Derek and Tiger, Linked No More
By Bob Gaydos
Jeter took care of that over-rated rap this year. He won almost every baseball award out there except most valuable player, captured his fifth World Series ring, captained the United States team in the World Baseball Classic, became the Yankees’ all-time leader in hits, surpassing legends named Gehrig, Ruth and Mantle, and did it the way he has his entire career, quietly and methodically, with respect for the game and fans. He even won an award for his charity work off the field.
So his selection as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year was not surprising. In fact, it was refreshing. I’m talking here as a dad now as well as a longtime sports fan and unapologetic Yankee fan. I don’t know how you read the cover story on Jeter without thinking, “This guy is too good to be true. What wonderful parents he must have.”
I coached my sons in Little League for 10 years. Great stuff. I miss it. One of the things coaches do is give young players major leaguers to mimic. Lots of kids mimic Jeter. Or try to. His patented jump throw fom the hole. His batter’s box routine withthe raised hand. Maybe a fist pump. But we always tried to get them to mimic the way Jeter ran out every ground ball with full effort, no matter the score or the import of the game.
The general manager of the Oakland A’s was so impressed with this, he made a video of Jeter running to first base in a game the Yankees were losing, to show to Oakland players in spring training. “You think you’re running hard until you see a champion and a Hall of Famer run,” he explained. Jeter’s response was typical: “My whole thing is you’re only playing three hours a day. The least you can do is play hard.” Manny, are you listening?
One other thing in that S.I. article was pure Jeter: “I never liked people who talked about themselves all the time, gloat. If you’re accomplished and have done things, people will talk about it for you. I don’t think you have to point it out.” This is a rule of life that apparently not too many pro football players have learned, what with all the chest-thumping after every tackle, batted-down pass or pass completion by people paid to do just that.
Anyway, I insisted my sons read the Jeter article. (Notice, boys, it says he still talks to his parents every day.) That’s because I like to find positive role models in people they know, not that I think athletes automatically serve as positive role models. You’d have to be a fool to think that these days.
On cue, enter the greatest golfer ever and, apparently, one of the worst husbands of our era. Tiger Woods has been linked with Jeter in TV commercials and among sports icons because of his reticence and his unmatched skill and desire to win. But if you paid attention, Tiger was never Jeter. Or put it the other way. Jeter was never Tiger. He never bad-mouthed opponents, threw his bat in anger, acted like he was doing the world a favor by being who he was. Jeter never claimed to be perfect. Woods let us believe he was.
While Jeter graced the cover of Sports Illustrated last week, Woods was on the cover of every tabloid in the country. Maybe the world. At last count he was 10 over par in terms of women in his life. That is, one wife, 10 “mistresses,” as the news accounts describe his collection of waitresses and porn stars.
Woods has been named S.I.’s Sportsman of the Year twice, in 1996 and 2000. In 2000, he was honored for being perfect, even too perfect, on the golf course. The writer, Frank DeFord, admitted to wanting to see him lose once in a while. “We are not mean-spirited, you understand. We love Tiger Woods, it’s only that we are human, and you need human stuff on the golf course.’’
Woods apparently was all too human all along. off the golf course.
There are lessons here. I don’t know what they all are. Probably something about being comfortable with who you are and not worrying about being perfect and living up to others’ expectations. Failure is OK, even necessary. Everybody fails. What’s important is to give your best and not act as if the rules of common decency don’t apply to you. Respect people and what you do for a living. And talk to your parents every day.
Bob can be reached at bob@zestoforange.com
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