Thumbs Down For Jeter

Hello and good morning on this 29 degree Sunday AM. I came across this article in this morning's Boston Herald and I wanted to share it with you. After all, every one of us shares a deep "affection" for Derek Jeter. Or is it an "infection"? Just kidding. Michael Silverman, sports reporter and writer for the Boston Herald, seems to share the view that many of us have...Derek Jeter's Gold Glove award is a complete joke. Read this short blub that will familiarize you with a new (to me) stat, UZR. Here you go (thanks Michael)...



"Managers and coaches vote for Gold Gloves and they clearly goofed when they awarded one to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter last week. The fact that he led all other shortstops with a league-low six errors and a league-high .989 fielding percentage must have swayed voters, but another metric, UZR, had him ranked in negative territory -- a middling seventh, even worse than the Red Sox’ Marco Scutaro. UZR actually relies on videotaped analysis of plays a fielder should be able to make, rather than old-fashioned metrics that reward someone with good hands but no range."

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2010 UZR RANKINGS FOR AL SHORTSTOP

Player Team UZR


Alexei Ramirez White Sox 10.8
Cliff Pennington A’s 9.9
Cesar Izturis O’s 5.1
Elvis Andrus Rangers 0.1
Erick Aybar Angels -2.0
Marco Scutaro Red Sox -2.9
Derek Jeter Yankees -4.7

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Ha!! His range is limited but if Jeter can get to the ball, it's usually an out. I mean, my goodness, six errors all season. That's pretty darn good. But the above numbers don't lie, and either do I. Take that, Derek!

Enjoy your Sunday, my Constant Readers. The University of Connecticut women Huskies play their first game of the 2010-2011 season this afternoon at 2pm EST and will try to nab their 79th straight victory. They will win easily but coming up Tuesday, just two days from now, #2 Baylor comes into town. For a team with five freshmen members, that will be a test. As always, BE WELL. As Spock would say, live long and prosper.