For the New Spartans

UPDATE: Yankee fans and Sox fans interact in California. What was the Yankee fan's crime? He was cheering for the Yankees.

DESPITE two World Series rings in four years, which is two more than the Yankees have had this century, some Sox fans still feel the need to misanthropically attack the Yankees. They use stats to show that Derek Jeter is one of the worst defensive players in baseball, and that Chien Ming Wang, who since he first came up has won more games than any other pitcher in baseball, can't possibly win.

So I was interested to see this quote from Red Sox Nation favorite son baseball analyst Peter Gammons:

First of all, range factor is a phony stat. It will tell you that Roberto Alomar is a mediocre second baseman, and he's the best I've ever seen. It doesn't take into consideration instinct. Jeter is the most consistent of the three [Jeter, A-Rod, Nomahr] making the tough play, and he makes the double play -- starting and finishing -- the best... I say this each October: the best thing about watching the postseason is watching Jeter play every day for 15-20 games so I go home each winter realizing how great he really is. No stat sheet shows that.

Then last week, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said this,

He’s the best thing ever in the game. He’s got everything you want. Who’s better than Derek Jeter? Nobody in the game.

Julio Lugo, my a**.

Derek Jeter, Bill James & Moneyball
Summer's Calling
Winning Players (New York Times: "Baseball's Leading Man of Math Has Some Second Thoughts About the Numbers")
Is the old Athens of America the new Sparta?

[continued]

New York Times, April 24, 2008
Guillén Is Not at a Loss for Words, or Humor

By Jack Curry

CHICAGO — From the moment Ozzie Guillén, the manager of the White Sox, answered the first question at a pregame news conference, it was evident that this would be another entertaining episode of Ozzie, unplugged.

...

First, Guillén gushed about Jeter. Guillén said Jeter had “everything in his life,” and then listed how Jeter lives in New York, has money and has four World Series rings. Guillén paused, smiled and, while trying to describe Jeter’s social life, delicately, especially for him, added that Jeter was not married.

“I look around when I was at the All-Star Game to see if he’s got anything I don’t like,” Guillén said. “I said, ‘Man, you’re the perfect man.’ Too bad I don’t have a daughter.”

Sounding like the president of the Derek Jeter Fan Club, Guillén kept the compliments flowing.

“He’s the best thing ever in the game,” he said. “He’s got everything you want. Who’s better than Derek Jeter? Nobody in the game.”