Wow...

I'm near the front of the line on Jeter-hating... but this has gotten silly. Local radio station has even been talking about Jeter's cheating all morning.

Good grief. This no more tarnishes his "paragon of virtue" than would a fielder, knowing he didn't catch a fly ball, who lifts his glove up as if to say "I Caught it!" or someone knowing they didn't catch the ball before the runner passed the base jogging off like he'd made the out.

This is not cheating, or even unethical.

Andy (my youngest son, a baseball player, and still in H.S.), MTD, Jr., and I have watched the replay numerous times. We all agree on the following points:

1) This is a very very very close play.

2) Yes, the ball did hit the end of the bat.

3) The key is: Did the ball hit the end of bat first and then Jeter's body, or did hit Jeter's body and then the end of the bat?

4) The contact between bat, ball, and body is very very very close.

5) Notice that the PU immediately signaled DB and was awarding Jeter 1B. From the PU's angle it appears that the ball hit Jeter first and then the end of the bat.

6) Jeter really didn't have to milk it because the PU immediately signaled DB and awarded Jeter 1B.

I have not read any quotes from the PU or Crew Chief, but I am willing to bet dollars to donuts that that PU, from his angle, saw the ball hit Jeter in the stomach, then hit the end of his bat, and then hit is stomach again.

MTD, Sr.

I am more than sure his contracts rewards him for getting on base more than not getting on base. I am also sure it doesn't say how, either.

Anyone out there that believes this is a travesty of the game well, grow up. As we always say here, show me the rule violation or reference that says this is not allowed.

Obviously a tough call because, none of them seen it and of course the trained eye in a replay is always better than live action.

I don't think it's a travesty -- I do think that Jeter invoking the trainer is the baseball equivalent of the soccer player going down like he's shot until the referee books the opponent. It cheapens the sport and lowers my respect for Jeter. I mean, Jeter was *immediately* awarded the base - the rest of the histrionics were unnecessary.

For those of you saying you'd call out "Dead ball," please don't. The proper baseball call is "Time."

Tampa Bay / NY Jeter HBP?
 

Thank you, I was looking for my shovel. LOL

The "anti" crowd is going to have a hard time justifying the neighborhood play call now.

While you are "correct", and I use "time" out of longstanding habit, we'd all be better served to stop encouraging these form-over-substance distinctions. There is absolutely no difference in the outcome of the two pronouncements, and nobody is confused by either.

Heck, custom and practice notwithstanding, a case can be made for "dead ball" being better. Sometimes the ball becomes dead by rule, and sometimes by a call of "time". If it's by rule, as when the pitch hits the batter, "time" is superfluous; no need to call it when play is already dead.

"Time" causes a dead ball; "dead ball" is giving information.

Jeter's behavior has been one of the lead stories on every ESPN show today to include interviews with many athletes. There are generally two schools of thought:

1) How could he, cheating is wrong!

2) I'd do almost anything, including cheat, to help my team win!

And I gotta tell ya, more athletes are going for #2.

Kornheiser - "Derek Cheater"

FWIW...When asked, Jeter admitted in a post game interview with a radio reporter that it hit the bat first (not that we didn't already know that after seeing the video). I heard a replay of that portion of the interview this morning on a local morning radio sports talk show.

Nope.

Stomach? That must be why Jeter was holding and rubbing his wrist and had his trainer examine his wrist. Yes, of course that's it, the ball hit his stomach.:rolleyes:

Did they play his answer in which he blamed the umpire for giving him first? A real class act.

What a stupid comment.
He was awarded first base. He later said what happened. What is your point, if any?

The Bigger Question
 

So, if Baseball has instant replay how would umpires resolve this play?

What happens when the umpire kills a live ball in error?
How would you get through this one?
What would you do?

At the end of the day this is a play almost impossible to call by humans in real time. Does that mean we need instant replay?

What the umpire "saw" and what the cameras "saw"are not even close.
The ball never, ever, hit Jeter.
This is not to blame the umpire.
It is to ask what would umpires do with the play after watching the replay?
If instant replay was used and the play was, somehow, under review.