A's shortstop Bobby Crosby. After I was done laughing at that, I welcomed in the new season. After watching Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, Joe Mauer, Troy Glaus, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye all get off to thier usual strong productive years, Harold Reynolds decided to switch his MVP pick to Derek Jeter. "Best player in the game", he proclaimed. His panel on Baseball Tonight of course remained silent. I don't have Jeter as the MVP this year. I don't even have him as the MVP in the AL East. I don't have him as the MVP of AL East teams located in New York. I don't even him as the MVP of the in field of Yankees. I don't even have him as MVP of the left side of the infield on a AL East team from New York. Can someone win the MVP with 14 home runs?
THE NEWEST EXCUSE: Over the past 11 years we've heard everything under the sun explaining Derek Jeter's statistics. We've come across his sister's health (his numbers are down because she was sick), we've heard contract discussions (numbers down because he was worried about his long term deal), health issues (his numbers are down because he is hiding injuries), we'vw heard numbers don't matter (his numbers are down because he only hits when they need him) . The last one is my favorite. Why would someone not "want" to hit if they could? Another favorite: "He doesn't hit alot of homers, but he hits them when they need them" My question is: The Yankees haven't needed them? I guess not. Another small tidbit: Since Matsui and Sheffield have been out, Jeter has 1 HR and 7 RBI over the last month. Doesn't this qualify as the "step it up" moment these maniacs talk about on the FAN? We all know Jeter has this ability to "turn it on", and "step it up when the lights are on" We are all waiting.THE NEW STAT CATEGORY: The WFAN callers have a new stat category. For years they've been trying a find a category where Jeter tops Arod. The rings category is always a favorite of mine. Arod played on the Mariners and Rangers, 2 towns that haven't won. If Jeter was in Texas or Seattle, they would still not have won, any sane human can say that. But, getting back, the Yankee fans' new category: LATE INNING PRESSURE SITUATIONS. They call and try to sound intellectual. They try to sound baseball savvy. This stuff is great, "Hi, Mike and Chris, I was looking at Arod's numbers, he's 4 for 39 in late inning pressure situations" "We know all about it", Francesa says. The guy feels all smart because he found this website telling him Jeter IS better than Arod. He is relieved, he was starting to struggle to find Jeter's greatness. He knows the 4 ring thing is getting stale because we are in 2006 now. Every time the Yankee fan puts on SportsnetNY he sees Jose Reyes running around the bases, knocking down balls in the hole, stuff like that. So he's has found his new savior......the Late inning Pressure situation stat category. A simple search on the internet turned this up:
2005 Late inning Pressure: Derek Jeter was 19 for 72 a .264 clip. Had 11 RBI. 7th inning and later: He was 44 for 181 with 23 RBI, a .243 clip.
2004 Late inning Pressure: Derek Jeter was 14 for 61 a .230 clip. Had 11 RBI. 7th inning and later: He was 43 for 181 with 21 RBI, a .238 clip.
2003 Late inning Pressure: Derek Jeter was 8 for 46 a .174 clip. Had 3 RBI 7inning and later: .200 blah, blah, blah, you get the point
Now, you will never hear this anywhere. You are not allowed to hear this. If you call the FAN with these numbers, they will hang up and will hear 4 rings. Arod's stats are allowed to be dissected, anything Jeter related is off limits. Derek Jeter is a very good player. The reason why his numbers lag behind the great players is his extra base hit power. He does not have it. He does not hit alot of doulbles, triples, or home runs. You can TRY to tell me he does, but he doesn't. He is a good player on a good team. Hitting singles gets you to first base. Hitting singles with a guy on first, puts that guy on third. There aren't many RBI. Why do Hafner, Ortiz, Pujols score alot of runs? Are they fast? Great hitters score runs because they are among the leaders in Total bases, singles, doubles, triples, homers. Yankee fans used to love the Runs Scored category. They don't say much about that anymore, because during A-Rod's "pathetic 2006", he still has more runs scored.
