Curt joined the boys on The Big Show this afternoon to talk Sox baseball and the Division Series against the Angels. A transcript of the highlights is below.

You can find the full audio here.

Are the Angels 0-5 all time in Game 1 of the ALDS because they do not have the killer number one guy and they are going up against killer number ones?

Yeah. I think that is the bigger piece. Last night was I think and important and reinforcing example for anybody that doesn’t believe it. Chris Carpenter, who is arguably one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, potentially going to be a Cy Young award winner, is a contact guy. At the end of the day he is not strikeout pitcher, he is a power-sinker, ground ball guy and we saw what happened last night with LA. You have to be a pitch-away-from-contact, strikeout guy to dominate in October. You can have your occasional good games.

You have a 162 game season and are dead tired at the end of the season – snap one of the playoff season and it’s like the first day of the year. There is an adrenaline and an energy that comes, nobody how tired you are, that I felt gave me an enormous advantage as a power pitcher going into the post season.

So, if your power pitcher is better than their power pitcher, it is much more of an advantage.

Yup, it really is. The power pitching, the strikeout guys. And if you look at those first five Game 1 losses you are not going to see a power guy starting for the Angels.

How important is it for Beckett to pitch well in this series. Can they win without him?

Yeah, but it is incredibly important because they are trying to win the World Series. I am not worried about Josh not doing well, I really am not.  I would be stunned if he doesn’t do well, but, as I said earlier on WEEI.com, watch the first time around the lineup . . . and I say the first time around the lineup because I don’t believe the Angels starting pitching is going to be able to exploit a first inning run to the point of winning this series. But, watch the Sox first three starters in Jon, Josh and Clay, their fastball command the first time around is going to be probably a telling sign as anything.

Is the Angels speed that big a factor?

Are they? Because they haven’t in the past. Look at the series we played them in ’04 and ’07 and they didn’t run. I mean, they didn’t have a ton of base runners, but when they did they didn’t run. Opportunity, obviously, has to present itself. And, it is a different lineup this year because you do have a Bobby Abreu, who, Bobby is a four at-bat, 30 pitch guy through the course of a game and they haven’t really had that guy. Before they had Garret Anderson and Vladdy back-to-back, and you could literally face those guys through the game and pitch 10 total pitches. Whereas Abreu is 10-12 pitch per about.

Their lineup is a little bit different this year, I heard somebody talking about how much more patient they are this year, and if Jon is commanding his fastball and Josh is as well, that could be a deadly combo for them. Because patient lineups in October who are patient against power pitchers with command, it is generally the fourth of fifth inning before they say ‘hey, we should probably get more aggressive early in the count.’

Game 1 is important

If Game 1 is crucial in a seven game series, in a five game series it can decide the series, so to speak. I think if they go out there and they get beat by the Red Sox tonight there is no possible way those guys aren’t going “here we go again, oh my god.” You can’t help it, it is human nature, you can’t avoid it. I think a Red Sox win tonight will be a much bigger momentum swinger than an Angels win would be for anybody. Because I think they proven it, the Boston clubhouse, that ‘hey, that one is over, let’s go get them tomorrow.’

Runner on base important to pitcher psyche?

I never cared. In my mind the guy wasn’t going to score anyway. The difference is that for a lot of teams you have to get two to three hits to get a guy in from first, in Anaheim, over 162 games, a walk, a stolen base, a bunt, a sac-fly. That works over 162 games because you are going against rotations and bullpens that you are not seeing in October. You don’t manufacture a run in October and have that run stand up the whole game. Especially against the arms on the mound to back it up.

The biggest piece here . . . in ’04 and ’07 they ran crazy. They did not run against us and if you count on that to be a key part of your offense the entire season and suddenly come October you don’t have that piece, it would be like you run a two-back tandem [in football] on offense and both of them are power guys and you give them equal carries, then you go to the playoffs and put one of them on the bench. It changes the complexion of your offense.

Have you ever head of a running itself through the playoffs? You can pitch your way through the playoffs, you can hit your way through the playoffs, which they didn’t. In 2002, when they won, they hit.  They didn’t run, they hit. I am not trying to downplay them, they are a great team led by a great manager. I think they have a little bit different team this year with Morales and I think Vladdy is hitting better. Bobby Abreu is going to be a big piece to this. Because Chone Figgins, you know, there are a couple guys in that lineup that are fast but they are guys who I didn’t worry about their speed because they didn’t hit like they were fast. They were early count jump on the ball guys who unlike guys who use speed to their advantage are seven to 10 pitch guys.

