Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter aka Mr. 3000

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Much respect and congratulations to one of the great Yankees; Derek Jeter is now part of the 3,000 hit club.  This is a tremendous accomplishment for Jeter as he was able to do this with the team that drafted him, and when you look at the historic history of the NY Yankees… Derek Jeter will go down as the ONLY NY Yankee to reach the 3,000 club; amazing when you think about all the greats to play for the Yankees: Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle.

In joining the 3,000 hit club Derek Jeter did it in style…

  • 5-5
  • 3,000th hit, a home run
  • Drove in the game winning run in his last at-bat
  • Did it at Yankee Stadium 

I am not sure you can draw a more perfect story in Hollywood; keep in mind that Jeter had been struggling to hit the ball with any authority this season.  But in recent weeks Jeter like the Jeter that always steps up in the playoffs started driving the ball with authority like the Jeter of late 90s.  So today’s performance against the Rays was classic… There were no cheap hits and like the Jeter of old, if you make a mistake he will make you pay and he did just that with a HR for his 3,000th hit.

It’s no secret that I am no fan of the NY Yankees and I have been critical of Derek Jeter this winter and thru the 1st half of this season, but I cannot deny how amazing of a day Jeter had today in reaching a glorious milestone.

Even a Yankee hater like myself has to stand-up and applaud a GREAT player like Derek Jeter.

Congrats Derek Jeter aka Mr. 3000 and future 1st ballot Hall Of Famer!!!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

F-A-Natic Fridays – Are the Yankees SOFT???

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

As much I hate the Yankees I never thought I would ever think of the Yankees being SOFT, but after watching Boston come into Yankee stadium and sweep the series I think it’s time to starting questioning the mental makeup of this Yankee team.

Not only did Boston sweep the series but they also physically inflected some pain on the Yankees.  Boston pitching managed to hit 4 Yankees, including knocking Mark Teixeira from the game after getting plunked on the knee.

So how did the Yankees respond?

Well……

As I already mentioned the Yankees got swept at HOME by their hated rivals; so obviously Tex being hit didn’t ignite anything in them. Then on top of that David Ortiz went off on them AGAIN and blasted a couple of homeruns.  One of the homeruns Big Papi apparently offended Yankee manager Joe Girardi with the flip of the bat; so I guess this would be the time when the Yankees would definitely retaliate.  Girardi is an old school type of guy, so you have to believe something would happen, right???

Well……

So the Yankees did FINALLY respond as C.C. Sabathia hit Ortiz in the leg with a 97 mph fastball. Of course that only happened AFTER Josh Beckett hit Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

WTH!!!!

So the Yankees finally hit David Ortiz after 161 career games and 34 career homeruns against them; AND after the Red Soxs hit 3 of their star players.  I guess that seems like a fair trade-off, LOL!!!

Yeah, the Yankees are soft as baby shit!!!

There is no way the Yankee teams that had Paul O’Neil and Roger Clemens would have ever let that go down.  Without a doubt there would have been some kind of bench clearing brawl…

Where is Don Zimmer?  His old ass has more fight than these NY Yankees!!

No wonder the Yankees were swept at home, they have no heart.  I will even say that my NY Mets have more heart than these pretty boy Yankees; The Mets have 2 superstars down and they show more fight.

After Boston’s slow start the Yankees had the chance to bury their hated rivals; instead they let them stay in the race and now Boston is in 1st place.  Even though it is still early in the season (really not), I am not sure the Yankees have what it takes to challenge the Red Sox.  Of course the Yankees have proven me and others a lot smarter than me wrong before….

The only difference is those Yankees teams of past seasons had HEART!!

Now You Want to Be Tough on Jeter???

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

So I wake up this morning and I see that longtime Yankee fan Stephen A Smith, wants to be tough on Derek Jeter.

Really???

Now you wanna be tough on Jeter Stephen A?  Dawg, you’re LATE to the game.  Stephen A is criticizing Jeter for his lack of productivity so far this season; ummmm…. NEWS FLASH Stephen, Derek Jeter is 36 years old!!!  What about last season gave you the idea that Jeter was going to have a productive season in 2011?

I know I know, it’s still early in the season and Jeter could turn this round and I actually think he will.  I don’t believe Jeter will hit .300 but he could be a .275 – .280 hitter.

I guess what pisses me off about all this is that so-called sports reporter Stephen A Smith is trying to come across as being tough on Jeter.  In my opinion Stephen A. is being the ULTIMATE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK!  It’s easy to criticize Jeter right NOW, his numbers are terrible (at least for Derek Jeter standards).  You’re not being “TOUGH” on Jeter your just being “Captain Obvious”.  Anyone watching a Yankee game could have told us that Jeter is struggling.  Stephen A. likes to yell and rant in interviews and on the radio and show he has the biggest mouth in the room.  How about you show us some creativity Stephen A and report something I didn’t already know.

