STORM BURIES NEW YORK, MISSES TAMPA

For all the hoo-ha surrounding Derek Jeter’s Monday morning meeting with the press, the results must be seen as a disappointment. For the papers anyway. Throughout his career Jeter has been knocked for being a stiff interview, the prototypical jock robot. Suddenly, he was expected to add a juicy chapter to Bronx Zoo lore, but I’m happy to report that Jeter was his usual, bland self yesterday.

According to Joel Sherman in the New York Post:

The biggest difference between Derek Jeter’s morning press conference and the one Hideki Matsui held in the afternoon was Matsui was boring in two languages.

Jeter did make like the great Joe D however, and bristled at the percieved tarnishing of his image:

“Image is important because that’s who I am,” Jeter said. “No one wants to have an image they don’t care about.”

“The problem is the way it’s all been painted. That was my primary concern. Now, everywhere I go, people ask if I party too much.

“I didn’t want Yankee fans to be thinking that I could care less whether we win or lose.”

“Obviously, I know I can do a lot better than what happened last year,” he said. “Healthwise, I’m in better shape than I have been.

“Ever since my shoulder injury (2001), I haven’t been able to work out as much. This year I could.”

What about the Boss?

“I don’t think there is an issue of revenge, I don’t know how you get back at The Boss,” Jeter said. “I don’t feel a need to get back at The Boss.”

What about George taking all the glory if the Yanks win?

“He should take credit if we win, because he put together the team,” Jeter said. “Hopefully, the year will go like that and we can answer the question then.”

“If you don’t win, what’s the point of playing?” Jeter asked. “I am my biggest critic. Nobody gets on me more than I do. I am a perfectionist.”
News:

Veteran columnists, Bill Madden and Mike Lupica weighed in with columns and, like Bob Klapisch, suggested Jeter move on, quickly.

According to Madden:

You’d have thought by now, after nearly eight years as a Yankee, that Jeter would have come to realize all of this comes with the territory. There’s nary a Yankee superstar, from Reggie Jackson to Don Mattingly, who hasn’t at one time or another been touched up by Steinbrenner.

Instead of grousing about how his image has been tarnished, Jeter should not forget that he had some pretty good company in that Steinbrenner rip job in December.

How do you think Torre felt hearing for the umpteenth time that he was just another run-of-the-mill losing manager until he came to the Yankees, and that he should not forget it’s the organization that’s been responsible for his four-ring, Hall of Fame success these past six years? How tempting do you think it was for Torre to retort: “If that’s the case, will it be the organization who gets the blame if we don’t win again this year, or just me and my coaches?”

Lupica echoed Madden’s sentiments and couldn’t help adding a jab:

Now that Steinbrenner has picked on Torre, Jeter and Jason Giambi in succession, you have to think it’s somehow going to be Bernie’s turn next.

Even Jeter’s dad added his two cents to the proceedings:

“[Steinbrenner’s comments] questioned his work ethic, his integrity,” Charles Jeter said in a telephone interview. “It bothered him, rightfully so. It annoyed him. It annoyed me, to be honest with you. But I don’t want to be part of the equation. My feeling is he took the right approach in what he said. I feel Derek has handled it.”

“My main thing with Derek is to keep things between the white lines,” Charles Jeter said. “We all work for somebody. I guess what Derek said is, `The boss can say anything that he wants to say.’ You just hope the things that are said are about what’s between the white lines.”

“This too will pass and Derek will go on,” Charles Jeter said. “And hopefully the Yankees will go on in their quest for another championship.”

Father knows best, right?