They really don’t have a true ace.

That is the be all, end all here for me. John Lackey is a very good pitcher, I really like Joe Saunders, I think they are making a mistake pushing Kazmir back that far. I would have him running out early and often in this series.

If I like him [Kazmir] in Fenway, I love him in Anaheim. I think he is the one power guy in their rotation that they can put out there. If you don’t have a power guy you are going to be at 100 pitches after five innings against this lineup.

What do you think of that bullpen? Fuentes has blown seven saves and Bulger is a little beaten up.

Here is where you are going to see that manifest itself. Listen, it is what it is, he is going to close, Arredondo and some of those guys are going to set up, but to me how it is going to manifest itself is how he manages their offense in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Instead of, if you got a Papelbon, you do push for that run to make it a 4-2 game instead of 3-2. If you got Fuentes and you are not confident moving that runner over to get that extra run. You are hoping for that big-bopper to give you that three-run, four-run lead. So, I think it will manifest itself in the offense. Cause listen, the cards are played, are you suddenly go with the guys who are your set-up men? You are going to go with the guys that got you there. It is almost like the Fergosi, Mitch Williams in ’93. Williams was burned out, he had pitched far beyond his means but to his credit he was taking the ball every night but at the end of the day Jim Fergosi brings in his closer and his closer blows the game. What’s he supposed to say, “I brought the guy in who I used all year.” It hasn’t [worked] in the past.

Fuentes is a closer who is scared. They say they fixed some things but I would be worried.

That is probably a big an impact on the guys standing out in the field as anybody. You get Pap in there, you know he is throwing strikes, you are on your toes ready for a ball in play as opposed to maybe a guy, Brad Lidge this year, where you are sitting in the outfield saying ‘jesus just throw the ball near the strike zone.’ From a focus stand point there is different mentality when your closer is on the mound when everybody is saying “is he going to get three outs before he gives up five runs?”

Is it possible that Beckett is requesting Jason Varitek to catch in Game 2?

I don’t know. If I were to go out and say that then everybody would say “he said that Josh said that.” I don’t know. I can give you my word that the guy [Terry Francona] is going to put the nine players on the field that gives them the best possible chance to win every night. He will pinch hit when he want to pinch hit. You do every thing you can do to win three games before the Angels do.

I can tell you that I never cared what my catcher did at the plate. I wanted him to get four hits so he could feel good about himself but I never cared what he did offensively because I wanted him to be . . . I figured I could out pitch his offensive capability if that were the case. I guarantee you that Josh has all the confidence in the world. He is taking the ball tomorrow, if it were me I would have a little bit of grudge that I didn’t get the ball Game 1 and would be looking to ram the ball down the throat or put it in somebody’s backside pretty badly to prove that I was that October guy.

Does Kevin Youkilis really rankle that many people that a player would “refrain” from making comment in the Jackie McMullen piece in the Globe yesterday?

You can say what you want about Youk but here is the deal. The guy plays 100-percent everyday he can play. He plays his ass his off offensively and defensively and he acts like a nine-year old when he makes an out. I don’t care. Listen, I guarantee you he is no more or less annoying than other guys, especially a guy like me.

I played with Greg Jefferies and Greg Jefferies was headed for the Hall of Fame but could not understand that you are going to make 300-400 outs a year. And he has proven me wrong because I told him that if he keeps this up you are going to be burnt out by August. Well, obviously he wasn’t and hasn’t been. I love guys who play every game and every at-bat like it was the last out of the World Series and he does that. Appreciate it for what it is. If a teammate says that, that teammate is not as good as Youk because he is the best player on the team, so I don’t really care about what they say.

Have you seen the umpiring crew? Joe West, C.B. Buckner and Greg Gibson. Does it worry you?

It is embarrassing. Listen, Joe West, I think he is an ass and I have had problems with him forever but here is the thing – Joe West is a pretty decent umpire. Greg Gibson and C.B. Buckner? They suck. They’re horrible, horrible and they are not the only ones. The first thing that comes to mind is, on a merit system or an achievement  system to be in the postseason.

It is a fraternity, because, in the postseason some of these guys make more than they do in the regular season.

Listen, Joe West hates the Red Sox. I never wanted Joe in Fenway. He called Game 6 of the ’04 playoffs. Behind the plate he called it pretty consistent, he’s good. He’s not big, he’s more of a hitters ump. Unless he doesn’t like you as a hitter. I would make it a point to find out the guys that Joe West doesn’t like as a hitter because I knew that my strike zone was 34-inches wide no matter who was up.

