Derek Jeter's Ups and Downs in 2011

It's a pretty common for a lot of men to wish they were Derek Jeter— probably a few women too.  Who wouldn't want to be the starting shortstop of the New York Yankees?  Rich, handsome, athletic and the idol of thousands of fans. There wasn't too much not to like about the basically untarnished image of the Yankees Captain until 2011 rolled around.

There was a lot of good, bad and great things for Jeter in 2011.

The past year was probably the most turbulent and public twelve months in both Jeter's personal and baseball life.  The virtuous Jeter started showing a few chinks in his armor.

Coming off the Yankees losing to the Texas Rangers in the 2010 ALCS, Jeter ushered in 2011 after contentious contract negotiations with the Yankees— the only pro team he has ever played for.

The leaking of the private negotiations led to a public feud with GM Brian Cashman and Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and left a bitter taste in Jeter's mouth.  A three-year, $51 million deal was deemed an overpayment by many for the 36-year old player on his last legs.

At a press conference, Jeter bared his fangs but tempered his anger at how the talks were handled by management. 

Not a good way to start the new year even with 51 million reasons to be happy.



Even the good people next door started to sour on Jeets.

There was the completion of his $7.7 million mansion in St. Petersburg, Florida which had his neighbors crying foul.

"St. Jetersburg," as it became known was being called a monstrosity with nearby residents complaining that it would become a bigger attraction than Disney World and there would fans and photographers cruising up and down their palmetto-lined streets.

Even Hal Steinbrenner used the eight bathroom home to backhandedly disparage his player during contract talks by saying some people "are too busy building mansions."

Jeter signed the contract and did what he does best— work hard.  He even headed down to training camp a few weeks early to work with hitting coach Kevin Long.

The extra practice did nothing for Jeter and, by his 37th birthday in June, he was lugging around a sub-par .260 average with 2 home-run offense while he stoically pursued his 3,000 career hit.

Dropped from the lead-off spot down to No. 2 and then near the bottom of the order, fans started to count the days until his benching more than how many games until he got number 3,000.

Pulling Jeter from the lineup came from an unexpected source.  An injury to Jeter's calf put him on the 15-day DL for the first time since 2003— only six hits from the milestone 3,000.

Eduardo Nunez filled in capably for Jeter at the plate but was pretty much a disaster in the field and, still,some fans started to think he was Jeter's heir apparent.

Jeter came back from the sprained calf with a vengeance and— on July 9 against the Tampa Bay Rays— became only the 28th player in major league history to get his 3,000th career hit.

He did it like only Jeter and Hollywood could script it with a dramatic home run before going 5-for-5 on a glorious summer day in front of his family with girlfriend Minka Kelly sitting in a luxury box in Yankee Stadium.

But even after "The Natural" moment there was controversy to follow.

Christian Lopez, the man who caught the valuable ball, was awarded box seats and autographed memorabilia from the Yankees team for the prized possession.  Some people thought Lopez got screwed but he insisted he was more than happy to give the ball back to his favorite player.

Things got better again.

After all the hub-bub about the 3K ball, the batting slump subsided and Jeter was named the "Most Popular Male Athlete" in a Harris poll.

The glory was once again short-lived after the 11-time All-Star infuriated baseball fans when he snubbed the All-Star game to rest his calf in Florida.  Many thought he didn't even deserve to make the team anyway.

The came fall, and things started to turn for the worse.

Rumors that Jeter's longtime squeeze Kelly started circulating that the sexy actress was having an affair with one of her co-stars on the set of the television series "Charlie's Angels."  Losing the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers in five games had to hurt just as bad.

In November, the rumors of a breakup with Kelly became reality then followed by gossip pages filled with stories of Jeter's one-night stands and the love-em-and-leave-em bachelor giving his conquests autographed baseballs and a limo ride home after a night of passion.

 After all, anything Jeter was valuable.

They even auctioned off the foul ball he hit right before his historic 3,000th hit.  The FOUL ball!