CRACK COMMITTEE TIDBITS: I heard Ken Singleton say this about the Yankee lineup the other night, "With Matsui and Sheffield out, the power hitters are now: Arod, Giambi, Posada, and Jeter"......he has 5 HR, Ken.................Ever notice when Jaret Wright has a 1-2-3 inning, Suzyn Waldman can't wait to say things like, "Jaret is showing glimpses of his young days with Cleveland" My question is "Jaret Wright was good with Cleveland?"...............David Wright is in the middle of stretch that Derek Jeter can never and will never be at.......David Wright has no rings........If I could talk to David Wright or his agent I would tell him to stop hitting right now. If he wants to make it in this town and be a legend among Joe D, Mantle, Ruth, Gerhig, and Jeter, stop right now at 18 and 65.............. The Mets winning this division by 15 games is worrying me, because the first round against the 85 win Dodgers has upset written all over it............... If Andy pettite is a "money" pitcher, why isn't he stopping these Astro losing streaks (the answer is: no such thing as a money anything)................After watching Johnny Damon the first few months: He is no doubt a better offensive player than Jeter..............As always I welcome the 4 ring email. I also welcome the the "get a life" email. I know this is beating the dead horse, but do you guys see it yet? I still love you all, great friends of mine............
THE NEWEST EXCUSE: Over the past 11 years we've heard everything under the sun explaining Derek Jeter's statistics. We've come across his sister's health (his numbers are down because she was sick), we've heard contract discussions (numbers down because he was worried about his long term deal), health issues (his numbers are down because he is hiding injuries), we'vw heard numbers don't matter (his numbers are down because he only hits when they need him) . The last one is my favorite. Why would someone not "want" to hit if they could? Another favorite: "He doesn't hit alot of homers, but he hits them when they need them" My question is: The Yankees haven't needed them? I guess not. Another small tidbit: Since Matsui and Sheffield have been out, Jeter has 1 HR and 7 RBI over the last month. Doesn't this qualify as the "step it up" moment these maniacs talk about on the FAN? We all know Jeter has this ability to "turn it on", and "step it up when the lights are on" We are all waiting.THE NEW STAT CATEGORY: The WFAN callers have a new stat category. For years they've been trying a find a category where Jeter tops Arod. The rings category is always a favorite of mine. Arod played on the Mariners and Rangers, 2 towns that haven't won. If Jeter was in Texas or Seattle, they would still not have won, any sane human can say that. But, getting back, the Yankee fans' new category: LATE INNING PRESSURE SITUATIONS. They call and try to sound intellectual. They try to sound baseball savvy. This stuff is great, "Hi, Mike and Chris, I was looking at Arod's numbers, he's 4 for 39 in late inning pressure situations" "We know all about it", Francesa says. The guy feels all smart because he found this website telling him Jeter IS better than Arod. He is relieved, he was starting to struggle to find Jeter's greatness. He knows the 4 ring thing is getting stale because we are in 2006 now. Every time the Yankee fan puts on SportsnetNY he sees Jose Reyes running around the bases, knocking down balls in the hole, stuff like that. So he's has found his new savior......the Late inning Pressure situation stat category. A simple search on the internet turned this up:
2005 Late inning Pressure: Derek Jeter was 19 for 72 a .264 clip. Had 11 RBI. 7th inning and later: He was 44 for 181 with 23 RBI, a .243 clip.
2004 Late inning Pressure: Derek Jeter was 14 for 61 a .230 clip. Had 11 RBI. 7th inning and later: He was 43 for 181 with 21 RBI, a .238 clip.
2003 Late inning Pressure: Derek Jeter was 8 for 46 a .174 clip. Had 3 RBI 7inning and later: .200 blah, blah, blah, you get the point
Now, you will never hear this anywhere. You are not allowed to hear this. If you call the FAN with these numbers, they will hang up and will hear 4 rings. Arod's stats are allowed to be dissected, anything Jeter related is off limits. Derek Jeter is a very good player. The reason why his numbers lag behind the great players is his extra base hit power. He does not have it. He does not hit alot of doulbles, triples, or home runs. You can TRY to tell me he does, but he doesn't. He is a good player on a good team. Hitting singles gets you to first base. Hitting singles with a guy on first, puts that guy on third. There aren't many RBI. Why do Hafner, Ortiz, Pujols score alot of runs? Are they fast? Great hitters score runs because they are among the leaders in Total bases, singles, doubles, triples, homers. Yankee fans used to love the Runs Scored category. They don't say much about that anymore, because during A-Rod's "pathetic 2006", he still has more runs scored.
