Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion

Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion

 

 

When discussing his injury and when/if he will be back on the field, Derek Jeter had the following to say: "When it heals, I'll be ready to go. It is frustrating that I can't magically make it heal sooner than it is taking. But there is no doubt. I have no doubt." I believe him and it’s not because I’m a Yankees fan, but because I know Derek Jeter well. Derek is one of the few athletes in this world who is fueled by hatred and negativity. He doesn’t allow it to get to him, he thrives on it. Ever since he went down with the broken ankle all he’s heard is that he’s done and he’ll never be the same. Unfortunately, that is the world we live in these days. Every injury, every suspension, every slump is touted as the be all and end all of life. Fortunately for baseball fans and more importantly Yankees fans, this is what Derek Jeter needs to hear.

In sports it’s rare for a player to have a killer instinct or to be gain motivation from being slighted or looked over but when it happens, look out, because there is no stopping that player. The prime examples of this are in basketball due to its more one on one aspect of play. Michael Jordan was cut in high school and to this day probably wouldn’t throw water on that coach if he was on fire. He used that motivation of being told he wasn’t good enough to make it to North Carolina. While there James Worthy was the more prominent player but Jordan got his chances to shine. After being drafted he wasn’t the Bulls go to option yet and was being dominated by the Bad Boys of Detroit. He used this as motivation to elevate his game and become the greatest to ever play the sport. Same goes for Kobe Bryant. He’s heard about living in Shaq’s shadow, he’s heard he’ll never be as good as Jordan, he’s heard the boos and the hatred from the fans. Most guys would wilt under that scrutiny. Speaking of Wilt’s, Chamberlain got dominated by Russell because all Russell heard was how much better Wilt was. David Robinson got abused by Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1995 playoffs because Hakeem felt disrespected by the fact Robinson won the MVP Award and was being called the best center in the league. Shifting to football, Aaron Rodgers fell in the draft and has played with a chip on his shoulder for the whole league and most especially the San Francisco 49ers, his hometown team who passed him up. Derek Jeter has dealt with scrutiny and hatred before and exceled because of it. This time will be no different.

Derek Jeter was being projected as a number one pick in the 1992 draft, a pick that was held by the Houston Astros. Houston passed on him out of fear for the money he would be asking for. Four other teams passed on him as well, allowing him to fall right into the laps of the New York Yankees. Jeter has never forgotten this and it is one of the main reasons he has been the player he is. Another factor is all the shortstop talk he heard early on. He couldn’t hit for power like other shortstops (Nomar Garciaparra and Alex Rodriguez), he wasn’t even the best shortstop in New York because he had no range, unlike Mets shortstop Rey Ordonez. Well a funny thing happened because of all that talk. Rey Ordonez never materialized to much of a player at all, Garciaparra had a decent career but nothing to write home about, and that Rodriguez guy, the one who was supposed to be the greatest shortstop of all time, Jeter started seeing him every day to his right playing third base. See A-Rod agreed to switch positions to third to accommodate Jeter, knowing full well the Yankees were his team and also knowing there was no way in hell Jeter would switch positions especially for Rodriguez. That right there is the fundamental difference. Guys like Rodriguez will do whatever they have to in order to feel liked and to fit in, whereas guys like Jeter or Jordan will tell their team to f**k off. Their competitive nature and their willingness to be the best doesn’t allow them to work that way.

Many people will laugh and challenge Jeter’s claim that he will be back and be the same player he always has been. The joke however, is on them. He hears every single one of you loud and clear and when he’s hitting game winners, leading the Yankees to the playoffs, and possibly another World Series win or two, you’re comments and jokes will be running through his mind fueling his performance. Me? I’ll be sitting there with a huge smile on my face reaping the benefits of having one of the greatest play for my team.

 

It Pays to Be a Ray

It Pays to Be a Ray

 

 

 

Growing up, those of us who love sports have dreams of playing professionally. No matter what game it is you favor or excel at you dream of the big moment when the pressure is on you to deliver for your team and come through in the clutch. There is however another thing we wish about our professional career while growing up and that is having the most fun we possibly can while playing the sport we love. Nowhere is that fun atmosphere we all seek on display better than in Tampa Bay.

Manager Joe Maddon is known as The Mad Scientist because of his unconventional approach to the game. Whether it is from a tactical aspect and the crazy shifts he employs for hitters, or from a team building, chemistry aspect, and his themed road trips or decisions on how to keep the team loose. No manager in baseball can compare to Maddon. His shifts are studied and copied by other teams and no manager has a better feel for his team and the pulse of the clubhouse.

A lot of old school types who are afraid of change and never heard of adapting with the times will disagree with his style and question his decisions, but team management and more importantly, the players who play for him will never say anything bad about him. They will go to war for him and have his back through anything because they appreciate his effort, they know he would have their back as well, and there’s something to be said for someone who doesn’t take everything so serious and can cut loose and have fun.

