I'm not a Yankees fan. And I don't have strong feelings about Derek Jeter one way or the other, beyond him being a Michigan native. But in that, I have to admire the guy. Having played under the limelights of New York all of his career, wearing the fabled Yankee pinstripes, he's always seemed like a class act, a guy who goes out there and takes care of his business on the field. The biggest smirch against him, in my opinion, is the contract he extorted from the Yankees this past off-season... but let's face it, at the end of the day, he knew they'd give him whatever he wanted. And isn't it worth it, just after yesterday? The first 3,000-hitter in Yankees history. Well worth it, I'd say.
Jeter is the 28th member of the 3,000 hit club. He also is one of the minority in that group who played their entire career with one team. He is the only member to have done so with the Yankees and the only member to have done so in a Yankee uniform. He got his hit in momentous fashion, as well, blasting a home run on his second at-bat in Friday's game against the Rays. He went 5/5 on the day.
I tip my hat to the Yankee captain today, who joins a very distinguished group of men in the annals of baseball history.
Remember that Pacman guy?
So, Pacman Jones got arrested the other night. Big deal. It's happened. He alleges no wrong-doing and the charges are misdemeanors. Got rowdy at a bar, it sounds like. That doesn't bother me. I mean, it's obnoxious, but as a news item, I don't care. But as I was browsing the report on ESPN, I noticed a snippet about Roger Goodell saying that players would face disciplinary action for personal conduct violations during the lockout.
I don't like that.
The players have been locked out of their job by Goodell and the owners. Yes, contracts are still in place. Yes, there are personal policy stipulations to those contracts. But it is my belief that, at this juncture, it's out of Goodell's hands, or at least should be. He's locked the players out! If the Bengals want to punish or part ways with Jones when the lockout ends, it's their business, because his contract is with them. Same for the Steelers and Hines Ward, with his DUI arrest the other day. But I think that the commissioner trying to continue to lord over players with the lockout in place is somewhat inappropriate. I'm not a Roger Goodell fan for that reason; he has a sort of authoritarian bend to him that gives me a "my way or the highway" sort of vibe. The lockout has only affirmed that. Whereas his predecessor, Paul Tagliabue, seemed to work well as a middle-man or mediator between players and owners, Goodell is clearly with the owners and seems committed primarily to making them as much money as possible.
Pacman Jones is at least a bit of a thug and a bit of an idiot. And I'm completely with Goodell keeping the NFL from becoming a league of thugs and idiots. But I feel like telling players that they'll still be reviewed for conduct violations during the lockout (or retroactively, after it's over) is a step far, given the labor circumstances.
Around the MLB -
NY Yankees 5, Tampa Bay 4 - Jeter collects five hits to push the Yankees to victory on his historic day.
Atlanta 4, Philadelphia 1 - A pitchers' duel between Tommy Hanson and Cliff Lee took until the 11th inning to decide, when the Braves' bats came to life.
Chi. White Sox 4, Minnesota 3 - It took ten games to do it, but the White Sox finally notch a win against the Twins.
LA Dodgers 1, San Diego 0 - San Diego came so close to a no-hitter for Luke Gregerson, with only one out left, when the Dodgers got on base in one hit and got the winning RBI on the next.
Chi. Cubs 6, Pittsburgh 3 - The first four innings saw the Cubs put runs on the board, giving them the lead they needed to win.
Colorado 2, Washington 1 - Ubaldo Jimenez returned to form for a game, going eight innings and allowing one run in the Rockies' win.
Toronto 5, Cleveland 4 - Jose Bautista keeps crankin' em, adding HRs 30 and 31 to his season, with the 31st being the winning run in the 10th.
Boston 4, Baltimore 0 - John Lackey held the Orioles to nothing over nearly seven innings, helping Boston secure a win.
Cincinnati 8, Milwaukee 4 - Cincinnati took the middle of the game off, putting up 3 runs in the first and then adding the other five to win in the tenth.
Kansas City 13, Detroit 6 - Rookie Charlie Furbush got rocked in his second game as a set starter, getting wrecked for nine runs over the first three frames.
Florida 6, Astros 1 - Ricky Nolasco went another complete game, holding the Astros to a single run.
St. Louis 7, Arizona 6 - Pujols' game-tying HR in the eighth set gave the Cards the chance they needed, when they got the walk-off HR in the next inning.
Texas 7, Oakland 6 - Setting his demons aside, Josh Hamilton played hero for the night, hitting two HRs, including the walk-off in the ninth.
San Francisco 3, NY Mets 1 - After allowing a run in the first, Tim Lincecum clamped down on the Mets, letting nothing else by for the rest of his seven innings.
LA Angels 9, Seattle 3 - Michael Pineda saw the worst start of his career as the Angels' bats savaged him in the third and fifth. Joel Pinerio gave up three runs but was otherwise strong in his start.
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