The thing I have with Greg Gibson was that he was having an argument with Tito and he said “Tito, do you realize you are arguing with the best young ump in baseball right now?” Dead serious.

Former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling joined the Big Show on Thursday afternoon. Schilling, who will be joining The Big Show throughout the MLB Playoffs, broke down the American League Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Curt talked about this personal experiences pitching against the Angels and matching up against their lineup. CLICK HERE to listen to the complete interview with Glenn Ordway, Pete Sheppard, Lou Merloni and Fred Smerlas.

RED SOX KEYS

1) Lester/Beckett fastball command — Look at their first time through the lineup. If Josh is commanding the outside corner to right-handed hitters, and Jon is commanding the inside corner to right-handed hitters, they’ll win. It won’t take that long IMO, but give them one time through. Normally I wouldn’t give them nine hitters, but I really have issues with seeing any starter from LA shut down the Sox lineup to where one first-inning run loses a game.

2) Ellsbury — He’s more dangerous on the bases than any Angels player, and if he’s on and causing problems for Angels starters, it adds a worry I don’t think they are considering as they head into the series. The Sox have 6-8 guys who can take you deep. If Jacoby on the bases is an issue, it could wreck all sorts of game-planning by Angels pitchers against Sox hitters.

3) Seventh and eighth innings — Yeah, you love to have a ‘pen full of options, but in October few teams have, or use, multiple pitchers out of the bullpen before the closer. If Oki can find a partner in Bard or Saito, or if Wagner is throwing strikes and has his usual stuff, the Sox could literally shorten games to six innings.

ANGELS KEYS

1) Team speed is useless if you don’t get on. It’s a double-edged sword. Team speed works when your hitters are patient and work counts. If you do that, and Josh and Jon are commanding their fastballs, you lose.

2) Someone in their rotation must show shut-down capability. It’s a staff-wide thing. If they get pounded in Game 1, that stuff steamrolls a rotation. I’ve been on both sides, and they don’t have a power arm to stop the Sox. Game 1 is going to be huge in either enforcing or changing the “Here we go again” mentality

3) Mike Scioscia — Team speed is useless if the manager doesn’t use it. I never felt the Angels were aggressive in October. It almost felt like their season-long formula of manufacturing runs stopped when the calendar turned to avoid having “outs” being made by the manager. Likely not true, but I will be interested to see if they push it. I don’t think they have any choice but to run, run fast, and run often. The only bat that you might worry about for every game is Morales.

ATTACKING THE ANGELS LINEUP

The key to beating them is literally there before the game starts. If you can get the ball to home in 1.25 seconds or less, you can stop many running situations. Taking away team speed is like taking hitters OUT of the lineup.

Obviously: “You can’t steal first base.” Walks, or lack thereof, will be HUGE this series, depending on who you are talking about. The OBP of a walk is 1.000. When the BEST hitters put the BEST hitter’s-count pitches in play, they still make outs 50-75 percent of the time. If you can understand that approach, you stay within the strike zone and great things happen.

To be honest, one of my biggest fears is the umpiring crew. This is about as bad a crew as I have ever seen assembled. Joe West, for all his pomp and circumstance, can ump a game. C.B. Buckner? Greg Gibson? Not so much. I’m blown away that A) They made the postseason and B) They are umping what I think will be the most-watched series. If I HAD to put them on the postseason roster, I’d try to hide them on the outfield foul lines of Colorado. Look for BOTH to have game impact in this series.

From the standpoint of shutting down the Angels hitters, Sox pitchers know pitch-by-pitch, AB-by-AB and situation-by-situation the best possible plan to get these guys out. The entire staff knows it. I won’t put game plans in here. Not that the Angels hitters don’t know what they are going to see, but I don’t want to help if I don’t have to.

It will come down to execution. All three guys – Beckett, Lester and Clay Buchholz — will thrive on the same thing. Josh’s curveball, Jon’s cutter and Clay’s change and curveball will ONLY be huge pitches if they are commanding their fastballs. Never is that more important than October, and at no time is it more important than that first time through the lineup.

You generally don’t get a second time around if you are lacking fastball command. Hitters, good ones, are at peak performance (with the exception of guys who suck in the postseason), and you don’t get a second chance to make a mistake.