This past weekend Oakland was coming into Tampa playing about as well as anyone in the game and Tampa was playing exactly the opposite. They couldn’t score runs, they couldn’t hit for power, and were losing games. Enter The Mad Scientist. Coming off a win Friday night and sensing the turnaround Maddon brought in a DJ to the clubhouse on Saturday to spin classic rock and hip hop tracks for the team. The team followed that up by winning an ugly grinder of a game 1-0. The next day, players entered the clubhouse to find a magician performing tricks. It may sound like a second grade assembly at your elementary school, but the thing is, it’s so unique, and we all want to be kids again, so you know as well as I do you would be entertained. Tampa then took the field and completed the sweep of Oakland. Monday night C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees came to town and got hit around by the suddenly hot Rays.

The DJ and magician are just two examples of how Maddon keeps things loose. The team has themed road trips where everyone who boards the team plane must abide by the theme rules no exceptions. Some examples of themes are: letterman jackets, pajamas, nerd wardrobe, and bad golf outfits. There’s nothing better than winning and having fun while doing it and that is something Tampa and Joe Maddon excel at. I leave you with a few photos showing the team during these theme trips and defy you to tell me this isn’t a team you want to play for.

 

 

Why the Mega Powers Dodgers Need to Start Panicking

Why the Mega Powers Dodgers Need to Start Panicking

 

 

 

It may be unfair of me to call the Dodgers the Mega Powers because well let’s face it Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage won championships, but the fact still remains, this team was put together with an open checkbook and built to win now. In this scenario, Frank McCourt will be playing the role of Macho Man Randy Savage. Hated, booed, and vilified by fans for their actions, but a face turn would change all that, or in McCourt’s case, having to sell the team. Fans loved the guy once they knew he would be out and unable to continue doing all he had done to run a storied franchise into the ground. Now enter Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the Hulk Hogan of Los Angeles. He could do no wrong, he walked on water, he was the fan favorite like no other and he was going to be the figurehead that was going to save the Dodgers. With the backing of the Guggenheim group this team was going to assemble a roster built to win World Series championships and take over baseball. They came out of the gates guns blazing. They traded for Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett in two separate blockbuster trades, not just because of the name power but also the required checks going to be required to pay these guys. The team would also open up the checkbooks for Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier to ensure they stay in Dodger blue and in one final monumental move would sign Zack Greinke to a six year, $145 million dollar deal. These moves would push team payroll over $200 million for the 2013 season and show this team wasn’t kidding around when it came to spending to win. While all this was going on, staff ace, and arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw has yet to be signed to a new deal. With his stats, accomplishments, and a Justin Verlander contract as a basis, Kershaw will be paid by this team as well, really pushing that number for payroll up to great heights.

With everything completed and the team ready to start the season, the pressure would be on the Dodgers to perform to the levels of their contracts and get this team back not only to the postseason but to the World Series as well. A funny thing happened though on the way to all this. Hanley Ramirez injured his thumb during the WBC and would require surgery that would land him on the DL for the start of the season. Zack Greinke would break his collarbone during an altercation with Carlos Quentin of the Padres after hitting him with a pitch and Quentin deciding to charge the mound. Matt Kemp would decide to start the season batting .200 with no home runs thus far and only four walks. The pitching staff other than Kershaw is not performing well. They are giving up too many runs, and with a stagnant offense, that’s a recipe for disaster at least thus far. Finally, in addition to all the “star” players the team has, and its ability to spend like wildfire, they’ve done a poor job with the surrounding pieces. Giving guys like Nick Punto, Luis Cruz, Jerry Hairston Jr., and Skip Schumaker decent playing time when it may be too generous to call them even replacement level players is mind boggling. The Dodgers may well be on the road to implosion if the mediocrity keeps up and Kemp and Ethier can’t join Gonzalez and Crawford in the hitting parade and if Greinke when healthy and one other starter don’t step up and perform well.

With a 7-10 record thus far, already six games back of the division leading Rockies, the team is showing no signs of regrouping and making a run. In addition to the lead they need to overcome to catch Colorado, they have the Giants and Diamondbacks ahead of them as well. The same San Francisco Giants that have won two of the last three World Series and know how to weather the storm of a season, and a Diamondbacks team that has adopted the personality of its manager like no other team. Kirk Gibson was gritty, hard-nosed, and refused to go down without a fight and these DBacks have shown that same resolve thus far. Plus, if you listen to Eric Hinske, the Snakes have the best player in baseball in Martin Prado, so they have that going for them as well.

The Mega Powers imploded when Macho Man once again turned heel, and since Frank McCourt isn’t coming back into the fold we need another guy to step up and start yelling at Miss Elizabeth and causing turmoil. My vote is for Josh Beckett. He’s just prickly enough to fill the role and can easily be hated. I just hope no one orders fried chicken and an Xbox 360 to the clubhouse to speed the process along.