CRACK COMMITTEE TIDBITS: I heard Ken Singleton say this about the Yankee lineup the other night, "With Matsui and Sheffield out, the power hitters are now: Arod, Giambi, Posada, and Jeter"......he has 5 HR, Ken.................Ever notice when Jaret Wright has a 1-2-3 inning, Suzyn Waldman can't wait to say things like, "Jaret is showing glimpses of his young days with Cleveland" My question is "Jaret Wright was good with Cleveland?"...............David Wright is in the middle of stretch that Derek Jeter can never and will never be at.......David Wright has no rings........If I could talk to David Wright or his agent I would tell him to stop hitting right now. If he wants to make it in this town and be a legend among Joe D, Mantle, Ruth, Gerhig, and Jeter, stop right now at 18 and 65.............. The Mets winning this division by 15 games is worrying me, because the first round against the 85 win Dodgers has upset written all over it............... If Andy pettite is a "money" pitcher, why isn't he stopping these Astro losing streaks (the answer is: no such thing as a money anything)................After watching Johnny Damon the first few months: He is no doubt a better offensive player than Jeter..............As always I welcome the 4 ring email. I also welcome the the "get a life" email. I know this is beating the dead horse, but do you guys see it yet? I still love you all, great friends of mine............
Reggie Jackson's LCS numbers were terrible, why? - (10/10/06)
I know that this is a stretch, but I feel that sometimes this Mr. October thing for Reggie gets taken a little too far. Nothing against Reggie, I just do not believe in any "big game player" theories. Francesa and Russo were analyzing Reggie's World sreies numbers and just drooling. Mike was saying things like, "when the big game came, Reggie was ALWAYS there" I'll probably get screamed at for this, but Reggie hit .227 with 20 RBi in 163 at bats in the LCS. Were these games not "big"? Reggie was great, but I think I can rebut all these stupid "money player" things. Reggie went nuts in the World series but did not hit in the LCS, now which is it? I think if there are bad numbers along with good numbers, there is NO theory. there is no such thing as a "big game player" I am a Bill James theorist, am I wrong?11 Lg Chmp Srs 6-5 45 163 16 37 7 0 6 20 17 41 .227 .298 .380 5 World Series 4-1 27 98 21 35 7 1 10 24 15 24 .357 .457 .755
Yanks Eliminated and the Media Repeats Same Dumb Cliches - 10/10/06
The Yankees failed to win the World Series again, and people are struggling on whom to put the blame on. Some blame Joe Torre, some blame Cashman, some blame Joe Bruno, but the true blue Yankee fan, of course, blames Arod. The worst news the Crack Committee could have gotten, was Joe Torre was being terminated, with Lou Pinella being hired. We knew that if Torre stays, Alex Rodriguez will be gone. And that is great news for us. That is good news for the both of us. I cannot wait until he lights them up in the regular season, and then in the playoffs. But, getting back, Brian Cashman "has to get more role players in here" has been said over and over and over again. I'm starting to love this one. You guys call them role players, I call them: benchwarmers. I'm even hearing Yankee fans say, "guys like Endy Chavez is what we need, players like that". But do you guys realize how many Endy Chavez's are invited to spring training camps every year, by EVERY team? There are Chavez's all over, but they don't make the team because they are benchwarmers. You guys now want Cashman to go out and get mediocre players because they MIGHT do good in the playoffs? Good luck.
Some great stuff heard over the past week, said by the baseball "experts", or the New York Jeter "media":
1. "The Twins have momentum, winning 6 out of 7, to win the division" (got swept)
2. "The Mets have no starting pitching" (much the best)
3. "The Dodgers have momentum, winning their last 7" (swept; never a factor)4. "The Padres have the pitching, the Cardinals don't" (pitching, pitching, pitching)
5. "Johan Santana never loses at home" (Thomas' 2 HR proves power isn't important, right?)
6. "Kenny Rogers stinks, and isn't a big game, money pitcher" (this was a lock, the more I heard it, the more it became a lock)
7. "Who's Carlos Guillen?"
8. "Jaret Wright knows pressure games, he's been there before." (by Suzyn Waldman during a hysterical pregame show) (she and Sweeney just get better with age)
9. "We have to play small ball" (alot of Yankee fans heard this on the FAN, and have been repeating it, they're not sure what it means, but hey, why not?)
10. "We wouldn't have done the Abreu deal without Cory Lidle" (OK, so it was more than a week ago, but it was so great then, and still great now.
11. "I think they will win, this group knows their back is against is the wall, and they should respond" , said by Sweeney Merti. Now luckily a Committee member took that answer, because the rest of the Jeter media would have stayed silent. But WFAN's Chris Russo, said in usual fashion: "Respond?, they've lost every elimination game they were faced with over the past 6 years. Sweeney, are you serious?", he said. It was great, but the point is, we don't want to hear made up stuff, we want to hear the truth, and the truth is: the Yankees lost again, they haven't won since 2000, and their is no such thing as a big game player, and last but not least: Derek Jeter is a singles hitter, this series was not his fault. Two years from now, you will telling me that, "he hit over .500 against Detroit!!!!!". But, we all watched the games, when a singles hitter "goes off", who cares. I heard and read that Jeter "had a great series", but I guess that was a great series for a singles hitter. Next year is another year, and they will be in the playoffs again, you can't deny that. One year from today, you will be reading the following: "Team ABC has momentum", "Team DEF finished the season badly", "Player 1 is a money player", "Player 2 has bad postseason numbers", it's all a joke, don't buy it, its nonsense.
