Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera were given a bunch of gifts before last night’s game. Cool stuff, too! For example, check out what Rivera got:
Rivera was given the bullpen bench from the old Yankee Stadium and the Citi Field pitching rubber from the night he earned save No. 500 against the New York Mets across town.
Nice! I hope to God that no one told the Mets.
Jeter scored pretty well too. Among other things, he was given that sign from the old Yankee Stadium clubhouse with the famous Joe DiMaggio quote: “I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.” Wait a minute, my B.S. detector is going off! Quick! To the time machine! Set the dial for last January!
Derek Jeter came clean Wednesday night. He pilfered the Joe DiMaggio sign, as I suspected . . . A clue on his intentions had come earlier that night, when he said he had his eye on a particular Stadium keepsake but wouldn’t say which. After the game and on-field celebration, I noticed the sign was missing and told him, “I know what you’re taking out of here,” and I asked if I could report it.
He shook his head and replied, “In due time.”
Four months later, he admitted he had taken the sign, and another item or two.
So Captain Jetes: were you lying to the New York Times, saying you stole the DiMaggio sign in an effort to make yourself look like a Yankee-history-lovin’ bad boy, or did you actually steal the sign, give it back to the Yankees, and then allow them to “award” you with it in last night’s ceremony? It has to be one of those two, right?
-
- Bill - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:17 AM
-
Who the hell cares! What a dumb article.
-
- Craig Calcaterra - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:19 AM
-
Fair enough, Bill, but something tells me that if this was A-Rod, there would be stories in every New York paper about his image consciousness, disingenuousness, etc. Why doesn’t Jeter get the same treatment? He’s just as much about the P.R. He just happens to be better at it. Usually.
-
- jeff - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:23 AM
-
I’m a yankee hater deluxe and even I can’t seem to get behind bashing them on this one – who cares!
-
- Tom - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:30 AM
-
Do you really get paid to write this trash? Do you call yourself a journalist?
-
- GBS - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:33 AM
-
Stir the pot, Craig. Stir the pot.
-
- Craig Calcaterra - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:38 AM
-
Tom: if you see an inaccurate assertion or conclusion in this post, feel free to point it out. As it is, the facts are as follows:
1. Derek Jeter told the New York Times last January that he took the Joe DiMaggio sign.
2. Last night, the Yankees “awarded” Jeter with the Joe DiMaggio sign. I’m not suggesting this is Watergate, but there is certainly an inconsistency there that has not been explained.
And no, I don’t call myself a “journalist.” I call myself Craig, and I have every right to comment on what happens in the news that you do. If I’m wrong about this, explain why. If it’s simply a matter of you thinking that this is unimportant, hey, that’s great. There are over a dozen posts a day on this site, and I’m sure one to your liking will come along eventually.
-
- Bill@TDS - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:45 AM
-
Ha…this is great.
-
- Ryan - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:47 AM
-
I have never ‘Left a comment” before.. Dude, this is the dumbest article I have ever read..
-
- Kendall - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:48 AM
-
They used to call Ronald Regan the “Teflon” president because none of the bad things that went on around him would stick to him. I think Jeter might be the Teflon baseball player.
-
- Simon DelMonte - Sep 30, 2009 at 9:51 AM
-
What was the point of these gifts, anyway? Shouldn’t everything in YankeeLand be focused on winning everything instead more self-congratulatory ceremonies? It’s as if the Yankees, being by and large a rather bland and hard-to-hate team this year (except A-Rod, of course), want to do the sort of “hey, look at the greatness of us” things that would make me root against them even if I weren’t a Mets fan.
Also, that rubber can’t possibly be from Citi Field. Mo didn’t immediately rupture six tendons just touching it.
-
- Larry - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:03 AM
-
That ‘Ryan’ poster is a real jerk. Yellow
-
- david nystuen - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:07 AM
-
How stupid can you get. How much do you have to pay to get this rubbish printed? Do everyone a favor and get lost.