Step ya game up bruh, I am sure ESPN is paying you a lot of money to be a lil more creative with your reporting.

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Arrogance of Yankee fans…

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

So if you heard that loud annoying noise last night around midnight (eastern), it was Yankee fans crying about the news that Cliff Lee was going to sign with Philadelphia Phillies.  Don’t confuse the Yankee fans crying with the sobbing of Houston Texans as once again they lost a game in heartbreaking fashion, but that story is for another day; LOL!

Back to Yankee fans, the typical NY Yankee fan is so arrogant that they feel EVERY free agent should sign with them and that going anywhere else is like turning down the advances of Selita Ebanks.  After the disbelief of the idea that the #1 free agent on the market Cliff Lee would tell the Yankees no, fans of the Bronx Bombers began to go after the mental makeup Lee and his wife.  Seriously, was it not enough that classless Yankee fans rudely heckled Lee’s wife during the ALCS last year at Yankee Stadium?

In my opinion any attack on Lee’s mental makeup is just silly, and any comparison to LeBron not wanting to come to the Knicks is off as well.  In the case of LeBron you can say LeBron was wanting to avoid being the man as basketball is more of an individual sport than baseball.  Bron would have had the focus of the NY media on him every day as he would be playing every game.  Unlike LeBron, Lee would only pitch every 5 days while sharing the marquee with other Yankee players like Jeter, Robinson Cano, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera.  Keep in mind that for the past 2 seasons Lee has been a hired gun that has been thrown into the fire of stretch runs for teams making a push for the playoffs.  He also has been the #1 pitcher leading teams in the playoffs…

Postseason Pitching Statistics
SEASON G GS CG SHO IP H R ER HR BB SO W L SV HLD BLSV WHIP ERA
2009 5 5 2 0 40.1 27 10 7 0 6 33 4 0 0 0 — 0.82 1.56
2010 5 5 1 0 35.2 27 12 11 2 2 47 3 2 0 0 — 0.81 2.78
Total 10 10 3 0 76.0 54 22 18 2 8 80 7 2 0 0 — 0.82 2.13

Sorry Yankee fans but these are not the numbers of some one scared to pitch on the big stage, LOL!  As a matter of fact Lee has done it in Yankee Stadium as an opposing pitcher, which is worse than playing for the home team.  Yankee fans will just have to get over it and realize Lee just likes Philly better; yes there are people out there not obsessed with NYC and being part of that scene.  It’s even coming out that Lee never wanted to leave Philly last season when he was traded.  If you want to question Lee’s intelligence, well that is a different story… LOL, who wants to live in PHILLY!  At the end of the day Yankee fans should applaud Lee for not just being about the money and coming to NY to cash checks.  It will truly be OK Yankee fans, you still have C.C. Sabathia…

Now as a Mets fan, I am the one that should be mad!!!!

WTF, now my squad which has no money to spend not only has to deal with Roy “Doc” Halladay but now in a 3 game series we could be facing Halladay, Lee, and Hamels/Oswalt!! Screw a Yankees fan, I am the one who should be crying, HAHA!!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Derek Jeter to sign new deal with Yankees on Sunday?

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Derek Jeter

As being reported by ESPN, looks th Yankees nd Derek Jeter aka “The Captain” have agreed on a deal that will be announced Sunday.  The Yankees originally offered Jeter 3 year contract worth $45 million ($15 Mil a year).

A 36-year-old Jeter felt he was worth more years guaranteed and more money.  Jeter and his agent never officially announced what type of deal he was looking for but word on the street was that he was looking for something in the range of 6 years around $20 million a year.

Luckily for Yankees fans both the Yankees and Jeter seem to have met a middle ground.  It’s being reported that the Yankees will now offer Jeter 3 years at $17 million a year (total $51 million) with a 4th year option (lower salary) that can be picked up by the Yankees.

This is a good deal for both sides as the Yanks were able to avoid committing to a 4th year (and paying Jeter $20 mil a year) and Jeter becomes the 2nd highest paid shortstop in baseball behind Troy Tulowitzki (something like $24 million a year).

Once again all is well in Yankee land; in the words of Derrick Coleman, “Whoop–de–damn–do“ 

LOL, back to my Yankee hating ways.  LET’S GO METS!!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

F-A-Nactic Fridays – Mariano Rivera signed… so what’s Jeter’s problem?

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Mariano Rivera

Late last night news came in that Mariano Rivera and the NY Yankees have allegedly agreed to a 2 year deal for $30 million dollars at $15 million dollars per year.  The negotiations between Rivera and the Yankees have been in stark contrast to the soap opera affair that has been going on between Jeter and the Yankees.  Unlike Jeter there was an actual market for Rivera; and to Rivera’s credit he also made it known he wanted to remain a Yankee to close out his career.