Some great stuff heard over the past week, said by the baseball "experts", or the New York Jeter "media":
1. "The Twins have momentum, winning 6 out of 7, to win the division" (got swept)
2. "The Mets have no starting pitching" (much the best)
3. "The Dodgers have momentum, winning their last 7" (swept; never a factor)4. "The Padres have the pitching, the Cardinals don't" (pitching, pitching, pitching)
5. "Johan Santana never loses at home" (Thomas' 2 HR proves power isn't important, right?)
6. "Kenny Rogers stinks, and isn't a big game, money pitcher" (this was a lock, the more I heard it, the more it became a lock)
7. "Who's Carlos Guillen?"
8. "Jaret Wright knows pressure games, he's been there before." (by Suzyn Waldman during a hysterical pregame show) (she and Sweeney just get better with age)
9. "We have to play small ball" (alot of Yankee fans heard this on the FAN, and have been repeating it, they're not sure what it means, but hey, why not?)
10. "We wouldn't have done the Abreu deal without Cory Lidle" (OK, so it was more than a week ago, but it was so great then, and still great now.
11. "I think they will win, this group knows their back is against is the wall, and they should respond" , said by Sweeney Merti. Now luckily a Committee member took that answer, because the rest of the Jeter media would have stayed silent. But WFAN's Chris Russo, said in usual fashion: "Respond?, they've lost every elimination game they were faced with over the past 6 years. Sweeney, are you serious?", he said. It was great, but the point is, we don't want to hear made up stuff, we want to hear the truth, and the truth is: the Yankees lost again, they haven't won since 2000, and their is no such thing as a big game player, and last but not least: Derek Jeter is a singles hitter, this series was not his fault. Two years from now, you will telling me that, "he hit over .500 against Detroit!!!!!". But, we all watched the games, when a singles hitter "goes off", who cares. I heard and read that Jeter "had a great series", but I guess that was a great series for a singles hitter. Next year is another year, and they will be in the playoffs again, you can't deny that. One year from today, you will be reading the following: "Team ABC has momentum", "Team DEF finished the season badly", "Player 1 is a money player", "Player 2 has bad postseason numbers", it's all a joke, don't buy it, its nonsense.
The Goal: $250 Million Dollar Payroll - (10/21/04)
THE GOAL: $250 MILLION DOLLAR PAYROLL As expected, many sad and depressed Yankee fans are rattling off things like, "26 championships", or "39 pennants", or "the Yankee legacy". The Crack Committee expected these tired and worn out lines about teams from the 20's through 50's. But to me, I can really only count the Yankee titles starting from the 1960's. Why? The reason is simple, but 2-fold.
Point No. 1: The Draft : The MLB Amateur Draft started in 1965. The first pick was Rick Monday, by the Kansas City A's. Honestly, think about it, any great amatuer player in the country was signed by the Yankees, the team with the most money. If there was no draft today, 80% of the top amateur talent would be in the Yankee system. In the 20's, 30's, and 40's, the first, second, and third place teams were able to get MORE talent. The last place team got the crumbs that were laying around, which is like free agency today......Yankee sign the three top guys, and the rest of us, pick from the crumbs.Click here: Baseball Draft History - Baseball Cube
Point No. 2: Free Agency : We all know that Carlos Beltran's locker is already set up at the stadium, and I ask, is it really fair that the Astro fans have say goodbye to Beltran? The town loves this guy, and all this town is to him, is Columbus. The rest of Major League Baseball is the Yankees' minor leagues. Nobody can outbid them. The goal of the young player today is: put in your six years, become an eligible free agent, and start lobbying George. Or if you are inpatient, start telling the press in your city that you are unhappy, plan on leaving, list 3 teams you will go to, with the Bronx on top, and get dealt there. The Yankees will send there usual 2 to 3 mediocre AAA players that they trumped up, and the Royals or Pirates will take what they can get. Its a vicious cycle that will not end as long as the YES network and no salary caps is MLB policy. Does this mean we give up? No way, we keep fighting. We hope that the next $15-$17 million guy they sign doesn't work out. In the last four years, they obtained: Mike Mussina (the Orioles developed him for George), Jason Giambi (Oakland groomed him), Gary Sheffield (always loved the Bronx), Alex Rodriguez (the Yankees were the only team that could take him on at $25 mil), Kevin Brown (when another team can't afford someone, call George). Not only do they go apple picking from the rest of us, they resign everyone. Many Yankee fans feel that the line,"We have homegrown talent" trumps the $190 million dollar payroll line. It doesn't. They don't lose anyone. Andy Pettite, before that Jeff Nelson, and before that John Wetteland. That's it. You never see a Yankee testing the market. Therefore, your homegrown remains YOUR homegrown talent. Our homegrown talent leaves. Last night's parade on that mound was Brown 15, Vasquez 10, Loaiza 2, Gordon 7, Rivera 11. $45 million in last night's meltdown, do you see the problem?