Jeter is valuable in charitable ways too.  Last month, a Long Island  judge, who knew Derek's father Charles, asked him a favor to help brighten a traumatized young boy's— he had been stabbed— life by sending him some signed gear.

Jeter obliged and even offered the youngster a box seat for an upcoming Yankees game.  A real Pride of the Yankees moment.

Throughout 2011, we saw many new dimensions to the extremely private Derek Jeter.

The once enigmatic figure was at times vulnerable, angry, broken-hearted, limping, caring and kinky— sometimes in swift succession and— through the ups-and-downs— for all the world to see.

From being called a has-been to achieving the milestone of his career or planning a life together with someone to having the breakup played out in public— it was quite a year for the Yankee.

But, it sounds like Jeter's year is going to end on a high note.

If you didn't already see it splashed across the gossip pages, Jeter was spotted rekindling his romance with Kelly in —where else— Paris.

His one-nighters get a swag bag.  Kelly gets the City of Lights.

No matter what, it's still good to be Derek Jeter.

A.J. and Eli: The Kings of New York?

A.J. Burnett and Eli Manning are the toast of New York right now.  Look at that sentence carefully, it's probably the last time you will ever see it without breaking out laughing or smashing your computer screen.

Usually the word 'toast' and the Yankees pitcher or Giants quarterback are applied after Burnett has given up five runs in a third-inning meltdown or Manning was burned for a couple of fourth quarter interceptions.

Today, the city is rejoicing for both of their hometown whipping boys and their recent success.

All Burnett did was stave off being eliminated from the ALDS last night against the  Detroit Tigers and force a Game 5 in the comfy confines of Yankee Stadium.

Burnett pitched a gem of a game and had a little help-- to put it mildly-- from centerfielder Curtis Granderson to make fans forget about his 0-for August and generally miserable season and Yankees career.

The surly Burnett almost smiled after being pulled in the sixth inning after allowing only four hits and one earned run.  Hell, I thought it was a giddy Jimmy Fallon with tattoos and a Yankees hoodie hugging Granderson in the dugout after the centerfielder made a second sensational catch to save a bases loaded shot to the outfield moments later.

Nobody's going to compare Burnett to Andy Pettitte after 5 2/3 innings, but he got the job done.

Manning, the hero on the other side of Manhattan, is making fourth quarter comebacks a habit this season and is backing up his giggle-inducing claim that he's in Tom Brady's class.

On Sunday, the NFL's third-rated QB threw two fourth quarter touchdowns in less than a minute to erase a 27-17 deficit against the Arizona Cardinals just a week after a stirring victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.  In that game, the Giants trailed 16-14 entering the last quarter against their division rivals with less than five minutes remaining.

Manning's early season redemption is easier to swallow than basing Burnett's on a single clutch playoff performance. The Yankees pitcher still has many non-believers, but at least not today.

The Giants QB, with the befuddled sideline look, still has a big following in New York.  When was the last time you saw anyone, or at any time, wearing a "Burnett" pinstriped jersey or tee-shirt?

What could have been the worst nightmare imaginable for Burnett last night was avoided by Granderson's first inning catch with the bases loaded.  The second one was icing on one of his walk-off shaving cream pies.

A hit would have produced at least three Tigers' runs and the inevitable A.J. meltdown which seems to follow.  That one play turned Burnett from an $82.5 million flop into today's hero.  Imagine the calls for A.J.'s head if he blew last night's game.  You would have Occupy Yankee Stadium protests outside Brian Cashman's office.

If it wasn't for that over-the-shoulder grab last night, after only two outs, we might have seen the last of old A.J. in pinstripes.

Burnett only allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings, after a shaky first when he walked the bases full, but overcame the pressure.  Even if the innings were more workman-like than fluid, Burnett succeeded in quieting the potent Tigers hitters until the Yankees put the game out of reach.

Tomorrow, the Yankees face a must-win situation to keep their playoff hopes alive and the Giants face the Seattle Seahawks in the Meadowlands.  The kind of game Manning has been known to look past and implode.

For Burnett, there is always the hope of another playoff start after seemingly being banished to the bullpen.  He did win the game.

