Yankee fans are throwing Jeter under the bus? This Red Sox fan WON'T HAVE IT!

Wow... it is a strange world we live in. I am a Red Sox fan and I am coming to the defense of Derek Jeter who is being dog piled by Yankee fans.

Even Bizarro finds this odd.

Yesterday I gave Jeter what I thought was a deserved tip of the cap for his class and understanding his role on the team.

Kind of a quick harmless post from me. And it is good ammo against anyone who says I don't give the Yankees any credit.

I figured that was that and I would move on with my life.

But nooooooooooooooo.

I got a few comments on my page and even more private e mails from people all KILLING Derek Jeter.

My cousin Chris e mailed me wanting to know my opinion on Jeter not being at Bob Sheppard's funeral.

Lisa at Subway Squawkers, one of my favorite New York baseball sites, is on Jeter's case.
So is John Harper at the Daily News.
And Bill Madden at the Daily News.
And Mike Mazzeo from the Star Ledger.

And I bet a lot more if I had the time or energy to look more.

REALLY? We're really going to throw Jeter under a bus?
We're going to act like Derek Jeter hasn't been 100% respectful of the Yankee tradition and specifically the legacy of Bob Sheppard this whole time?

After all Jeter has done in a Yankee uniform, and this is coming from a Red Sox fan, to represent its tradition, its titles, its link to the past and its place in New Yorkers lives, you are telling me Jeter has NOTHING in the bank in terms of credit?

This is not some knucklehead like Ben Roethlisberger or some Rent a Yankee who couldn't get out of town fast enough like Randy Johnson. This isn't a dope like Vince Coleman who didn't know who Jackie Robinson was or Jack McDowell flipping off the Yankee fans.

This is the captain of the team.
This is the man who continued to have Sheppard's voice announce him when they went to the new stadium.
He's the one who paid tribute to him and The Boss in front of 50,000+ fans and did so without notes and was clearly choked up.

He's earned the benefit of the doubt.
If he wasn't at the funeral then he should be given a pass. There was probably a reason. Maybe it was a "if the whole team doesn't go, then nobody should go" thing. Maybe it was a "we will pay tribute our way... publicly and in a heartfelt way."

Whatever it was... maybe you shouldn't jump to the conclusion that he did the wrong thing or isn't showing class.

This isn't Steve Howe. It's Derek Jeter... and some day there will be a day for him in the Bronx and will have earned it. (I am assuming he has earned it. According to some Yankee fans he evidently still needs to prove his reverence for the franchise.)

By the way, the next time one of you Yankee fans accuse me of just slamming your team, remember how I came to your captain's defense.

(But if you don't give Jeter credit, what hope do I have?)

Say what you want about Derek Jeter... he gets it

He's a guy who understands exactly who he is and what his role is with the team.

He knows that he represents the link to Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and Ford.
He knows that when there is a tremendous shift in Yankeedom, they don't turn to A-Rod or the latest superstar.

Losing Steinbrenner AND Bob Sheppard back to back? That's a double punch that nobody could have imagined.

He is self aware of his role and knows that someday he'll have a monument out there.

He's entered that territory for Boston fans that Magic Johnson eventually entered:
You couldn't stand to face him, but you have to respect him.

And to think the Marlins almost got him for Bryan Harvey!

Sully Baseball Honors... BOB SHEPPARD

Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium, is retiring.

He's 99 years old... the fact that they have to announce that he is retiring and explain why he won't be able to even do one game next year says a lot about him.

Most people when they reach 99 years old have been dead for about 20 years.

But Sheppard is alive and does a job that seems to be essential... he gives class and dignity to announcing the Yankee line up.

The man first announced the lineups for the 1951 World Champion Yankees that featured Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Billy Martin, Allie Reynolds and was managed by Casey Stengel.

The last team he called was the 2007 Wild Card team that featured Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina and was managed by Joe Torre.

That's stretching over some serious time.

He was featured in Seinfeld, Anger Management and was the final voice over in Billy Crystal's surprisingly good 61*.

And yes, while I am a Red Sox fan, I admit I got chills when I heard his voice.

My first memories was hearing names like "Chris Chambliss" "Reggie Jackson" and "Willie Randolph."

And let me tell you, when I was at NYU in the early 1990s and the Yankees were awful, he made some of those names sound good.

"Hensley Meullens."
"Don Slaught."
"Alvaro Espinoza."
"Mel Hall."

Any chump can say Mickey Mantle or Thurman Munson... but to make Oscar Azocar sound like a great Yankee took some talent.

So give yourself a break... and I hope Bob Sheppard reaches well beyond 100 years.

Reggie Jackson called Sheppard "The Voice of God."

God should take that as a compliment!