Crack Committee Tidbits: When you're in your local deli, or bowling alley, or supermarket and you overhear the "October" Yankee fan complaining about Sheffield, or Matsui or Tony Clark. (please note that Yankee fans forget Tony Clark's ground rule double in Game 5 that was inches away from ending it) If you can't help it, just ask the guy to name one of the two other teams that Jon Leiber pitched for. (This one is great, THEY CAN'T DO IT, but a side note: if they say "Columbus", give them a half of point for the comedy)Another good question is: ask them to name the teams they beat, in the 4 WS titles since 96. (This one is great, THEY CAN'T DO IT, another side note: Think of me when they say, "Oh yeah, San Diego")
JB (Crack Committee member since 1972)
Point No. 1: The Draft : The MLB Amateur Draft started in 1965. The first pick was Rick Monday, by the Kansas City A's. Honestly, think about it, any great amatuer player in the country was signed by the Yankees, the team with the most money. If there was no draft today, 80% of the top amateur talent would be in the Yankee system. In the 20's, 30's, and 40's, the first, second, and third place teams were able to get MORE talent. The last place team got the crumbs that were laying around, which is like free agency today......Yankee sign the three top guys, and the rest of us, pick from the crumbs.Click here: Baseball Draft History - Baseball Cube
Point No. 2: Free Agency : We all know that Carlos Beltran's locker is already set up at the stadium, and I ask, is it really fair that the Astro fans have say goodbye to Beltran? The town loves this guy, and all this town is to him, is Columbus. The rest of Major League Baseball is the Yankees' minor leagues. Nobody can outbid them. The goal of the young player today is: put in your six years, become an eligible free agent, and start lobbying George. Or if you are inpatient, start telling the press in your city that you are unhappy, plan on leaving, list 3 teams you will go to, with the Bronx on top, and get dealt there. The Yankees will send there usual 2 to 3 mediocre AAA players that they trumped up, and the Royals or Pirates will take what they can get. Its a vicious cycle that will not end as long as the YES network and no salary caps is MLB policy. Does this mean we give up? No way, we keep fighting. We hope that the next $15-$17 million guy they sign doesn't work out. In the last four years, they obtained: Mike Mussina (the Orioles developed him for George), Jason Giambi (Oakland groomed him), Gary Sheffield (always loved the Bronx), Alex Rodriguez (the Yankees were the only team that could take him on at $25 mil), Kevin Brown (when another team can't afford someone, call George). Not only do they go apple picking from the rest of us, they resign everyone. Many Yankee fans feel that the line,"We have homegrown talent" trumps the $190 million dollar payroll line. It doesn't. They don't lose anyone. Andy Pettite, before that Jeff Nelson, and before that John Wetteland. That's it. You never see a Yankee testing the market. Therefore, your homegrown remains YOUR homegrown talent. Our homegrown talent leaves. Last night's parade on that mound was Brown 15, Vasquez 10, Loaiza 2, Gordon 7, Rivera 11. $45 million in last night's meltdown, do you see the problem?
Crack Committee Tidbits: When you're in your local deli, or bowling alley, or supermarket and you overhear the "October" Yankee fan complaining about Sheffield, or Matsui or Tony Clark. (please note that Yankee fans forget Tony Clark's ground rule double in Game 5 that was inches away from ending it) If you can't help it, just ask the guy to name one of the two other teams that Jon Leiber pitched for. (This one is great, THEY CAN'T DO IT, but a side note: if they say "Columbus", give them a half of point for the comedy)Another good question is: ask them to name the teams they beat, in the 4 WS titles since 96. (This one is great, THEY CAN'T DO IT, another side note: Think of me when they say, "Oh yeah, San Diego")
JB (Crack Committee member since 1972)
He is good, but not great - (7/3/07)
I am not following you when you say that I deny Jeter was a big part of those titles. Of course he was. But Jeter would have zero rings on Texas or Houston. You'll never change my mind on that. Jeter is on the Yankees, a team guaranteed to make the final table in every tournament. As for Mariano Duncan over Cano, are you serious? How does a GM find these Charlie Hayes or Mariano Duncan types? Because I gotta hear the answer to that one. You want GM Brian Cashman to go around the league and look for guys like Scott Spezio or Marlon Anderson, or Kevin Millar, or Geoff Blum, or Willie Bloomquist. That is an interesting theory, wow. Do you really think that when they brought in Brosius, or Duncan, or Hayes, or Curtis, they knew they were bringing in winners? Hysterical.
