By Paul Casey Gotham
Chances are this article’s title caused a few to jump to conclusions. Frequent readers know of my allegiance to the Boston Red Sox. It would be easy to dismiss this piece as nothing more than a bitter fan trying to take a poke at a rival. Fair enough. After all, mathematically speaking is the only way the Sox remain alive for the playoffs.
I have praised Derek Jeter on many occasions. He was the lead to my Respect for the opponent piece some two years ago. Ironically in that article, I commended Jeter for his ability to “wear” a pitch and gracefully take his spot at first base.
Jeter’s charade last week might have me re-thinking how I look at the Yankee captain. Yes, I know Boston’s Victor Martinez performed a similar pantomime earlier this season. Both feigned being hit by a pitch. Replays showed the truth. (For those who missed it, I have changed my stance on instant replay. If MLB wants to put a fifth umpire in the booth to make calls based on instant replay, then so be it.)
As to be expected other current and former professional athletes came to Jeter’s defense. Those pros talked about Jeter’s actions as being part of the game. They professed it is the player’s role to play and the umpire/referee’s role to make the call.
In other words, it is okay to “push the envelope.” To “manipulate the system.” To try and take advantage of the situation.” To “play on someone’s emotions.”
Yes, Jeter’s (and Martinez’s) was just one play. But it is hard to deny the mindset involved in making such a play. How does an individual shut off that frame of mind? Where does the game stop and real life take hold?
For example, we all file income taxes. Or, at least let’s hope we all do. That process represents an honor system of sorts. Recently, I brought a bag of clothes to the Planet Aid shed at a nearby church. I grabbed the paper receipt and wrote $50 on the line for the value of the donation. Maybe, I should put $150. There were no cameras in the area. That bag is long gone, and the IRS can’t check it. In fact, maybe I should have grabbed a handful of donation receipts and promptly pantomimed several visits to the yellow box.
Where does it end? Should I “manipulate the system?”
Oh, I know. It’s different.
Jeter is playing a game and taxes are real life. Last time I checked, his game is providing more real life cash than is my real life career.
Yeah, I get it. Again, it’s the mindset that bothers me. And the influence Jeter and ALL athletes have on society. When they “manipulate the system,” when they “push the envelope” and are allowed to get away with it, tacit approval is granted to others who want to try and take advantage of a situation.
Maybe it is a stretch for me to compare Jeter to Marc Dreier – the subject of a recent 60 Minutes segment.
Stay with me.
Dreier was found guilty of one of the most bizarre white collar crimes in American history. Take a moment and watch the interview.
The similarities between Dreier and Jeter are…well…somewhat creepy.
Both are clean cut guys. Jeter is well-respected. Dreier was well-respected. Both used their place of position to get away with something illegal.
Again, I know. Dreier cheated people out of money. A lot of money. He committed an actual crime. Jeter…well…cheated in a game and got away with it.
Neither show any remorse. Dreier admitted not feeling bothered until the possibility of being caught was apparent. Jeter dismisses the ruse saying: “It’s part of the game. My job is to get on base. Fortunately for us it paid off at the time, but I’m sure it would have been a bigger story if we would have won that game.”
Both also are skillful in using rationalization.
In the end, I would still vote for Jeter if I had a hall-of-fame vote. He has more than proven himself on the field of play. I probably just wouldn’t pay too much attention to his acceptance speech. I’m not sure I could trust the source.
I’m curious what your take is on when a catcher frames a pitch just outside of the strike zone, trying to make it look like a strike? If he does that a couple dozen times a game, does that add up to one faked HBP?
Wow…impressive question Chas…interesting…
If Jeter played for my team, I’d hope and expect he’d do the same thing … get on base however you can. Just do it without “dirty or dangerous play”! Feigning getting hit by pitch is just part of the game … just like catchers trying to frame pitches, as Chas points out. Just like trapping the ball in the outfield but raising your glove to make the ump think you caught it cleanly. Just like stealing signs … just like the phantom tags that happen in every game. Since baseball has human umpires and no meaningful instant replay, it’s all about perception … the umpires perception.
