Pregame notes: “It was strictly based on my leg”
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on Jul 14, 2011 
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Derek Jeter was surprised that his decision to skip this week’s all-star game became such a story. He said a report that he skipped the game because of exhaustion — either mental or physical — was completely false. He wanted to take care of the calf, and if he wasn’t going to be able to play, he didn’t want to be in Arizona.
“I told you guys on Thursday or Friday why I was not going,” Jeter said. “It seemed to be a non-issue at the time. I hadn’t heard a word about it until someone told me it was all over TV on Tuesday. I guess I was surprised on the coverage. I understand the disappointment. I get that. I understand fans are disappointed. I was disappointed I didn’t have a chance to go play. Throughout the years, I’ve enjoyed going to play in All-Star Games. This was a decision I thought was best for our team for the second half of the year. I was surprised at the coverage.”
Told of players who said anyone elected to the game should be there, Jeter responded by saying he never comments on another player until he knows the facts of the situation. As for exhaustion, Jeter literally laughed at it.
“What did I have, physical and emotional exhaustion?,” he said. “That sounds like a good quote, but I didn’t say that. I told you on Friday why I wasn’t going. Emotional and physical exhaustion makes it sound good, but that wasn’t the case. It was strictly based on my leg.”
Jeter said he feels a difference after three days of rest.
“I do,” he said. “It’s interesting, when I got hurt, everyone was telling me how difficult an injury it is, that it takes until the offseason. It’s serious and you don’t want to come back too soon. Then I decide to take some days off to help out and it turned into this. Yeah, the days helped.”
Here’s Jeter.
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• Joe Girardi said the Yankees would have cut their bench to only one extra infielder before today, but they kept the second utility man because of Alex Rodriguez’s knee and because Jeter was fresh off a calf injury. With Rodriguez on the DL and Jeter rested, it’s not as much of an issue, that’s part of why the the Yankees called up an outfielder to take Rodriguez’s spot on the roster.
• Why Greg Golson as that right-hander? “We’re facing some lefties here in the next three days,” Girardi said. “We’ll get Romero on Saturday, so we decided to call him up.”
• Will Andruw Jones keep getting regular at-bats vs. leties? “I’m going to continue to use him, yeah,” Girardi said.
• Girardi said the minor league deal with J.C. Romero simply gives the Yankees another option if the decide to use him in the big leagues. It’s a guy that’s pitched in tough markets,” Girardi said. “It’s a guy that’s pitched in big markets and in pressure situations, so let’s just see how he does.”
• Rafael Soriano is throwing another batting practice session on Saturday, then the Yankees will decide whether he’s ready for a rehab assignment.
• Any lingering concern about Mariano Rivera after the sore triceps? “I don’t worry so much about the back-to-back, but you have to think about three days in a row or four out of five,” Girardi said. “I think that’s what you have to think about.”
• Worry about the Home Run Derby affecting Robinson Cano? “I don’t. I think Robbie’s a smart hitter, and I think you’ll watch Robbie have his approach tonight that he would normally have,” Girardi sadi. “I hope it affects the other guys.”
• Girardi said his hope would be that the Yankees are able to get Rodriguez back “somewhere between the four and five-week range.”
Associated Press photos
swear, I don’t think I should ever go to the library near my office again. This is where, when I was leaving, I got into my car accident (a block or two from the library). Today, I had just pulled out of the parking lot and into the little side street from which I was going to make a right onto the the road (very busy), when a nut in a minivan pulled out of the shopping center across the street and went across 4 lanes of traffic. Problem? He didn’t bother to notice there were cars going straight ahead (as they should – there was a green light). The guy coming from the West had to make an abrupt right turn into the little street where I was.. Unfortunately, another car was just behind me and the guy (in a white truck) hit this lady………..I heard screeching and I remember thinking that I couldn’t believe what was happening. I got out of my car to see if I was hit (I didn’t think I was, but still) and there was maybe about a foot and a half between me and the lady in the other car. So, I was thisclose to having my new car crashed into. Everyone was fine…..fortunately. I gave the white truck (innocent) guy my work # in case they needed to s/w me – and the police did. I had to go back there……but I had remembered incorrectly about where the minivan came from, so they couldn’t really use my testimony. It all happened in the blink of an eye and I was still in shock that I was almost in another accident.
Darn library, lol
It’s asinine that Jeter has to defend himself from self-righteous, hypocritical mediots and players…………
Jeter could have showed up to wave at the fans, but meh, no biggie. Other than that, he was absolutely correct to rest his calf and gear up for a tough second half.
Why would the derby mess up Cano’s swing? His father has been feeding him BP balls his whole life.
Go, Yankees.
Just reading ARod will not be playing any games the next 4-5 weeks is difficult to accept.
I just hope Nunez plays well enough on offense/defense to make up for the loss.
If E. Chavez was healthy, I would not worry so much about not having ARod.
Chavez is much better defensively compared to Nunez.
Nuny better not make another 10 errors in the next 30+ games.
MTU, yeah – my father thinks I should give the library a break for now (I go at during my lunch hour at work) because the main road is VERY busy – the whole area is busy. I got lucky today.
Also, I LOVE Lester as well – I’d kill to have him on my team (fortunately he and CAin aren’t available or I’d be in prison by now, lol).
not for nothing but here’s hoping that the Sox don’t get Beltran …..wouldn’t want to see a healthy Crawford playing with Ellsbury and Beltran in the OF
Before he got his big hit, all we heard was that Jeter didn’t deserve to be there…………Now he gets one hit and he needs to show up? Really a sad display by some in the media.