Today, both players can reap the rewards of their recent successes and hope for more good things to follow.

Remember, in New York, yesterday's zero is today's hero and is tomorrow's zero...

A.J. Burnett Shows Curtis Granderson Some Love For His Glove; Yanks Win, 10-1

A.J. Burnett salvaged his much-maligned season and the New York Yankees staved off playoff elimination because of a pair of magnificent game-saving catches by centerfielder Curtis Granderson.  New York defeated the Detroit Tigers, 10-1, at Comerica Park on Tuesday night to even the ALDS at two games apiece and force a Game 5.

Nobody was more thankful for Granderson's acrobatic catches than Burnett-- and he showed his love.

The series shifts back to New York and the deciding game will be played Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

Burnett was the unexpected-- after originally being slated for the bullpen-- starter for tonight's do-or-die game.  The erratic hurler has been the bane of the Yankees rotation most of the season and had a lot to prove.

Manager Joe Girardi has stuck by Burnett all year and, after last Friday's rain postponement threw the Yankees scheduled starting rotation out of whack, he was left with no choice but to use the battered Burnett to extend the Yankees season.

It looked like another bad night for A.J. right from the start after he loaded the bases on three walks (one intentional) with two outs in the first inning until Granderson made an unbelievable over-the-shoulder catch of a Don Kelly fly ball to centerfield.  Granderson's catch saved at least three runs and-- more importantly-- a possible Burnett meltdown.

Granderson and his glove weren't through yet and he made an even more spectacular diving catch in the sixth of Johnny Peralta's two-out shot to left center with a runner on base.

When the centerfielder returned to the dugout, he was mobbed by his appreciative teammates and none more than Burnett who motioned his game-saver over to him and gave him a cheek-to-cheek hug.

Burnett (1-0) also got plenty of love from his happy teammates when he was pulled in the sixth inning.  The Yankees infielders all crowded around the pitcher when Girardi took the ball from his hands and the players patted Burnett on the back for a job well done.

The Yankees starter finished with 5.2 workman-like innings, giving up only four hits and one earned run.

It was a big change from this August when Burnett was just plain awful.  This victory redeemed his value to the team and, hopefully, tranquilized his fragile psyche.

After Burnett was relieved in the sixth by Rafael Soriano,  a six-run Yankees eighth inning blew the game open, while Phil Hughes and Boone Logan pitched the final hitless innings.

Thursday night's game will be a rematch of the Game 1 starting pitchers.  The winner of that game,  Ivan Nova, will start for the Yankees and the Tigers will counter with Doug Fister.

Burnett may have one of the worst seasons of his career but it funny how one good game can make everyone now see only rainbows and unicorns.

If anyone needed a hug tonight, it was Burnett and he got one... then gave another.

Tigers Jose Valverde on ALDS: "It's Over"

Right after Detroit Tigers Jose Valverde barely shut down a ninth-inning rally by the New York Yankees, the closer couldn't keep his mouth shut and declared the AL division series-- now tied at 1-1-- was "over." Win one game and talk gets cheap... fast.

"It's over already," Valverde told reporters after escaping a Yankees comeback in the pouring rain yesterday.  "[Justin] Verlander has it tomorrow.  The next day we have a celebration in Detroit.  They have a good team, but I think that's it for them."

When told his comments were being recorded by television cameras, Valverde laughed.

"No, no, I am just kidding," he recanted.

Besides producing some prime bulletin board material for the Yankees, Valverde forgot to mention that even if Verlander gets a victory, there is still another game to win in the best-of five series.

Valverde has good reason to be confident.  The Tigers return home and put their 24-game winner Verlander on the mound.

The Yankees will counter with their own big man CC Sabathia but, after that, will go after the Tigers with a fragile and inconsistent A.J. Burnett on Tuesday.

Valverde sure picked a weird time to start bragging.  He almost single-handedly blew Sunday's 5-3 victory by giving up two runs, putting the tying runs on base  and had the dangerous Robinson Cano at the plate as the winning run.