The baffling thing about the Jeter incident is that the umps actually bought it. When that ball hit the knob of the bat, you could obviously hear that distinct sound … and the direction the ball took after contact also indicated it hit wood. How the 4 umps blew this call is beyond me. Maybe they all thought Jeter would never “fake it”. Well … now they know better. Then the next night, I think Posada also feigned getting HBP on a ball that bounced inside and in the dirt, but replay showed that it did not hit him. But he walked to first … faking a bit of a limp and again the umps bought it. That one was harder to discern though. Again … part of the game! Felt a bit sorry for Joe Maddon though … he got tossed for arguing the Jeter call and then the next night he’s faced with it again.
Should Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine not have continued to throw pitches 3 inches outside even though the umps continued calling them strikes?? heck, no … that would be stupid … keep pounding that “extended outside corner”!
Whatever it takes …. within the rules of course! That’s baseball 😉
“How the 4 umps blew this call is beyond me. Maybe they all thought Jeter would never “fake it”.” That is pretty much my point. They didn’t think Jeter would fake it, so they believed him.
As for framing a pitch – if you want to use one action to rationalize another, go ahead. Far be it from me to get in the way.
C’mon Casey, you had to know, when you wrote this, that not everyone was going to agree with you. I thought I did so in a somewhat creative way. Personally, I don’t think Jeter’s actions need to be rationalized as OK or not. I was just curious, since you’re the one taking Jeter to task, how you think it compares to another example of trying to “steal a call.”
Casey … why so “righteous” all of a sudden???
Hey … take yourself out of baseball and let’s enter the realm of basketball and soccer … the world also known as Floppadovia. Soccer in particular is quite pathetic when it comes to faking it. Flop goes the weasel. And look at your very own Duke Blue Devils … for years they’ve been hittin’ the floor as soon as someone breathes …. those aren’t all charges, ya know. Never heard you questioning the ethics of coach K and his boys.
Anyway, maybe those umps won’t give Jeter the benefit of the doubt the next time … now that they know they were absolutely taken on national TV. Fool me once, shame on you … fool me twice, shame on me.
But I still want Jeter on my team … what competitor wouldn’t?
Casey,
First of all I do not file income taxes. Now that is out of the way let me say that I agree with you.
For everybody that says that he walked to first because the umpires told him to, they told him to go because he was prancing around.
Chas and Wally,
Comparing framing a pitch to faking an hbp? K, let’s play that game. I’m a little rusty but according to wikipedia (can’t look for the real rule book) an hbp is a ball that hits the batter while yada yada yada. Not anywhere in that yada yada yada does it mention the judgement of an umpire. A strike is defined to be the judgement of an umpire (according to wikipedia again) which is why there is no discussion on strike & balls, cause its a judgement.
Why so righteous? Righteousness is defined as geniune and virtous and some other crap. Other crap for which people loved Derek Jeter but hated A-Rod.
Stealing a sign?
This is a spectator sport, how many people know that the reason that a pitchout was called is because they stole a sign and not just luck.
You know where people act like they were hit by a baseball? In little league cause it looks cute and shows emotion and will. If I’m paying $30 to watch you stand at home plate and make more money in a week that i make in a year, stand there and swing the bat!!!
Wally,
You wanna talk flops. Let’s do that. Vlade Divac flopped a lifetime in the NBA and didn’t really get criticized that much. Arjen Robben flopped twice in a game and every sports commentator wanted his head on a stick.
There’s a reason why baseball and football are different. If everybody flops around you is a bit different than if you’re the only one or lets say 3 that flop among 750 players or 1200 players since the rosters are expanded at this time.
Those are my views. Is Jeter a good player yes, but I don’t have to like all his actions. I still hate A-Rod’s guts and think that he should never get in the hall of fame, but if he was winning ballgames on my team, I’d hate him in silence!!
What?!?!? Holy crap! Casey, can you please translate what Gino just said? I feel like I’ve just been on a wild roller coaster ride … in the dark.
Wally,
Did not have any more time to make that clear and I have no time now, so just guess what it means.
Generally I don’t have a problem with the things that go on in baseball. Framing strikes, trapping a ball, trying to squeeze a walk.. Heck two of main things in baseball are based on the lack of “ethics” – stealing a base and picking some off base.