Enjoy the game folks.
Joeman,
Crawford doesn’t scare me, but Beltran does.
Betsy-
Since when is the media fair.
Jeter was in a classic “no-win” situation.
The members of the media who are smart or were former players probably sided
with Jeter and his need to rest.
Other members of the media that will go nameless wake up everyday just so they can criticize someone. Appears to be there job. That itself is very sad and pathetic.
Jeter did the right thing.
What sort of ceremony do you think Bud Selig and the MLB offices could have produced on such short notice for Jeter?
Nothing that would have lasted more than a few minutes.
Meaning Jeter would have traveled for only a few minutes to celebrate 3,000=I don’t think so
yankeefeminista July 14th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
“5:30 PM — Alan Horne has been released by the Yankees organization. Ryan Baker and DeAngelo Mack have been placed on the DL, Mack has a hand issue. And Addison Maruszak and Josh Schmidt have been sent down from Scranton. Austin Romine was activated from the TIA as well.”
http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/
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YankeeFem, hate to see that about Horne, but, sadly, he has nothing left to work with. He and Christian Garcia have had zero luck, a ton of ability and 2 tons of heart.
This whole thing with Jeter is talk radio driven nonsense……calf injuries are serious and can recur easily. Jeters #1 priority is to the Yankees and getting himself ready to play the second half……those who wanted him to fly to Arizona for 30 minutues of cap tipping need to get a life…….
# tomingeorgia July 14th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Joeman,
Crawford doesn’t scare me, but Beltran does.
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he’s a lifetime .300 who steals bases and would score a lot of runs in that lineup……
Im hoping Cash is laying in the weeds on Beltran.
Beltran is going to the Giants.
Blake, the players making comments about Jeter bother me……although the couple I had read a few days ago did not seem bad at all. I hope he’s not being criticized by most players, but if he is, oh well – what can you do.
I don’t get this immense love for Beltran. He’s injury prone and when healthy, a good (not great) player. He’s on his walk year – I would never trade good assets for him and I certainly wouldn’t sign him to a long-term deal.
Most players I heard defended Jeter……I think it would have been cool if he had went but it wouldn’t have been fearful at all for him…..he would have been busy the entire time doing hand shaking and autograph signing……it’s much easier for the younger guys to do that…..Jeter was coming off an injury and the Yanks need him right now with Alex out……he made a wise choice.
Betsy, I feel the same. Someone(hopefully it won’t be Cashman) is going to overpay for
Beltran.
Not sure the Yankees are in a position to overpay for a RF.
Don’t we already have Swisher there? I think so.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the only player I wanted the Yankees to trade
for is Heath Bell(reliever extraordinaire from the Pads)
Betsy,
I wouldn’t sign him to a long term deal either…..I just want him for the rest of the season and he’s healthy now. He would be the Yanks 2nd best outfielder and would be a nice upgrade to the offense. Cost and whether the Mets would deal fairly is the question
Heath Bell would probably cost more than Beltran
Blake, I agree……..I love the part of the AS Festivities where players hang with each other, and it would have been cool…………but Jeter knows where his priorities are, he always has.
WTP, yep………I’m already thinking ahead past 2012, when Swisher is gone. I’m not sure where we can go.
Betsy-
Come 2012, Derek Jeter will assume the RF slot.
Not on a full-time basis. It will be part-time. The remaining at bats will come for him via the DH role. Count on it.
Blake, the cost would be pretty high and I don’t relish dealing with the Mets. Even if he were on another team, I couldn’t justify overpaying for half a year.
Betsy,
I wouldn’t overpay either….I don’t know where the price will be.
GB, yes, sad fate for both Horne and Garcia. Although, against all logic, I am still waiting for Garcia to resurface at some point.
WTP, I don’t see it – he’d be 38, he’s never played the OF………he’s already had leg issues, we don’t know about his arm. Bad move, IMO – even part time. Thank god for the DH spot with this older team.
Montero is not playing tonight
Betsy-
ARod is also going to get very old in 2012. He might be able to play defense much more then Jeter, but Arod is also going to need a lot of at bats at DH.
Jeter can’t remain at SS forever. Eventually he has to move and unless he’s the full-time DH, he’s going to have to play either RF or LF.
1st base is not an option w/Tex out there for several years.
Sad to say, but come 2012, a lot of very difficult decisions will be made.
The likes of which Yankees fans have not seen in maybe 40+ yrs
A 3 hr plane ride to and from Phoenix is not recommend for a strained calf as circulation is reduced. Also, he would be giving interviews 24/7 and doing a lot of standing around and would probably put more miles on the calf than playing a game. Nothing beats rest and spending a lot of time getting treatment.
Jeter did the right thing here, shunning all the publicity and make sure he was ready for the 2nd half. Fans surely got their fill of him in the week before the ASG as he made his run at 3000 hits.
A-Rods played great defense this year and the knee should not be a problem next year. If his hip is ok he should not need too many AB at DH. Jeter does not hit well enough to be a DH. DH is one area where the Yankees can make a significant upgrade next year. Even though Posada has hit pretty well since June 1, he has not been much of a run producer, although that may be due SSS and opportunity.
Honestly don’t understand the Beltran talk here. He is an injury waiting to happen and the Yankees are getting good production from OF and DH. They need another a quality (#2 or #3) SP’er if they want to go anywhere in the playoffs, or win the division, and should save whatever trade chips they have to get that.