A-Rod Can Take Care of Himself

Another New York reporter has commanded Derek Jeter to speak out for A-Rod.  Doing the duties this time?  Newsday's Wallace Matthews:

No one, of course, tells Derek Jeter what to do, and I don't presume to try. But it is my considered opinion that Jeter can hide for only so long behind his stock answer, "I haven't read the book yet." The book is out today. Time to start reading. And he doesn't even have to read it to come out and say, simply: "Alex is my teammate. Alex is our guy. Everyone in this clubhouse stands behind him." And that has to include the captain. Because that's what captains do. (snip) ... it's time to pull in that dirty laundry, burn it and be done with it. Realistically, it will make a difference on the field only if the Yankees hit, pitch, field and run better than they did last year. But it's the right thing to do, especially if, like Jeter, you call yourself a captain and fancy yourself a leader.

It's funny how people like to take athletes, in this case Jeter, and apply responsibilities to them.  In Jeter's case, it always his "responsibility" to say something in defense of A-Rod, as if A-Rod can not deal with any adversity without Jeter's vote of support. Torre said that Damon was lethargic after a leg injury in 2007, didn't play very hard and contemplated retirement.  Should Jeter come out and defend Damon? Mike Mussina said that Mariano Rivera's resume of the last seven years doesn't stack up to his first six.  Should Jeter come out and defend Rivera? Did Jeter come out and say nice things about Teixeira yet?  He better get on that or Teixeira might tank. If the press hadn't made such a big deal out of Jeter and A-Rod's relationship in the first place, would anyone really be focusing on this nonsense?  I can understand when players get angry at the press for creating stories when there isn't one.  In this case, suddenly the story is that Jeter has not defended A-Rod, the implication being that he was supposed to. When was the last time someone who didn't work at your company told you what to do at work?  Did you listen to them?  Doubtful. Matthews says it's time for Jeter to put away the dirty laundry, yet earlier in the article Matthews says, "I think there has to be something deeper between these two men than some silly magazine story - but whatever the reason, it's time for that to change."  Oh, Wallace Matthews, baseball reporter, has decided that two people he doesn't know that well should be friends again.  How nice. And when did Derek Jeter come out and publicly anoint himself "leader?"  Yes, he's the captain.  But I haven't Jeter ever "fancy himself" leader. It's this type of desperate writing that keeps me from updating this blog with mindless filler just to have something posted.  I don't want to waste your time with inane story grabbing.  All I would be doing is misinforming you or making you believe something because it's my job to put a story up that day. I appreciate that Wallace Matthews writes for a living.  I wish someone were paying me to criticize him right now.  But since you do have the luxury of being paid to write about a game, Mr. Matthews, maybe your time might be better spent educating yourself about the game so that you might better enlighten your readers.  Columns like this are Melrose Place fodder that have less to do with sports than they do creating conflict.