DO IT FOR DEREK!

When my back's against the wall or a team is like the Yankees for that matter, I am often reminded of The Outsiders and Matt Dillon sitting in the hospital bed saying that the Greasers had to "Do it for Johnny."


Well, the Yankees don't have a "Johnny", they are lead by a Derek and right now, they don't have Derek Jeter anymore. Early this morning Derek fractured his ankle fielding a ball and now, he's out of the ALCS, the World Series and that's the end for the Captain this season. We're all devastated, it's tragic.  Sure, he'll be there in the Yankees dugout today, he'll be around the team, just like Mariano Rivera is, but now, there is no Jeter on the field leading this team.  There is no Derek Jeter to hide behind either by the way... Message to Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano... wake the hell up!  Hit the ball and play the game you sign on to play!

Look, this is simple... Derek Jeter has been on that field in pain all season with a bone bruise. He never complains about injury and at the end of the day, he had the season of his life and the Yankees won the Division and made the playoffs and a lot of it has to do with him.  But now Derek Jeter is gone, but does it mean it's over?  Well, it only means it's over if the Yankees can't hit the ball. So to say it simply... start hitting!  Andy Pettitte said it best early this morning, "Guys have to step up!" He's right...do it.

Nick Swisher is playing himself out of the Bronx. People can act like his half-ass "dive roll" in the outfield that gave up the go ahead run to Detroit was a "hard" play, but it was a play he's made all season.  No Excuses! You can say that Granderson or Cano or Swisher or even ARod at this point are just slumping in a "short season" of round 2 of the playoffs.  I'll tell you that there are no excuses in the playoffs, ever! The playoffs is where you shine to become champions. If not, you're the goat, it's that simple. So far, Robbie, Curtis and Nick are goats. That's right, I'm calling them out.

So now the stage is set and the Yankees have a gaping hole at shortstop. They're leader is gone. Our leader is gone. So now, we "do it for Johnny" or in other words, we "do it for Derek." We as a team need to reach back and realize just how important Derek is to this team and it's pay back now.  Let's win it for our Captain. It's a must.

Finally, let me say this; It's not like Derek Jeter died this morning.  Luckily, he'll be in the clubhouse and he'll be in the dugout rooting on his team, and that's a positive. After all, it's the postseason and he wouldn't miss it for the world. So what do we need? We need wins. We need our guys to win 4 games against Detroit and move onto the World Series. That's the goal. Jeter knows this, I know this and you know this.  But it won't happen if we don't hit, trust me.

So Grandy... Cano... Swisher...you're on the radar. Do your job, and become a leader on this team... don't and trust me, you'll be shouted out of the Bronx! If Jorge Posada was there right now he'd tell his guys to suck it up and move on... and win! There is no better time than now!

Do it for Derek!

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