Saturday, August 22, 2009

Can Jim Rice Be Any More Of An A-Hole?

When I was writing my post after last night's game, it got late and I totally blanked on what my final thought was going to be. I woke up this morning, after about 4 hours of sleep (thanks Coop!), and it hit me. Jim Rice needs to shut his trap. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, let me bring you up to speed. Jim Rice was speaking to a group of little leaguers at the Little League World Series in Williamsport and basically said that Derek Jeter was a poor role model for kids. Here's his quote:

"You see a Manny Ramirez, you see an A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez), you see (Derek) Jeter ... Guys that I played against and with, these guys you’re talking about cannot compare. We didn’t have the baggy uniforms. We didn’t have the dreadlocks. It was a clean game, and now they’re setting a bad example for the young guys."

The article also states that when asked who of today's players he felt were worthy of being in the HOF, he replied with Ichiro, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Jim Thome. It also states he spoke to the kids about having respect for their coaches, teammates and parents.

Come again Jim? If there's anybody in baseball today that goes about things the right way and is a perfect role model for kids, it's Derek Jeter. And I'm saying that as a baseball fan, not as a Yankee fan. Jeter plays hard and he puts the team over individual accomplishments. I'll bet if you took a poll of all living baseball players and fans, only 1 person would say this about Derek Jeter, and that's Jim Rice. What an a-hole. I can't fathom why anyone would lump Jeter in the same boat as A-Rod and Manny Ramirez. The only comparison there is that they all make ridiculous amounts of money. Sounds like someone is a bit jealous. And not to include him in the HOF? I can only assume that Rice thinks Jeter's talent is not purely God-given and that Jeter used some form of PEDs. I'll say it again. I'll bet if you took a poll of all living baseball players and fans, only 1 person would think Derek Jeter isn't a HOFer and used PEDs, and that's Jim Rice. What an a-hole. I'll bet even the most die-hard Red Sox fans wouldn't think that.

I know some people out there think Jeter is overrated, but come on now. He's a slam dunk for the HOF and rightfully deserves to be there. DJ will get in on the 1st ballot, not the 15th, like Rice. Again, sounds like someone is a bit jealous. I also love the argument that people make about Jeter only being this good because he played for the Yankees, and not say the Nationals or some other lower level team. That line of thinking is beyond ridiculous. I suppose the same goes for Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle. Jeter has 4 rings (so far), 2699 career hits (so far, and the most ever for shortstops), and is a career .317 hitter. He's going to finish his career with more than 3000 hits and I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes with more than 3500, which could put him in the top 5 of all time. Heck, if he wanted to, he could probably make a run at the Hit King Pete Rose. But that's the thing about Jeter. He's not in it for the individual accomplishments. Rice should know that.

Let the back-pedaling begin. Rice is now coming out and saying he was misquoted. I'm not buying it. And neither is Derek Jeter. When Jeter heard about the so-called misquote, he replied, "Misquoted? How was he misquoted?” Exactly. What an a-hole.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim Rice is a moron. A bitter aging man who thinks because he's now in the hall of fame he's suddenly a expert on being a class player. It took 15 years for him to barely get in in part because he was such a jerk to the media.

He was quoted as specifically mentioning Jeter's name and then says he's misquoted. Maybe he meant career minor leaguer Shawn Jeter. Rice got his HOF spot and now he should dissappear. The only knock Jeter may have is the fact he's out with many A-List female celebs. But how is that a knock. He's rich and obviously is a chick magnet. What man wouldn't want to be dating the women he goes out with? Are there any reports of rape, domestic abuse or unplanned pregnancies or abortions? Nope.

I hate the Yankees but I like many Yankee haters can't critiscize Jeter. He's the ultimate team guy and a fierce clutch ball player. Every team wishes they had him.

J-Boogie said...

Exactly. How does Jeter's name come out of his month and he thinks he's misquoted. I agree with pretty much everything you said, especially your last sentence. People need to stop hating.