PS But, seriously, guys, we're all friends, this is all in fun. If you happened to notice, I'm not laughing about last night. My father in law, brother in law, my friends, my wife are Yankee fans, and I know when to just be quiet, and let the silence be deafening. Plus, the Mets haven't won anything yet.
PSS Can we bury the "big game player" theory for good after that Kenny Rogers gem? But no, the Yankees will win today, Jeter 2 for 4, and the media will tell me he's stepping it up.
PSSS Like I predicted, the Kool Aid Krew cannot answer my direct question from the last email.
PSSSS The email about Chuck Knoblauch was the hardest I laughed since the day I saw the Yankees gave Steve Karsay around $20 mill.
PS But, seriously, guys, we're all friends, this is all in fun. If you happened to notice, I'm not laughing about last night. My father in law, brother in law, my friends, my wife are Yankee fans, and I know when to just be quiet, and let the silence be deafening. Plus, the Mets haven't won anything yet.
PSS Can we bury the "big game player" theory for good after that Kenny Rogers gem? But no, the Yankees will win today, Jeter 2 for 4, and the media will tell me he's stepping it up.
PSSS Like I predicted, the Kool Aid Krew cannot answer my direct question from the last email.
PSSSS The email about Chuck Knoblauch was the hardest I laughed since the day I saw the Yankees gave Steve Karsay around $20 mill.
Big, Big Night - (Jeter has big game in playoff win vs. Tigers, 10/4/06)
Congratulations to you guys, a big, big night. Wow, 2 doubles and a homer, I guess that stuff does matter. Extra base matter my friends, and its good to see you guys coming around. A great night for Derek Jeter, but ten years of stats do not change from last night. You guys want the numbers to change, but they don't. After 10 years on the best team, best lineup, Jeter averages 17 homers, 78 RBI, 30 something doubles, 110 runs, slugging percentage under .500, that is not great, good, but not great. You guys think that's great, I don't, and I NEVER will. Those stats are done by alot of players on weaker teams, in weaker lineups. I know you guys are all excited, jumping, up and down for another man, but last night's performance of 3 extra base hits is production. Even though it was off a New York Knick point guard (Nate Robertson), doesn't change his lack of production over his career. Jumping and yelling for another male is weird, isn't it?PS Did you guys see the newspaper today? Those 2 guys holding a sign that read: "Captain Clutch, Derek Jeter"? Can you picture 2 forty year old men sitting there with black markers and the oak tag drawing it? Wow, you guys, do love him...PSS Does last night's home run count? I thought the home runs when you are up big, don't count....All year long we heard: "we don't count Arod's homers when we are up 4 runs"......but now , you guys do....congratulationsPSSS The Crack Committee knows that 10 years of numbers didn't change from last night. The committee also knows that Jeter is a very good player, but we know baseball. But we also know that David Wright did nothing in the second half, we admit that his "great" season, turned into a "very good" season after the All-star break. Was that so hard? To say that? It's the truth, bottom line. You guys do not have to worry about the Committee buying black markers in Duane Reade to make a sign for him, because we won't.PSSSS Am I the only man that can turn a 5 for 5 into a negative? I still love you guys......
Good News - (6/15/2005)
GOOD NEWS: Derek Jeter has gotten into the top ten in a category this year. The "first pick if I was starting a team" broke through in On-Base percentage at .385, good enough for 10th. As for average, runs, steals, doubles, triples, home runs, slugging, hits, walks, etc., he is waiting to break out and "get hot". PS The reason why Andy Pettite is 3-7 now is because he's on the Astros. If was on the Yankees again, he would be 7-3. Same pitcher, legend in one city, bust in another? No, if you start on the Yankees and have a pulse, you win.PSS Did you know that Jeter led the AL in runs in 1998 and hits in the same year? That is the only time in his career, that he led the league in anything, let me type that line again: he never led the league in anything besides 98 and yet many still say he is "the best player in baseball". I love this stuff. Feel free to write about his "rings", and I still love you guys...........