So I ask what’s Derek Jeter’s problem.

Why can’t he and his agent get it together and hammer out a deal with the Yankees?

I’ll tell you why… Jeter needs to realize as far as the baseball free agent market goes, he is not a wanted commodity like Alex Rodriguez was a couple of years ago and Mariano Rivera is now!  Now there are a lot of Yankee fans and Mr. Jeter himself who would never admit it but it is what is. 

Nothing has been confirmed but Rivera was offered a deal for $17 million that forced the Yankees to act quickly and lockup the closer.  For the Yankee fans who want to criticize the Yanks for supposedly disrespecting Jeter aka “The Captain” check how the Yankees were originally offering Rivera a 1 year deal with an option for a 2nd year.  Because of the market for Rivera the 41-year-old closer was able to solidify a guaranteed 2nd year.  At $15 million a year Rivera will remain the highest paid reliever in baseball.

With all that said the Yankees as an organization are not completely innocent in the Jeter situation.  Brian Cashman is playing tough with Jeter as he seems to be trying to show this is his show to run and he is enjoying the leverage he has over Jeter.  Like Jeter Cashman also needs to take a step back and NOT embarrass “The Captain”.  From recent reports it sounds like that is exactly what the Yankees are doing.  If Jeter does not sign with the Yankees both sides will look bad.

So Jeter when the Yanks increase their initially offer of $15 million a year (total $45 million) to something like $20 million a year (increase in dollar amount not years); TAKE THE OFFER!!!

Jeter will end up being the 2nd highest paid shortstop behind Troy Tulowitzki (who recently inked an extension at $24 mil a year); That is more than a fair enough offer!!

  

 
 
 

 

Derek Jeter

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!

Is Derek Jeter serious?

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Derek Jeter

It’s no secret that I am not a NY Yankees fan; I pretty much hate everything associated with the Yankees. With all that hatred I am still a fan of baseball and I will always respect talent. So when it comes to Derek Jeter I fully respect what he has accomplished as the Yankee Captain.

Since day one in the majors Jeter has experienced being Yankee Royalty; and it was all earned by Jeter. He has been able to keep his nose clean for the most part; I can only recall the tax evasion on his NYC apartment and some whispers questioning his offseason workout habits a few years ago.

Other than that he has had a spotless career; all while being a major sports icon in NYC.

During his seemingly spotless career Jeter has been paid very well for what he has done for the NY Yankees. In the era of big money contracts where fans scrutinize if players are living up to the dollar amount of their contracts. No one has ever questioned if Jeter has ever made too much money. The Captain has done everything for the Yankees except pitch for them.

For 15 seasons Jeter has performed at the highest level, but like everything else father time eventually dulls the senses.

Your not as quick as you used to be…

It takes you a millisecond longer to pickup the ball from the pitcher…

You can’t cover the same ground moving to your left or right…

Without a doubt Jeter will be one of the Greatest Yankees of all-time and he will have his plaque side by side with the greats in monument park at Yankee Stadium.  He will also be a 1st ballot hall of famer; anything short of a unanimous vote will be a travesty…

With all that said, the alleged 5-6 year deal in the range of $20 million per year that Jeter is requesting is a little crazy.  The Yankees are said to be offering a 3 year deal worth $50 million dollars.  This is more than enough money for an aging shortstop who has CLEARLY lost a step in the field and at the plate!!

People automatically believe since the Yankees make so much money that they should have money to burn; this type of thinking is selfish.  Why should the Yankees lock themselves into a 5 to 6 year deal for a declining player who has not given any inclination that he is wiling to change positions for the good of the team.  No matter how stringent of an off-season program he could put himself through, he will never regain the steps he has lost in the field.  He will be a liability in the field.  At most MAYBE he could capture some lighting in the bottle at the plate and get back to a .300 average along with a high on base %.

Also we have to keep in mind that the Yankees have paid Jeter something like $200 million dollars during his career; so this is not a case of the Yanks being cheap.

It’s never easy for an athlete or a fan to except that the end is near; its time for Jeter to recognize his time in baseball is coming to an end.  It’s not like he is Mariano Rivera; who is still pitching at a high level.  Derek should take the 3 year deal bust his ass and show that he should get another deal if necessary; right now it just doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Yankees to lock up a 36-year-old for the next 5-6 years.  The sooner Yankee fans admit it to themselves the better!

By the way I realize it is easy for me as a Mets fans to say play hardball with a baseball icon.  The Mets are not exactly the epitome of Baseball organization excellence; we tend to avoid these difficult situations by dealing our GREAT players…

Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver just to name a few

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!!