---

In Roger Clemens Final Start, he got knocked around a little bit early. After throwing a pitch high and tight to IRod (think the same kind of pitch that he threw to Manny Ramirez in ALCS Game 3), Rodriguez singled to right. Then he worked a full count to wunderkind Miguel Cabrera, mixing in some fastballs, sliders, and a brush back pitch (think Pedro to Karim Garcia, only in the front instead of the back, and head high rather then shoulder high). Cabrera roped a homer to right. Clemens then gave up three straight singles to Jeff Conine, Mike Lowell, and Derek Lee, the last scoring Conine. Clemens settled down after then and tossed 6 shutout innings.

Yankees’ first run was scored on a Aaron Boone sacrifice fly in the second. Then Carl Pavano shut down the Bombers for the remainder of the game. The Marlins celebrated the 3-1 Game 4 victory with booze and women.

Actually, those skanky ho’s Mystique and Aura showed up, and after a Ruben Sierra (!) two run triple (!!), the score was 3-3 and the folks in Miami were treated to Free Baseball by Ugueth Urbina. Long story short, the Marlins held the Yankees for 3 more innings, and in the bottom of the 12th, Jeff “Spicoli” Weaver surrendered a home run to Alex “Sucks less the other one” Gonzalez. There was much rejoicing in South Beach.

I was going to write “It was a good game, blah blah blah,” but in reality I think I would be insulting your intelligence to say otherwise. It was a World Series game decided in the 12th inning with a home run by a light hitting shortstop off someone who hasn’t pitched in three months.

Now something that pisses me off. I will say right here and now that I am jealous of Tim McCarver, Joe Morgan, Steve Lyons and their ilk. Not only did they play professional baseball, but they get to stay around it and analyze it for a living. What pisses me off is that they make the game less enjoyable.

They are very good about technical baseball. However, when it comes to baseball theory, quite frankly, there are many, many people who could do it better then them. I really think that Morgan, McCarver et al. really don’t know what wins ballgame. They talk about bunting, moving the runner over, productive outs, hustle, leadership and character. In other words, things that can’t be measured. Intangibles. And they have their poster boy, Derek Jeter.

I like Jeter as a player. He is a very good hitter, and he is an excellent baserunner. However listening to the analysts, he turned into a demagogue once the calendar turns to October. These analysts turn into hero-worshiping sycophants whenever he does anything in the playoffs. Here seem to be the arguments:

Myth 1: He raises his game in October

Regular season: .317/.389/.462/.851
Postseason: .314/.381/.469/.840

Im convinced.

Myth 2: His leadership has helped carry the Yankees to four World Series titles

The definition of something that is intangible is that you can’t measure it. However, I find that argument dubious when such players as Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, Wade Boggs, Tim Raines, Chili Davis, Jorge Posada, and David Justice have been his teammates. All are known as outstanding ballplayers. I think their skills combined had much more to do with the Yankees successes then the leadership of a shortstop.

Myth 3: Jeter is an outstanding shortstop

This is most the infuriating myth, because there is a lot of intellectual dishonesty involved in it. The most common thing I’ve heard this post season is “Bouncing ball right by a diving Jeter”. The numbers have said that he is a below average defender for a long time, but now they say he’s the worst in baseball. If you watch him play, you see slow rollers go under his glove all the time. Either the analysts see this and still feed the monster, or they don’t notice it. If they do, then they are purposefully misleading their audience. If they don’t see it, then they should lose their jobs, due to severe incompetence.

Myth 4: Jeter is Mr. Clutch/has outstanding character.

There is no such thing as a clutch hitter, only clutch hits. Look in the BaseballProspectus archives for opinions that are more cognizant then mine. They already said it better.

I do not know Derek Jeter. I’ve never met him, but from what I hear from his teammates, he is a good guy. Something has been nagging me all year though. The first game of the year, he slid hands-first into third base and separated his shoulder on Ken Huckaby’s kneepad. I read a article from the Toronto Sun at the time about Huckaby wanting to apologize to Jeter. He wasn’t allowed in the locker room. He called and then Jeter blew him off. Personally, I think that’s a pretty asshole thing to do, considering the injury was Jeter’s fault. When I read that, my opinion on Capt. Intangibles changed.

Myth 5: Jeter is a heads up baseball player.

He slid shoulder first into the catcher, separating it and losing 6 weeks. He watched from home plate last night as Luis Castillo and Alex Gonzalez spun a pretty double play on him. This whole reputation is built on the fact that he is a great baserunner, and that play he made on Jeremy Giambi in 2001. He’s done some stupid things on a diamond that players have been bashed for. Not Jeter though.

It might seem like I’m picking on Capt. Intangibles, but I don’t think I am. Analysts should let his play speak for itself rather then elevate Jeter to a God-like status because they like him better then Luis Gonzalez.