-
- Dees - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:12 AM
-
GREATEST. POST. EVER.
Pulitzer time, baby.
-
- Craig Calcaterra - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:12 AM
-
David — why is it rubbish? I can see how someone may think it unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but the facts are pretty clear: Jeter was asked about the sign back in January and he said he stole it. As of last night, that’s apparently not true. Do you dispute this, or do you simply not like it when someone suggests that Derek Jeter has none something that is less than noble?
-
- Dave - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:12 AM
-
Maybe I’m splitting hairs here, or maybe I also like getting the ire of Yankee fans, but isn’t old Yankee Stadium and said artifacts within old Yankee Stadium property of the city of NY and thus the Tax Payers? I mean, when you look at it from this perspective, Derek Jeter and other Yankees have stolen from the fine citizens of the City of New York. I fully expect Bloomberg and Cuomo to put together a blue ribbon panel to investigate this perpetration of intent to defraud the citizens of the City of New York.
-
- Kevin S. - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:16 AM
-
Well, considering that they’ve sewn up HFA throughout the playoffs, are getting their regulars the rest they need and seem to have their rotation lined up, I’m not quite sure what you’d rather be doing. They’re the freaking Yankees, of course there’s going to be self-aggrandizement. Although knowing Mo, I’d think he’d rather be presented with the pitch K-Rod walked him on. RBI #1 meant a heck of a lot more to him than Save #500… not that either is relevant at all.
Oh, and A-Rod’s pretty much been the definition of bland and hard to hate this season. Joba? Hateable. Bruney? Possibly hateable. Swisher? I could see it, though I love the guy to death? But A-Rod? Any hatred towards him could only be for past transgressions, not anything he’s done this season.
-
- redsoxlucas - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:19 AM
-
Stupidest article ever….NBC SPORTS – FIRE THIS GUY!!! What a freakin’ moron. This article is so wickedly bad that as a Red Sox fan, I am defending Jeter! Go back to journalism school Craig – worthless piece of crap.
-
- Mark - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:19 AM
-
This just shows that Derek Jeter is a despicable human being. Any fan who roots for this infectious pile of human waste is likewise a horrible person.
-
- matt - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:25 AM
-
Seems Yankee Fans are getting all riled up in anticipation of their annual post season collapse. Saint Derek is in the running for MVP runnerup and your heresy is not acceptable at this sensitive moment. After a wonderful season they are all checking the career post season stats of Sabathia- and then they look at AROD, and good god, you’re picking on Jeter. In a Blog? Rubbish.
-
- Mr. Yankee - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:36 AM
-
This is blasphemy!
-
- Church of the Perpetually Outraged - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:39 AM
-
CC for troll of the year? You have my vote
/popcorn
-
- Bradyandfan - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:47 AM
-
I am upset that the minute I took to read this article…I will never get back. He gets paid for this?
-
- JimC - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:47 AM
-
So maybe the Yankees had intended to give the sign to Jeter before he took it- they told him and he agreed to “accept” it as an award.
Compared to the lies righty politicians and bankers, and hedge funders, and derivitive guys tell this is nothing. God just doesn’t give a damn about Jeter’s lie but everyone should be concerned about the evil people holding our money.
-
- Gary BBBBBBBBB - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:47 AM
-
Craig, are you a Boston fan???? I know this economy is in limbo but if that’s the best idea you can come up with, I pity you. Why no article when Jeter surpassed DiMaggio?? Sounds like a Boston fan who doesn’t have a leg to stand on……YANKEES ARE BACK!!!!!!
-
- RP - Sep 30, 2009 at 10:50 AM
-
Love the fact that Yankee fans are so sensitive to shots at Jeter. It’s probably unfair to point out that in addition to being a liar and a thief, he hasn’t won a World Series ring in this millenium.
I’m also pretty sure he was on the Grassy Knoll in 1963.