Valverde did everything possible to keep his throwing hand dry in the pouring rain, then got Cano to tap a routine grounder to second in the driving rain for the final out.

Valverde, who was 49-for-49 in save opportunities this season, said he would be ready to pitch Monday night even after using 34 pitches to get the save yesterday.  That was one pitch less than his season high.

After the game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that with then tying run at first base, he considered walking Cano to take a shot at struggling Alex Rodriguez, but Valverde wanted to go after Cano.

"No, right there, I wanted to end it," Valverde boasted.  "I said, I'll win it."

A-Rod Will Be Yankees X-Factor In ALDS

If you ask Alex Rodriguez, his surgically-repaired right knee and sprained left thumb are fine and sitting out last night's season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays was just precautionary.  The New York Yankees third baseman made it clear that he intends on being in the lineup tomorrow night for Game 1 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.

Last week, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that one of his intentions was to get A-Rod a full week of at-bats to get him ready for the upcoming series.  Last night, all he got was a session in the batting cage.

"I was going to go out and take one or two at-bats, but we felt it was probably smarter to stay off the turf for one night," Rodriguez said.  "Turf is always an issue when you play multiple days back-to-back.  there was just a little soreness, but it's all the turf.  Since surgery, I haven't felt any pain or discomfort."

If it's not the knee, maybe it's the thumb.

There must be some reason he is hitting .171 (6-for-35) with one home run and six RBI's over his last 10 games.  Not exactly boot-shaking numbers.

Rodriguez, missed six games from Sept. 10 to Sept. 16 after the thumb flared up but hitting coach Kevin Long believes his aging charge is not favoring the knee or the thumb.

"His timing is off," said Long.  "We are working with his leg kick and and getting better pitches to hit.  As long as he is healthy, he can help us at the next level."

The next level is exactly where the Yankees will need A-Rod's help.

Just because the Yankees are loaded with power doesn't mean A-Rod is expendable.  The team did lose the last four "meaningless" games of the season.

For the Yankees to battle the Tigers' 1-2 punch of Justin Verlander and Doug Fister, Rodriguez will have to revert back to his 2009 form.  Remember when the slugger carried the Yankees to the World Series with his first certifiable monstrous postseason?  During that run, he hit .455 in the ALDS and .429 in the ALCS with five home runs and 12 RBI's.

This year, the 36 year-old Rodriguez finished this regular season by playing in the fewest games of his career (99) with a .276 average and career lows in home runs (16) and RBI's (62).  Not prototypical cleanup numbers.

If the Yankees can't depend on Rodriguez to be their big time bat, they have other offensive power at their disposal.  Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano have combined for 108 home runs and an impressive 348 RBI's, but combine them with a robust A-Rod and you have the Roar Four.

All three of those players have been shuffled between the No. 3, 4 and 5 spots all season, but now with Granderson safely ensconced in the No. 2 slot, it's up to A-Rod to be No. 4 and make it more difficult for the Tigers pitchers to go around anyone in the middle of the lineup.

If Rodriguez is not healthy, Girardi will have to choose between either rookie Eduardo Nunez or veteran Eric Chavez.

Nunez is more of an offensive threat over the slumping Chavez--  although the fresh legs that gave Nunez 22 stolen bases belong to the same inexperienced head which made numerous mental errors in the field.  The youngster has 22 errors and, in the playoffs where every play counts, that's a real concern.

Chavez, on the other hand, is flawless Gold Glove infielder who has been known to get timely hits but has faded down the stretch.

Both are capable, if not dangerous, replacements if Rodriguez's physical ailments continue to pester him.  A bigger concern could be A-Rod's head.

After his sensational playoffs two years ago, A-Rod withered back to his old big-game habits.

He followed up 2009's breakout postseason play with a dismal outing last year against the Texas Rangers-- batting .190 with 2 RBI's in 25 plate appearances.

"I don't really have a concern about him [Rodriguez]," said Girardi about last night's sitting.  "The turf can do that to you sometimes.  He'll be ready to go (tomorrow)."

Now the hurting Rodriguez faces another October.  Which A-Rod will show up?