Cashman: Yanks will not increase offer to Lee

I’ll actually concede that came out awfully silly sounding and it goes without saying that Jeter’s leadership abilities had virtually nothing to do with the club’s falling short of the ultimate objective from ’01-08, though I’d argue the converse just as strongly, that his leadership abilities has virtually no explanatory effect in respect of the five clubs that have won.

Really I take issue with Jeter as the captain solely in regards to his treatment of Al. I had written this endlessly tangential post re: Jeter and Al, the perceptions of them both vis-a-vis the reality of what they’ve done on the field, etc., but then realized this isn’t an open thread. I can get a little over the top when it comes to Jeter/Alex.

I think that Al clearly showed up in NY with some serious issues that he needed to work out on his own and some of them very much related to a Jeter-inferiority complex and a more generalized insecurity; the later isn’t something Jetes can help, dude’s not a shrink, but the best leaders lead each of the individuals under their purview and are sensitive to the individual needs of each guy. I mean, Mariano Rivera doesn’t need Derek Jeter to make a public statement regarding the unconscionable booing of Mo that happened certainly more than once early in ’05, whereas maybe Jason Giambi needed Jeter’s imprimatur to really fully capitalize on his second chance with the club and Jeter was more than happy to do that in that situation because, to quote the Captain
“[Giambi] is a great guy”. And if ever there was a player with the kinds of insecurities that might have been better off for having been overtly and publicly embraced by his teammates, it’s Al, or at least it was for a long time.

And Jetes basically came close to actively going out of his way NOT to embrace – really the only guy who ever did prior to ’09 was Sheff, something along the lines in ’05 that “No one’s throwing at Al in Fenway, I won’t allow it, this club won’t allow it” – if my memory serves, Andy was always generally supportive, and I’d expect nothing less from him ever, as were Mo and Mussina, there’s a funny Moose quote somewhere where he goes to Al, “you know I’m the only guy on this team who likes you”.

I guess really my only point – taken me enough time to arrive at it haha – is that I do think there’s at least a tenuous connection between the arrival of high quality, leadership type stud players like Tex and CC, who carry at equal weight to Jeter in that clubhouse at this point, as well as some of the goofball intangible gamers, which started with Johnny but was really brought home with Swish and even little things like the Melky/Cano homerun dance, made it a bit easier for Al to find the security to just be a great player on a great team as opposed to killing himself with over-analysis and an unfounded sense that he needed to be the team not just a part of it.

There was one tiny moment, after Al’s first game back in ’09, where he bit the bomb on the first pitch at Camden and CC went the distance that while ultimately largely inconsequential, I did find kind of symbolically touching and perhaps portentous – right after the final out, Tex immediately purposefully raced right over to Al and gave him a bear hug. Awfully nice way to be welcomed back, particularly if you’re kind of guy who really does thrive on feeling embraced. That’s just a moment that I don’t see in Jeter’s DNA and so be it. He’s an all time Yankee great, maybe the best competitor I’ve ever seen (Andy, Mo, Coney, O’Neill and yep, Roger Clemens, are up there for me too).

But I’ve never seen Jeter exhibit an iota of selflessness, be it in respect of Rod, these contract negotiations, etc. and no doubt that eats at me just a little.

Wow, sorry for yet another intense stream of consciousness ramble :) And fellas, apologies that this isn’t really on topic, please feel free to delete.