JETER'S DARK FUTURE & THE HALL OF FAME

Amazing piece from Deadspin and something that we've been talking about here on Bleeding Yankee Blue and sadly, we were right then... and Deadspin is expanding on it now.  Jeter has enemies and it all stems from how he handled the Marlins when he came to Miami, ditching Marlin icons and Hall of Famers Tony Perez and Andre Dawson. People are up in arms, and it's very interesting the way things may play out...

"And according to Dawson, their anger toward Jeter is shared among other members of the “close-knit fraternity” of Hall of Famers. There’s unlikely to be any sort of mass boycott, but there could be plenty of frosty shoulders. 

Pete Rose, who is not in the Hall of Fame, also chimed in: “You’ve got two Hall of Famers who are class guys, and [the Marlins] are not tearing the f***ng door down in terms of paying them, and then Jeter’s going to take $5 million a year and have the guy he bought the team from fire them.” 

What background does he have in running a baseball team? He’s a great shortstop, OK?” 

Perez and Dawson are clear that what they resent is less the fact that they were sacked and more that it was all handled in such a cold and disrespectful manner. Jeter never called or corresponded with either in any way, and indeed to this very day neither have heard from Jeter directly—Miller reports that Jeter even avoided talking to them when he made the rounds at Cooperstown last weekend, where he was celebrating former teammate Mariano Rivera’s HOF induction. With the fans he’s scattered, the executives he’s scapegoated, the players he’s alienated, and the Hall of Famers he’s turned into enemies, Jeter sure hasn’t made very many lasting friends down in Miami."

Look, I saw a glimpse of this hardnosed entitlement when my kid when to get Jeter's autograph and picture a few years back. (Read SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA SMILE AND DEAL WITH IT, DEREK.) It kind of changed my view of the man.  As an athlete, there is no one better when it comes to the Yankees and shortstop. But when it comes to social graces and dealing with people... he appears to fail miserably.  And maybe that's why he acted like a robot all those years in the Yankee clubhouse, talking to reporters. Sure, he gave them access... but did he really ever say anything?

I'm very curious as to what happens next. Hey Deadspin, great work!