Monday, July 2, 2007
Another great line from the "media baseball expert" - 5/3/07
Anyone see Buster Olney tonight? ESPN's baseball "expert" Buster Olney said tonight that "Gary Mathews, Jr. has gotten off to a slow start this season, and the Angels might be looking to add Figgins right into the lead off spot when he comes back"
Mathews:G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
Season 29 115 21 34 6 1 2 9 6 296 .359 . 417
He then said during Yankee/Ranger clips, it showed Derek Jeter with his usual chopper into the hole to extend his hitting streak, "Derek Jeter, off to a great start this season"
Jeter: G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
Season 24 101 20 34 3 0 2 8 2 .337 .404 .426
They have had IDENTICAL seasons so far. The media tells us one guy is "struggling, the other, "great". Now folks, you will not see or read this anywhere. During Jeter's 19 game hitting streak, he has 16 runs scored, and 3 RBI. This is considered "smoking". I love you guys. Where else would I find all this material? Restivo, please explain, how can you have 8 RBI batting second on the Yankees, and be having a "great" season? He has three doubles. Please help me, I'm laughing over here. JB
Mathews:G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
Season 29 115 21 34 6 1 2 9 6 296 .359 . 417
He then said during Yankee/Ranger clips, it showed Derek Jeter with his usual chopper into the hole to extend his hitting streak, "Derek Jeter, off to a great start this season"
Jeter: G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
Season 24 101 20 34 3 0 2 8 2 .337 .404 .426
They have had IDENTICAL seasons so far. The media tells us one guy is "struggling, the other, "great". Now folks, you will not see or read this anywhere. During Jeter's 19 game hitting streak, he has 16 runs scored, and 3 RBI. This is considered "smoking". I love you guys. Where else would I find all this material? Restivo, please explain, how can you have 8 RBI batting second on the Yankees, and be having a "great" season? He has three doubles. Please help me, I'm laughing over here. JB
In 2003, 2004, 2005, Jeter's "clutch" numbers were terrible, you never hear it though. - (11/27/06)
Every Derek Jeter article I read over the past few days have been very similiar. They all have that "dark conspiracy tone" to them. They are all written as if Justin Morneau is terrible. But, to the New York media and to the Bleacher Creatures or whatever they are, Justin Morneau is terrible. They don't know who Morneau is. And if they do now, they found out about him around Labor Day. Or, they thought he played for the Chicago Blackhawks. The media has actually tried to turn his 34 homers into a bad thing now. You read that Jeter hit .340!!!!! What did Morneau hit, .180? But, I understand all this, you guys flipped out the year he didn't make the All-Star team. But let's get to the point, in every single article I read, that's right every single one, the writer has said that the voters chose: "power over clutch hitting", they also stated that Derek Jeter takes "pride in clutch hitting over power", they also stated that Derek Jeter's career is "centered around clutch hitting", and that he hit .381 with runners in scoring postion this year.....but, ..........that's where I come in. The writers AND Yankee fans want you to believe that every year Jeter is this "clutch God" or something. But a simple search through any stat site will produce this:
2006: .381 with runners in scoring position and .348 in late pressure situations
2005: .261 with RISP, .264 in LIPS (this is never written)
2004: .281 with RISP, .230 in LIPS (this is never written)
2003: .270 with RISP, .174 in LIPS (this is never written)
I can keep going, but you get the point.
Once again, Jeter had a great year. It was his second best season in 11 years. That is the truth, he played great this year. But that was his absolute max effort. Is he getting better? I say no. He plays in the best lineup in baseball, they score the most runs in the league almost every year. He steps into the box over 700 times a year....for the Yankees......and you guys flip over 110 runs scored and 80 RBI's?
PS Hall of fame yes, rings yes, plays hard, yes, blah, blah, blah, blah, but other baseball people around the country, believe and stand behind me........yup they agree with a dope like me.
Joe Bruno
Crack Commitee Member 1972
also nominated for "Committee Member of the Year 2006"
2006: .381 with runners in scoring position and .348 in late pressure situations
2005: .261 with RISP, .264 in LIPS (this is never written)
2004: .281 with RISP, .230 in LIPS (this is never written)
2003: .270 with RISP, .174 in LIPS (this is never written)
I can keep going, but you get the point.
Once again, Jeter had a great year. It was his second best season in 11 years. That is the truth, he played great this year. But that was his absolute max effort. Is he getting better? I say no. He plays in the best lineup in baseball, they score the most runs in the league almost every year. He steps into the box over 700 times a year....for the Yankees......and you guys flip over 110 runs scored and 80 RBI's?
