Comments on: What If Johnny Damon Were Derek Jeter

By: Metsie

Metsie — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:22:59 +0000

Nice Piece Ed!

It is quite clear to me why but thats because I understand how the Media business works and operates.

It’s is quite clear WHY the difference. The Yankees have a media and promotion department second to none!

If Damon were playing in NY it would be a much different story.
Forget the LOCAL media for a second…

Think of where all the National sports media outlets and headquarters are!
ESPN is in Conneticut
Sports Illustrated is based in the same building as SNY (Time Warner building)
Just about every major sports news outlet is based out of NY.

So a NY story gets national legs almost immediatly where a story in Tampa Bay is not heard by the national media and therefore given no notice or copy space nationally.

I could go on forever about how the media has degraded and been stupified since the advent of the internet. But thats not what this site is for.

But rest assured the reasons are all media related. Yankees have clout with that media and insist they cover the story. I doubt Tampa Bay has such media power.

By: alex68

alex68 — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:16:38 +0000

jeter has an edge because he play with the yankees, and it kinda coincide with the yankees first tittle in 1996 him being there.. from there on, his fist pumping signature has made him a rockstar, damon was a solid player and always has been, but quite frankly, there’s few like jeter, don’t give me numbers, give me winners, and jeter is a winning player. granted is with the yankees and their massive payroll, but he makes other player better by mere presence imo..

By: Annie Savoy

Annie Savoy — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:09:59 +0000

Ed – I am very much aware of Johnny Damon’s wish to be honored in some way for his work. However, he was offered a new contract with the Yankees after the 2009 season which he refused and went elsewhere. I also remember that Jeter even spoke with him about returning to the team. I think Johnny was well-liked during the Yankee years and he was a great lead off hitter. It’s too bad he didn’t stay with the team – but that was his choice.

I also want to thank you for the nice words about my work – very much appreciated.

By: Joe Spector

Joe Spector — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:34:00 +0000

It remind me of the arguments my grandad would make regarding how Joe DiMaggio was so fawned upon yet Ted Williams was a so much greater player than him. New York tends to make its stars greater than what they really are at times.

By: scottydoesn'tknow

scottydoesn'tknow — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:11:51 +0000

Good piece, You make a very sound argument. Unfortuntately in baseball, as in most professional sports, it is 75% a popularity contest and only 25% based on your numbers. Jeter gets all the accolades because he has been dubbed “The Captain” (which is so lame) and gets all the fan fare, not to mention all those retarded Ford Edge commercials that air on TV. They make me laugh, as if Jeter still has an “edge”, LOL. Jeter should be starring in Used Ford Edge commericals, maybe selling 2000 through 2005 Ford Edge’s.

Anyways, I discount Allstar nominations, gold gloves, silver sluggers, and all of those B.S. awards that are awarded based on popularity and not on productivity. The clear comparison is through the stats and they never lie. Based on stats alone, Jeter is a slightly, “Slightly” better hitter than Damon, but certainly not to the degree that the gap between there pedigree’s suggest.

Do I think Damon will get into the HOF, yes, if he reaches 3000 hits. Will he make the first ballot, I am not so sure. Will Jeter be a first ballot HOF, definitely, because he kisses the sports writer’s butts and is the poster boy of the MLB. Damon is a free spirit and for that he is punished by not recieving his just respect.

By: Ed Leyro

Ed Leyro — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:32:38 +0000

Just like shortstops are usually the best athletes in the infield, centerfielders are usually the best athletes in the outfield, so a comparison can be made there. (Robin Yount made a successful transition from shortstop to outfield and won an MVP Award at each position.) Do you think Damon would be respected as much as Jeter had Damon played shortstop instead of center field (where he played most of his career)? I think he’d still be way back in the respect category even if they played the same position. Jeter deserves all the respect he’s earned, but Damon has earned the right to get similar respect as well.

By: tlagee

tlagee — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:50:18 +0000

Very interesting piece. I think, as Joe says, that playing shortstop versus outfield is a pretty big thing not to metion.

Hell, I still can’t believe that Keith isn’t in the Hall. I’ve been watching baseball for 50 years and never saw a first baseman have such a defensive effect on a team.

By: Ed Leyro

Ed Leyro — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:44:06 +0000

I can’t write a piece without mentioning my personal fav’rit Met, could I? Derek Jeter was a Gold Glove Award winner the way David Wright was a Gold Glove winner. Neither player really deserved it the years they won it, but they won it based on their reputation as hitters, kind of like Palmeiro winning it in 1999 when he played in only 28 games on the field.

By: Joe D

Joe D — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 22:02:02 +0000

Lucky for you that you mentioned Carlos Beltran, lol. You never fail to impress me with your originality and out-of-the-box approach to whatever you put your mind to writing. Your comparison is a fair one and I would argue if Derek Jeter spent his first six years in Kansas City, and Domon in New York, things would have been vastly different in terms of accolades and notoriety. That said, I’ll give Jeter a bit of an “Edge” only because he played a more demanding position, but I will temper that by saying the only gold gloves he won came well after his defensive skills diminished. Great job as always, Ed.