Leadership and Is it Derek Jeter or Derek Cheater?
I have lost respect for Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees.
I am very disappointed with Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays.
I am flabbergasted with Scott Van Pelt of ESPN Radio.
Let me explain...
On September 15, 2010, in a very close baseball game in a very tight pennant race, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was up to bat, and a pitch came up and in on him. He turned away and the ball hit the bottom of his bat. It made a thumping noise and ricocheted into the infield.
The home plate umpire, thinking the ball had hit him, awarded him first base.
Jeter, after flailing about, bending over in pain, and smirking, took off to first base. The next batter promptly hit a home run which gave the Yankees the temporary lead.
Take a look at the video below or click HERE to see it as well.
At the end of the day, it is very clear.
He cheated.
He cheated.
He cheated.
Period. End of discussion.
Pick your definition of 'cheating', courtesy of www.dictionary.com
-to defraud or swindle
-to deceive, or influence by fraud
-to violate rules and regulations
He cheated.
On the radio today, Scott Van Pelt of ESPN was calling it "...a smart, heady play by the veteran player. It was not cheating - it was merely a blown call by the umpires, and nothing else. Anyone who claims it was cheating is a lunatic."
Well then, call me crazy.
Joe Maddon, manager of the Rays, decided that he, too, was not upset with Jeter. He stated...
''If our guys had did it, I would have applauded that. It's a great peformance on his part...'Several players are very good at that. And again, I'm not denigrating it. If our guy does it, I'm very happy with that if we end up getting the call. "
Say it ain't so Joe!!
Jeter showed his lack of integrity by blowing it off and stating the obvious.
''He told me to go to first base. I'm not going to tell him I'm not going to first, you know,'' Jeter said. ''It's part of the game. My job is to get on base. Fortunately for us it paid off at the time..." That's what tennis great Andy Roddick did in 2005 in the Italian Open. He made a call against himself, and it ended up costing him the match.
Derek, you could not be more wrong. It is your job to get on base ETHICALLY!
Here are some other things Derek will now be saying throughout his life...
"They gave me back $50 too much in change. I did not say anything or return it. After all, it is my job to take care of my family."
"I was taking my kid to school and accidentally ran over the neighbors dog. I did not tell them. After all, it is my job to get my kid to school on time."
...and so on, and so on, and so on.
This is not just about a game or a call. This is about your character and your integrity.
Scott Van Pelt remarked, "What is he supposed to do - turn around and tell the umpire that it didn't hit him?"
Uh...Yeah! That's what people with character do. That's what people with integrity do.
Take a look below at the PSA called Values: Pass it on. If you cannot open the video below, you can view the one minute video by clicking HERE .
But he kept his character intact.
Should NFL receivers stand up and say they did not catch it when the referee said they did?
Yes.
Should soccer players tell the referee when the goal they just scored went off their hand instead of their body?
Yes.
You can't have it both ways. You can't be a Leader AND a Cheater. You will have to choose.
Maybe I am just getting too old. Maybe I am just living in a fantasy world where I believe in absolute right and wrong.
Or maybe in the end, Derek Jeter is just a cheater...
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