Keith Olbermann, look him up online, his personal athletic career consists of collecting baseball cards. He never laced them up! He is another example of today's sports media reporters who never even participated in sports but are experts on how the game should be played and who should be playing. Look these sports reporters up online and see how many of them actually participated in sports. He also thinks he is witty, I don't know who told him that, but they should rethink their opinion. If Jeter's fellow ballplayers think he deserves to be honored, I for one will agree with them, they should know, they have been there, Olbermann has not!!!

I watch Jeter play several games each year. Now playing shortstop, number 2, Derek Jeter, number 2. Love watching him run and play catch before the game. It is ok to idealize someone, actually healthy; just realize he is a real person with myriad of positives and negatives, like anyone else. People who do not realize the need to idealize are small, sad people.

Keith Olbermann is still on TV?

Nastiness? Hate? ? Where's this coming from? I personally believe he is a class act!

Gee, I so love being called small and sad because I don't idealize (or did you mean idolize) a ball player and to be accused of inherent nastiness for daring to say Jeter deserves the Hall of Fame but not to be called the greatest shortstop of all time. NOT!!!!

I also don't see where it is required that a sportsreporter be required to be a former athlete. Sometimes the best writers and reporters have never participated in their area of expertise but have studied that field extensively and know enough to be able to write about it knowledgeably.

This is ridiculous. Neither bosoxfan nor I denied Jeter's talents. We just happened to agree that the hyperbole about his innate ability was just that -- hyperbole. Yes, he is great. Yes, he is truly a class act. No, he is not the greatest. His own stats prove that.

Now, where is anything said by me nasty, small or sad? Rags and Pequot, I sincerely think you two owe both bosoxfan and me an apology.

I agree to disagree with your points of view. Another RedSox fan dissing a Yankee because of their heated rivalry. :ohdear:

Some things just transcend baseball. Jeter started his Turn 2 Foundation in his first year of baseball to keep kids from getting addicted to drugs. One of the few ballplayers who gave back to the game. Another was Roberto Clemente. Another humanitarian and a class act, who was killed in a plane crash.

There are a lot of ballplayers who admire what he's done. He was never the greatest defensive shortstop but he did rate 6th on the all time hit leader list . Last time I looked, no one from the RedSox was above him.

I saw Ted Williams play and he was the greatest hitter I ever saw. I can only imagine what his final stats would have been, if he didn't lose 5 years in the service, due to WWII and Korea. A great american who transcended baseball. IMHO

BTW - Ted didn't have a love relationship with the press like Derek Jeter. It didn't diminish his accomplishments one bit.

Derek Jeter is immitated, but will never be duplicated. :smiley:

My comments still stand.

WHAT motivation is there to post a negative tirade, or whatever it was (I did not listen to it..I just know his work from others of this type.

A teammate makes a comment, and an expected one. A professional hater fills up the airways with a totally unnecessary commentary...his right of course, BUT THEN some brings that here to start a thread. THAT is what I do not get. A thread on who folks think is the greatest....sure..that makes sense.

Starting a thread with this kind of obvious rhetoric makes no sense...I do not see WHY.

THAT is what upset me...not defending Jeter, or even trying to make a case for anything. I just do not get starting a thread like this as he retires.

Based on your screen name, I suppose some might think it is some sort of requirement...not sure, but my opinion is that it was a lousy, mean way to begin a discussion that you obviously wanted to center on Jeter. No aking for comments on HIM...you asked for comments on a trashing of him. THAT is what set me off.

If my comments are offensive, sorry. Starting a thread asking for discussion of negative comments IS NOT the same as beginning a thread to discuss the person, or who folks think is the best ss, or even asking if people think Jeter is the best.

Ernie Banks SS--- - MVP in 1958 and 1959 for a 5th place team (Cubs). And a gentleman. Enough said.

The reason I started this thread was to have a discussion.about a topic many have opinions about. I didn't start this to be hateful or felt I needed to because of my screen name. Baseball fans have long debated players abilities.

Who is the last shortstop who has played at a "Jeter" level for about 20 consecutive years?

Plus put the "on and off the file" level there.
He may not be the best shortstop but he has been a consistent player on and off the field.

Um, the Ironman? Honus Wagner? Ernie Banks?

Ozzie Smith (hand's down the best defensive short of all time -- and this comes from a Royals fan).

My list for greatest shortstop would be:

1. Honus Wagner
2. Cal Ripken, Jr.
3. Ozzie Smith/Derek Jeter

All class acts of their era. All great players. And I sincerely hope that Jeter is the first player to ever get into the Hall of Fame by unanimous vote. He deserves it (so did some others but that's another thread).

Fans will always argue their case as to statistically who is or was the best player. However when it comes to Derek Jeter no one can argue that he was an exemplary model something that has been sorely missing from sports today

That is a great short list, redwitch. Only a few. And I agree with the order that you have.

Article on CNN.

Are New Yorkers overreacting about Jeter? (Opinion) - CNN.com

Olberman is a gasbag. Jeter is not the best ever, but he's in the conversation. He has always been a class act and is loved by teammates, opposition players and fans of all kinds, including some Red Sox fans. I'm going to miss him.