IF IT'S ABOUT DEREK JETER'S LIFE, MAKE IT THAT

I have had my beef with Derek Jeter over the years. Not with his playing ability. For that I always considered him one of the greatest.  It had to do with his demeanor off the field and how he treated my kid at an event that once really ticked me off. I'm not gonna rehash, but you can read about it in SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA SMILE AND DEAL WITH IT, DEREK!

But Derek Jeter is forgiven, because as my kid reaches his 20th birthday and Jeter has been removed from the game, he's also gone from the Marlins, and now on social media. Derek Jeter is showing off his personality (finally). Dare I say, I really like this guy and his personality more than I ever thought I would.

Last night after the Home Run Derby, The Captain Episode 1 ran on ESPN.  It was great to see how this guy evolved with the Yankees through out the set backs of the team back then as well as his errors and sometimes doubt to make it in pinstripes.

One thing bothered me about Episode 1. The long, drawn out explanation of the feud between George Steinbrenner and Dave Winfield.  Now, as an adult, I remember that feud and the newspapers well.  It was a mess between George and Dave. But in the world of Derek Jeter, that 5 minute, off-track side story just didn't belong. It was just enough to almost lose me entirely. In short, it's not what I wanted to see.

For Randy Wilkins the director, it could have simply been a moment where he could have written a few sentences about how Jeter's idol was Winfield, how George and Dave butted heads, and that's what lead to George being forced out for a bit. Instead? It went to news packages, soundbites and for what I thought was a while, it wasn't even a Jeter documentary... it was a Steinbrenner doc... totally off track.

I tweeted it and had a chat with this guy, who clearly thought I was 16.

The Winfield/Steinbrenner Segway smack in the middle of this Jeter doc is truly bizarre. Almost lost me. #TheCaptain

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) July 19, 2022

You know the deal. It allowed Stick to build the farm and not trade them like George did in the 80s….hence 1995-1996….

— Lee W (@lee_w18) July 19, 2022

He’s 21. pic.twitter.com/HXylWYcDQo

— Lee W (@lee_w18) July 19, 2022

But it is - it’s how that team was built. George would have traded some of the young guys like posada Williams Mo and maybe even Derek. They don’t have the dynasty If Stick isn’t running things

— Lee W (@lee_w18) July 19, 2022

Or they could simply written something like:

"Dave Winfield and George Steinbrenner did not see eye to eye, to the point where George Steinbrenner did his own snooping around Winfield, hiring gambler Howard Spira to dig up dirt on him. The plot would backfire on George however. On July 30, 1990, Steinbrenner was banned permanently from day-to-day management, but not ownership of the Yankees by Commissioner Fay Vincent after George's plot was revealed and invesigated by the MLB.  But this would be a blessing for the Yankees, who would turn the Gene Michael, who believed in young talent, and patience."

There's your bridge. No bells, not whistles, facts without going off the reservation. The other way? It was disjointed... awkward.

Now in the end, I guess it's subjective, right? It's Wilkins doc... he could do it any way he wants, but Jeter's doc needed to be Jeter. Those moments before the segway were riveting. His upbringing, his dream. Hearing Steinbrenner getting booted for his ridiculous antics with Winfield, while newsworthy back then, we're pretty insignificant when I watched last night. Sure, it's a bridge to seeing Stick build the Yankees farm system, but it's a mention and move on like my script above... keeping Jeter and the Cour Four (plus Bernie) in the spotlight more.

Hey, my opinion. Ultimately, I'm loving this documentary so far. That one moment, it's one word... Subjective.

I hope you all get to watch it. Its very good.