But there is something about what Jeter did that rubs me the wrong way. No it has nothing to do with him being a Yankee. I think it was the acting – it just rubbed me the wrong way. Did anyone see Posada do the same thing the other night? The ball bounced between his legs and he acted like it hit him.
More and more, I am becoming in favor of instant replay in MLB. I think you still need to limit it – say 3 challenges a game. Anything in the 8th or 9th innings is automatically reviewable.
And Wally – if you flop in soccer it is either an automatic yellow card or a red card. Hockey has a 2 minutes penalty for “embellishment”. I think the NBA is trying crack down. Either way – sports are trying to get rid of it – why shouldn’t baseball.?
Shall we add the discussion of taking steroids vs. doctoring a baseball to this? No, we definitely don’t have time for that. But, what about all that righteousness about “cheating is cheating, no matter what.” All calls depend upon an umpire’s judgment, no matter what Wikipedia says (and, for the record, I should really call someone to task for quoting Wikipedia in a baseball rules discussion). So, when a catcher thinks a pitch is outside the strike zone and pulls it in an inch or two, he’s trying to affect the umpire’s judgment, just as Jeter is when he’s trying to make the umpire think the ball struck something an inch or two away from what it actually hit.
Anyway, it’s an unusual circumstance, so I’m not surprised that people are taking Jeter to task for it. It is a little questionable, but to discredit him for life for it is a bit of an overreaction. The reason the umpires got fooled here is because they’re trained to go on the reaction of the batter. I guess it’s pretty rare that someone could react quickly enough to fake it, but now we know it can be done, and so do the umpires.
Steroids, baseball doctoring, trapping the ball, other sports, etc. – those all provide a diversion. I didn’t realize this was a quid pro quo situation. Okay, I’ll say that framing pitches is wrong. What will you give me in return?
And here I thought people would hammer me because I said I would vote for Jeter’s induction to the HOF.
It’s not that Jeter “could react quickly enough to fake it.” It’s that in post-game interviews he dismissed it. As if to say, I will keep doing it until I get caught. If you are okay with that, fine. I find that tact to be tiring.
Come to think of it maybe this is one big baseball quid pro quo. If you allow the catcher to frame, I’m going to prance around like a school girl when the ball comes too close. Wait. Is that what I have been misunderstanding all these years?
Is allowing what Jeter did good for the game?
Gino – thank you for taking the time to read and respond. I did notice that you mentioned that you couldn’t look for a rule book. I also know that English is not your first language and quick reference to an easy online source would expedite your response.
Casey … on this Jeter thing … I think you just need let it go and move on. This is not a big deal. You’re better off using your passion spending time protesting our troops being in Afghanistan & Iraq or Obama’s failed fiscal policies or pick another topic of real importance … like Notre Dame’s lack of a running game 😉
I blame the camera guy. Who would have thought a high speed camera was going to be on him at that exact moment? Seemed like a perfect shot.
I wasn’t surprised, but I wasn’t disappointed either. What registered with me is how quickly all of that happened, which means that Jeter was a bit like Pavlov’s dog when the ball came in. So I asked myself if he was consciously cheating or if his programmed competitiveness fired those synapses too quickly for him to think.
In regards to the postgame interviews, it must be hard to admit. Jeter remains the only active Yankee I like (Bernie is the other), and I can say I feel no different after this. I think most players would have done that because their competitive reaction tells them, too. Then I suppose, if a high speed camera catches you in that act, you have to consider if integrity should prevail.
I don’t know. It just didn’t irk me as much as it did others. I think there are unwritten rules in all of sports where integrity is defined. Pitches in on the batter seems like one. If you can fake it, take it. Flopping in soccer – I know how bad people hate soccer for this – is another. It’s just accepted if you can sell it. If it’s a 50/50 ball or a ball you clearly have possession of, the story is different I suppose. Plus, taking a scossors kick to the legs has to hurt. If you miss, you deserve the penalty anyway.
Flopping in basketball if the other. OOC on the scouting reports, remember that, Casey? I do that now. Actually had a team pegged as OOC and told my guys they could take charges for days. We had 7 or something in the game and the coach went off on me for teaching flopping in the newspapers. Most of them could have been called the other way, but I just taught my kids to take advantage of a weakness. Maybe Jeter was just taking advantage of a weakness.
