As we all know, Derek Jeter will not be a part of the 2011 All-Star Game. He may have been voted in by the fans as the American League's starting shortstop, but he was apparently too tired to make the trip to Chase Field.
If you know that, odds are you're pretty annoyed with Jeter. Plenty of people are, and it seems like all of them have voiced their displeasure in some way or another. Heck, even an unnamed MLB official told the New York Daily News that the longtime Yankees shortstop's decision to skip the Midsummer Classic was "wrong."
In case the idea crossed your mind, it would appear that certain MLB official is not commissioner Bud Selig. Earlier on Tuesday, he actually said he had no problem with Jeter's absence.
Via ESPNNewYork.com, here's what Selig had to say:
There isn't a player I'm more proud of in the last 15 years than Derek Jeter. He has played the game the way it should be played, and he's been a better human being off the field.
I know why Derek Jeter is not here. I respect that and I must tell you that I think I would have made the same decision.
Any suggestion that I or anybody else around here is unhappy with him not being here is just false.
Well then, I suppose that's that, right? Argument over?
Um, no. While Selig is definitely entitled to his opinion -- he is the commissioner -- his words should come as absolutely no surprise. After all, if there is one guy in Major League Baseball who is obligated to stick up for Jeter, it's Selig.
The reason for this is simple: Jeter has made an awful lot of money for the league during his 15 years in the show. He has been the face of baseball for close to two decades now, and the fact that he emerged from the Steroid Era without a single black mark next to his name is not something that should be overlooked. Amidst all the game's recent demons, Jeter has been a shining angel. For that, he can basically do whatever the heck he wants.
Selig knows this, and so does Jeter. Make no mistake about that. In fact, we can probably take it for granted that the two have some kind of Michael Jordan/David Stern unspoken arrangement going on. Neither of them is going to throw the other under the bus any time soon, especially not while the world's eyes are focused squarely on Major League Baseball.
So enjoy the show, folks. No need to look in Jeter's direction. There's nothing to see there.
Simone Mütherthies Carrie Underwood Rosario Dawson Tricia Helfer Elena Lyons
No comments:
Post a Comment