Don’t dare put St. Jeter in a negative light!
Even ESPN. I suppose its subconscious, but even ESPN has fallen under the hypnotic trance cast about by the aura of the halo around St. Jeter’s head.
After Game 4 of their ALDS loss to the Indians, ESPN was showing some of the players making their comments about the series and/or the prospect of Torre not being back next year. Makes sense.
When Jeter’s talking, the graphic is “Game 4: 2-for-5, 1 RBI”. Okay. That’s accurate.
Next up is ARod talking, and the graphic is “ALDS: 4-for-15, 1 RBI”. Well… that’s accurate as well - but this is also accurate: “Game 4: 2-for-5, 1 RBI (on a HR, if it matters)”.
Heaven forfend they either (a) show the (eerily similar) Game 4 stats for *both* players, or (b) show the (somewhat similar, but even less glowing for St. Jeter) ALDS stats for *both* players.
In case you missed it, Jeter’s ALDS stats: 3-for-17, 3 singles, 1 RBI, 0 BB. So, 176/176/176–352 OPS. That’s not 352 BA, or 352 OBP, or even 352 SLG… that’s 352 *OPS*.
A fuller view of ARod’s ALDS: 4-for-15, 3 singles, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB. So, 267/353/467–820 OPS. Okay, not nearly as good as his regular season (duh) - and not even good enough for a star player in general… but, um, *far* better than 352 OPS.
ARod is pilloried in the press for his six strikeouts in the ALDS. That is bad. But, is it really worse than Jeter’s three GIDPs? Really?!
Look, Derek Jeter is a terrific hitter (usually) and an average fielder and will be going to Cooperstown when he’s done. But can we *please* cease and desist with the deification of the man, and at least make the *attempt* to report things in a consistent manner!
It’s a very minor point, I concede - but it was so glaring to me. One guy’s stats are given to paint him in the best possible light, and the other guy’s stats are given to paint him in the worst possible light. I don’t think ESPN necessarily did this on purpose. Indeed, I suspect they did it without even thinking.
It’s disappointing - and quite frankly, annoying.
P.S. Career postseason: ARod - 279/361/483–844 OPS; Jeter - 309/377/469–846 OPS. Um… I think that qualifies as fairly similar. Yet… Jeter is a postseason success and ARod is a postseason failure. Really.
October 11th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I posted similarly on the STATLG-L baseball discussion group I’ve mentioned, and a guy replied referencing a post he’d made separately a couple months ago related to the topic of perceived clutchness (or lack thereof):
http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/primate_studies/discussion/fun_with_leverage_is_perception_reality/
Very interesting read.
October 12th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
ESPN definately did this on purpose. Jeter’s DP in game 4 was the pivotal play in the game, yet it is barely part of the highlights, whereas AROD’s strikeout with no one on and 2 outs is glorified….. It is going to happen where AROD carries a team in the playoffs and wins ring in the process… only he will do it more than 10 years after Jeter won his last ring…. I don’t think anyone disagrees with the comparative postseason numbers of Jeter and AROD, but the fact that Jeter has won 4 rings, and make no mistake, he was a huge part of all of those teams, gives him a clear and deserving leg up in the comparison. I submit that will change in the future once AROD wins a ring on another team, but for now, it is what it is