Keith Olbermann rant about Derek Jeter

[jbhofmann]

Derek Jeter has to be in the top handful of Shortstops to ever play the game if you look at the body of work. Even if he was never the best player in the game, he's one of the best to ever play his position. Its easy to discount him when you put him up against players at higher value positions.

He's arguably one of the worst defensive SS in recent memory and plays a premium position. Hell, his signature jump throw from the hole is partly due to his lack of range.

Tremendous first ballot Hall of Famer but lets tone down the G.O.A.T. talk. He was extremely lucky to have the Yankee mystique and championships on his side.

He was just not a dominant player. I want my legends to me dominant, not compilers.

 

[sportscardtheory]

Funny that all these Cheerio pissers always fail to compare Jeter's stats with the all-time shortstops. Greatest Yankee SS, check. One of the greatest overall SS's to ever play the game, check. But no, let's compare his stats with outfielders, first basemen and... pitchers. I don't know what's worse, the endless adoration during the farewell tour or the needless hate being thrown his way now that his career is pretty much over.

 

[sportscardtheory]

To put this ridiculous rant into perspective, Cal Ripken Jr. also "only" led the American League in the 'meaningful' stats that were cherry-picked, wait for it... 3 times. Just like Jeter. Where is Cal's rant, Keith? lol

 

[jbhofmann]

Funny that all these Cheerio pissers always fail to compare Jeter's stats with the all-time shortstops. Greatest Yankee SS, check. One of the greatest overall SS's to ever play the game, check. But no, let's compare his stats with outfielders, first basemen and... pitchers. I don't know what's worse, the endless adoration during the farewell tour or the needless hate being thrown his way now that his career is pretty much over.

I think the Jeet defenders can't come to terms that he's not Ruth, he's Larkin, and that's perfectly acceptable.

It could be argued that Yount was way more dominant at SS than Jeter. The difference? He was moved and played in Milwaukee.

If Jeter played 2B in Houston he'd be Bi....oh never mind.

 

[TNP777]

He's a biracial angel.

 

[phillyfan0417]

I think the Jeet defenders can't come to terms that he's not Ruth, he's Larkin, and that's perfectly acceptable.

It could be argued that Yount was way more dominant at SS than Jeter. The difference? He was moved and played in Milwaukee.

If Jeter played 2B in Houston he'd be Bi....oh never mind.

Actually, Larkin would have been the better player if he could have stayed on the field a little more. 1 less season and 3500 less at bats. also larkin played 19 season and jeter 20 and jeter played in about 550 more games.

Jeter is not the GOAT but if we're going to call him larkin, there is the need for a little context.

Jeter played in 145 games or more 16 times and larkin 6.

If we give points to "compilers" like ripken and such, Jeter from a productivity standpoint is the equal to larkin and quite a few step inferior if larkin was healthier.

Unfortunately, that and the rings are the difference between the two...

 

[Super Mario]

You cannot compare what Ozzie did with this god awful embarrassment. Ozzie announced his retirement mid season because he made a deal with Cardinals management over a nasty dispute with LaRussa. He was honored in a few National League cities but nothing like this joke tour Jeter is on. You say "tons of great players announce their retirement before the season." Really? Name some of these HOF caliber players that announced their retirement before the season. You shouldn't have any problem coming up with 8 or 10 because you did say "a ton."

Tony Gwynn did it, and got the same send off as Jeter.

Mariano Rivera did it last season.

MLB's golden boy Cal Ripken Jr. did it, and got all the pomp and circumstance in every city.


Don't act like this Jeter stuff is new.

He deserves it. He was a great ambassador for the game of baseball the last 20 years, playing in the biggest market in all of baseball.

 

[rsmath]

Every team, every fan, wishes they had a "Derek Jeter" on their team for twenty years.

you're being the opposite-olbermann this morning?

OTOMH, in the post slavery (uh, free agency) time period, Tony Gwynn, robin yount, and Cal Ripken Jr. come immediately to my mind. It would not be out of the realm of my thinking that Clayton Kershaw and Troy Tulowitzki could join that list in the future.

I'm not surprised Jeter was a yankee for life because the yankees had the money to do so and overpaid in his late career to make that happen. Also, Jeter 20 years same time in the free agency period is not a rarity.

