Yet another twist (literally) unfolded in the nightly soap opera that is the MLB playoffs late last night. After falling behind 4-0 to Detroit in Game 1 of theALCS, the Yankees stormed back to force extra innings and looked like they were on their way to another classic October comeback in the Bronx.
The Yankees fell behind 6-4 in the top of the 12th, but the game was hardly over. Then Derek Jeter dove for a ground ball, and never got up.
Jeter fractured ankle on the play, stunning the already silenced Yankee Stadium crowd.
You hate to see anybody get hurt, but for some reason it particularly upsets me to see Jeter not have a chance to win his sixth World Series ring in pinstripes. Not many things make me happier than watching the Yankees lose, but I’ve always rooted for Jeter.
The guy is just the epitome of what a baseball player should be. He’s always played hard and never done steroids- so far as we know. And he’s hardly ever is involved in any controversy or scandal (besides which celebrity he’s dating next). The guy is 38- years -old now, and has been playing on a bad ankle for more than a month. He took a pay cut to stay with the Yankees two years ago. He revamped his offseason work out regime because he’s determined to play shortstop for the rest of his career, despite his age. All he wants to do is win.
I’d rather the Yankees not win because the only reason they have a chance year after year is because they can afford any player they want. But that’s not Jeter’s fault. He’s a homegrown Yankee.
Now the Yankees will try to and win the World Series without Jeter at shortstop, and Mariano Rivera closing. The Yankees haven’t won without them since 1978. Who are they going to rely on now? Not A-Rod, who has just one hit the entire postseason. In fact, they might not have made it this far if it wasn’t for 40-year-old Raul Ibanez’sheroics in Game 3 of the ALDS. I don’t see him being able to keep that up.
They may only get to send their ace C.C. Sabathiato the mound once, unless they can make it to Game 7, and they’ve already lost with historically clutch Andy Pettitte on the mound in Game 1. Oh yeah, and Detroit just shut out the Yankees 3-0 in Game 2 this afternoon, so the Yankees now head to Detroit down 0-2.
The Tigers’s lineup is deeper and they have home-field advantage now. This series looks like it could be over early.