I don’t know. Maybe some of that relates, maybe it doesn’t.
I first read this article before anyone else posted any comments. I thought about posting a comment in full support of my dad (Casey’s) article. Now, I return to the article less than a week later and I’m in awe with the direction that the comments went… I have to admit, I’m glad I didn’t post it seeing as he probably would have gotten chewed out even more than he already did! I can see the comments already… “What have you been teaching your daughters over there Casey?” or “What kind of cult is being construed over at the Gotham household?”
I guess overall I’m just really disappointed with the way people have been reacting to this article or even just the whole situation in general.
Uncle Wally – Maybe you’re right, maybe he should just “let it go and move on.” But maybe the real thing we should all do is question why we think lying and cheating is considered to be OK at the major league level. From a young age (even putting sports aside) I was always taught to be honest and fair as are the majority of children. When did that change? Where is the line drawn? Just because these people are making hundreds of millions of dollars a year that makes it alright for them to be able to cut corners? I think NOT!
My concerns go out to everyone that did not see Jeter’s reaction to the situation as a problem. For someone so well-respected all around the country for not only his athletic prowess, but also for the role-model like qualities he possesses, I am stunned that he would react in such a fashion and risk his reputation. Guilty though, I will still respect Jeter as a player, as he has proved himself time and time again.
Great article Dad, I loved it 🙂
Cece —
You continue to be a credit to the family! This response being just the latest data point in your impressive resume. And had you posted this response earlier, we woulda gone a bit easier on your dad … as you know … ol’ Uncle Wally is really a softy.
Anyway, now the lawyer in me is coming out. (Okay, I’m not a lawyer, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express over the weekend:). But Cece, I don’t think anyone is saying that lying and cheating are OK … I’m certainly not. I say: “Play within the rules, don’t play dirty and don’t try to hurt anyone … but play to win.” Derek Jeter has been playing within the rules … and he certainly was during that particular game vs Tampa and the incident we’re talking about. Did he possibly betray some trust and goodwill he had built through the years? Yes, absolutely. And that may come back to haunt him in the future … we’ll see. But at the potential expense of the umpires having long memories and some future calls not going his way, Jeter further endeared himself to teammates and coaches for “playing team ball”.
We’re criticizing Jeter as if he contemplated this “deception” for days and weeks … a pre-conceived crime as they might say on “Law & order” … the defendant planned this heinous crime!!! C’mon folks …. Jeter acted in a split second instinctively …. he probably was certain that pitch was gonna hit him … certainly it would have 99% of the time … but this one freak time it hit the knob square on, which surprised everyone. His brain was already planning to have his body reel in pain, but as luck would have it, he was spared. Hey … might as well penalize that pitcher for such a bad pitch anyway and run to first. Gotta get on base in this tight game! As I said before, I want Jeter in that foxhole with me … I want him on my team! But we play by the rules and don’t try to hurt anyone. Jeter didn’t lie and he didn’t cheat.
But overall, Cece, I humbly respect your opinion … and always proud that you’re in the family! You certainly make your Dad look better and better 😉
Jeter may not have contemplated that particular deception for days and weeks, but he definitely crowds the plate, and that is deliberate. He is fourth among current players being hit by a pitch.
Oh … the shame of it all. He crowds the plate??? That’s terrible … do his parents know???
Now since we’re on this witchhunt for unscrupulous deceivers, we should tell Archie Manning that his two sons have deliberately been trying to draw opposing defenses offsides. I just don’t know what to say. I guess Peyton and Eli should be grounded!!!
Oh … and Casey … there’s already “legislation” available to prevent batters from crowding the plate. It’s called “sticking it right in their ribs”. And that’s not cheating either. Sure … you may get tossed if you’re stupid about it … but it’s certainly a viable option for pitchers. Ah, the natural order of checks and balances …
I heard David Eckstein’s coming out with a book where he admits that he never would have made it in the major leagues had he not learned to lean into a pitch. In the book, he outs Jason Kendall as the biggest cheater there is, saying he spent countless hours in the clubhouse perfecting his skills, even teaching other players how to do it. But, he also exonerates Jose Guillen, saying “He wasn’t looking for an edge. It’s just that everybody hates that son of a bitch.”
🙂