 

[joey12508]

No he isn't babe ruth. On the yankee all time list you have
ruth
Gehrig
DiMaggio
mantle
berra
jeter

No one will jump that list of Yankees not in my lifetime anyway.

 

[sportscardtheory]

No he isn't babe ruth. On the yankee all time list you have
ruth
Gehrig
DiMaggio
mantle
berra
jeter

No one will jump that list of Yankees not in my lifetime anyway.

As dominance at their specific position goes, I would put Mo ahead of Jeter.

My all-time Yankees list would be

1. Ruth
2. Gehrig
3. Rivera
4. DiMaggio
5. Berra
6. Mantle
7. Ford
8. Jeter
9. Munson
10. Posada

 

[joey12508]

I wouldnt put it past them after not allowing Kate Upton into the stadium recently for wearing Tigers gear.

OMG:lol:

 

[joey12508]

As dominance at their specific position goes, I would put Mo ahead of Jeter.

My all-time Yankees list would be

1. Ruth
2. Gehrig
3. Rivera
4. DiMaggio
5. Berra
6. Mantle
7. Ford
8. Jeter
9. Munson
10. Posada

cant see MO that high, maybe because im older. yogi was a 3 time mvp so was mantle. I respect your opinion though.

 

[James52411]

I think Olbermann is intentionally being provocative during the Jeter love-fest, but he is also being a bit unfair. Jeter has a .310 career average, 3461 hits, 1922 runs, 358 steals, career OBP of .377, and a career OPS of .817 that is weighed down by his late-career years. Jeter is a pretty darned great player.

 

[bmp1971]

Despite being a lifetime, die-hard Red Sox fan, I have nothing but respect for Jeter for all his accomplishments on the field. And it doesn’t pain me to admit it either.

 

[Jaypers]

I was hoping Olbermann would have included a list of "New York 10's" Jeter's banged during his career, but no such luck.

 

[joey12508]

I was hoping Olbermann would have included a list of "New York 10's" Jeter's banged during his career, but no such luck.

Keith Oberman is just jealous of all the pooty tang Jeter got.

 

[Austin]

I think Olbermann is intentionally being provocative during the Jeter love-fest, but he is also being a bit unfair. Jeter has a .310 career average, 3461 hits, 1922 runs, 358 steals, career OBP of .377, and a career OPS of .817 that is weighed down by his late-career years. Jeter is a pretty darned great player.

Exactly. It's Olbermann's job to be provocative and stir controversy.

Anyone can cherry pic stats and be critical of most great players.
Ripken was a compiler and rarely led his league in an offensive category.
Gwynn was relatively one-dimensional.
That doesn't diminish their greatness; it's just being needlessly critical.

No one is calling Jeter the greatest player, the greatest shortstop or the greatest Yankee.
MLB is simply honoring baseball's most famous superstar who always put his team first, was a winner, never got in trouble, wasn't suspected of PEDs and is a great role model for kids.

 

[jbhofmann]

I'm obviously nitpicking but the Captain refused to:

Move positions when NY acquired AROD in his prime.

Move down the order....period.

At 37 he had a chance to resign and give the Yankees a great break in order to build their roster. He stubbornly pushed for a deal to be the highest paid SS in MLB....and he got it. At 37!

 

[Austin]

I'm obviously nitpicking but the Captain refused to:

Move positions when NY acquired AROD in his prime.

Move down the order....period.

At 37 he had a chance to resign and give the Yankees a great break in order to build their roster. He stubbornly pushed for a deal to be the highest paid SS in MLB....and he got it. At 37!

Again, who cares?
No athlete, or human, is a 100% saint. And no one is claiming Jeter is.
He's being honored for being the face of baseball, the sport's most recognizable player and a champion.

Why, whenever a famous person is honored, do naysayers always have to bring up the negatives?

Sure, the Jeter lovefest (and Rivera tour) has been overdone, but just put up with it for another few days and just be glad the Yankees aren't in the postseason.

 

[sportscardtheory]

Most who are disparraging Jeter right now are the epitome of "hater". Dude had a great HOF career. 'Let me proclaim all the negatives about him, derp derp derp!"