PS Hall of fame yes, rings yes, plays hard, yes, blah, blah, blah, blah, but other baseball people around the country, believe and stand behind me........yup they agree with a dope like me.
Joe Bruno
Crack Commitee Member 1972
also nominated for "Committee Member of the Year 2006"
Simple wager, that was never paid up (written 7/28/06)
Jeter will be in the hall no doubt, but you brag about his high average. all the players had power and his average. you act like jeter hits 350 every year, he doesnt, i think hes a lifetime 315 hitter, all the great "home run hitters" did that also (or close to it), no big deal for them. Joe, why 6 homers this year? I mean 6 is pathetic. put me on record: (you change my words alot)Jeter will in the Hall (3000 hits automatic entry)
Jeter is a good player
Jeter would be nice to have on any team
Jeter plays hard
Jeter is a good person and teamate but.......
Jeter can never win an MVP
Jeter didn't develop into the player they thought after his 1999 season
Jeter isn't a home run hitter, but his overall slugging percentage has been declining every year
Jeter at $20 million is one of the worst value's on the market (Soriano will probably get 13-14 and he may be .290 50HR, 50 2B, 100RBI, 35 steals, 120 runs)Now that's a great offensive season
Lets just do this: let's stop talking about Jeter: Gentlemen's wager(a large bucket of ballls at the tanks) Fair?Jeter will not hit .350Jeter will not have 50 2BJeter will not drive in 100 runsJeter will not score 120 runsI say no on all of them, you win, if he hits just one of those. I win if I get all of them. (I'm confident because stats reflect who we are, this is an easy one, Jeter can't hang with the great players, his day to day production isnt like theirs, plain and simple)
Jeter is a good player
Jeter would be nice to have on any team
Jeter plays hard
Jeter is a good person and teamate but.......
Jeter can never win an MVP
Jeter didn't develop into the player they thought after his 1999 season
Jeter isn't a home run hitter, but his overall slugging percentage has been declining every year
Jeter at $20 million is one of the worst value's on the market (Soriano will probably get 13-14 and he may be .290 50HR, 50 2B, 100RBI, 35 steals, 120 runs)Now that's a great offensive season
Lets just do this: let's stop talking about Jeter: Gentlemen's wager(a large bucket of ballls at the tanks) Fair?Jeter will not hit .350Jeter will not have 50 2BJeter will not drive in 100 runsJeter will not score 120 runsI say no on all of them, you win, if he hits just one of those. I win if I get all of them. (I'm confident because stats reflect who we are, this is an easy one, Jeter can't hang with the great players, his day to day production isnt like theirs, plain and simple)
People laugh, but numbers are pretty close....(5/3/07)
This isn't an anti-yankee thing, trust me. I love Bernie Williams, I think he's underrated. I love Mariano, I love Arod, 3 great players. But look at Durham: thru 06:
Durham: AB 6706
Jeter: 6934
Durham: hits 1881
Jeter: 2204
Durham: 2B 390
Jeter: 355
Durham: 3B 78
Jeter: 50
Durham: HR 179
Jeter: 185
Durham: RBI 782
Jeter: 880
Durham: SB 258
Jeter: 252
Durham: Runs 1153
Jeter: 1300
Over 11 years the numbers are close, Jeter is better, I know that, but you guys laugh at Durham......why?
Durham: AB 6706
Jeter: 6934
Durham: hits 1881
Jeter: 2204
Durham: 2B 390
Jeter: 355
Durham: 3B 78
Jeter: 50
Durham: HR 179
Jeter: 185
Durham: RBI 782
Jeter: 880
Durham: SB 258
Jeter: 252
Durham: Runs 1153
Jeter: 1300
Over 11 years the numbers are close, Jeter is better, I know that, but you guys laugh at Durham......why?
If Jeter is great, is Durham great?
All I ask is to look at Jeter vs. Durham. Look them up, they both played 11 seasons around the same at bats. Please be objective, its a good debate. Durham played on bad teams, Jeter batted second in 10 great Yankee lineups. If you are objective you will be surprised that Durham and Jeter are close, but nobody will EVER say that Durham is great, neither will I. And Jeter is no Robin Yount, Jeter can never win an MVP....ever. And WS MVP? so was Pat Borders. Jeter will be in the HOF, no doubt, but for the 3000 hit automatic entry. 3000 hits is tough and Jeter will do it, but in my opinion its a soft 3000, he didnt develop into the offensive player they thought after his great 1999 season.
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