I have generally found you only worry about privacy when you have something to hide.

I know there are tons of people worried not only about the health care bill, but also what appears to be the ramrod process pushed by those who know it’s going to get crushed the minute the details become public.

This administration, time and again, has done the exact opposite of what was promised. Transparency, accountability? This is the EXACT OPPOSITE of both. Anyone wonder why that is?

Don’t you find it odd, but totally understandable,  that Democrats are lining up AGAINST making this stuff available to the public prior to the vote and Republicans are not?

No coincidence, none at all.

This linked article is one I am very curious to know what people think about. I know how I feel.

If you don’t care how I feel, leave now.

Let me get this straight. The man in charge of the 68,000 American men and women putting their lives on the line, as well as the 100,000-strong NATO force in Afghanistan, is in trouble.

He’s in trouble for speaking his mind and telling us, the American people, exactly the truth as he believes it to be.

Basically, he tells us that the half-assed efforts being considered, the ideas of military stalwart Joe Biden to use Special Forces strike teams and unpiloted drones, will lead to an unfavorable result.

We’re being fed two different stories on every front now. The media rants, the government rants when “leaks” lead to even an ounce of unfavorable press. Yet, the second a leak sheds a positive spin on anything governmental, it’s splattered from coast to coast.

An adviser to the administration said: “People aren’t sure whether McChrystal is being naïve or an upstart. To my mind he doesn’t seem ready for this Washington hard-ball and is just speaking his mind too plainly.”

Is that possible? I mean he’s not speaking Joe Biden plain and giving away national defense secret locations, but he’s speaking as the man in charge of all allied ground forces in theater right? Don’t WE want him to speak plainly? Speak the truth where no harm can come to our soldiers? In fact, isn’t he spelling out in pretty plain words what he believes our politicians back home need to do to allow our men and women the best chance to A) survive and B) win?

Then we have this nugget:

He went on to say: “Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely, and nor will public support.”

Which, if you read the article, is followed with this:

He will hold at least one more this week, but a decision on how far to follow Gen McChrystal’s recommendation to send 40,000 more US troops will not be made for several weeks.

I completely understand the need to NOT knee-jerk and not overreact, but at the same time lives are being lost with every full rotation of the clock we see. This IS life and death, this IS real. It doesn’t get more real than this. That’s not to even speak to the fact that the war in Afghanistan has been pushed to back page news except when Americans and NATO soldiers are killed. Yes, we have domestic issues that must be resolved, but that should in no way impact the process, speed or timing in which the president of this nation allows the men charged with military action and planning to do their jobs, right?

He added that it was highly unusual for a senior military officer to “pressure the president in public to adopt his strategy.”

This offends me in so many ways. This highly decorated “senior military officer” is the EXACT man I want pressuring ANYONE involved in decision-making, ever. That’s what he does, that’s who he is. If you are stupid or ignorant enough to think you know better — or have the “right plan” — than the man with boots on the ground over there, well, you’re lost.

Finally there is this:

“They want to make sure people know what they asked for if things go wrong,” said Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary of defense.

Critics also pointed out that before their Copenhagen encounter Mr. Obama had only met Gen. McChrystal once since his appointment in June.

Here is where I, as a citizen, have some huge issues. Brilliant military men, men tasked with leading this nation’s military, already are recognizing this administration’s desires, and smart people are recognizing this for what it is. They know they don’t or aren’t going to get this government’s backing WITHOUT the public completely aware of the score. Why would they do this? Is political capital so valuable that you’d put lives at risk? Is a political campaign, four years away, that valuable to people in our government? Is it? Is that out of the realm of possibility?

And lastly, how is it possible that the president of the United States has only had time to meet face to face with the commander of allied forces in Afghanistan only once since June? That’s four months. I am not naive enough to think they both don’t have ridiculous schedules, but if the president hadn’t thought the Olympic bid so important he wouldn’t even have been in the same hemisphere to have this meeting, right? If the War on Terror is such a huge priority, why has this not happened sooner? I know that they can “talk” from anyplace on the planet at a moment’s notice — I assume they have before this, but I don’t know. But if they know, and they did, that a face-to-face meeting was as much for perception and support as it was for substance, maybe more so, why didn’t that rate higher on the priority scale?

Here’s the reason this bothers me so much. Spending 10 days in theater was the most eye-opening and rewarding thing I’ve ever done. No, it didn’t make me an expert, not even close, on the war over there. What it did do is explain to me that the soldiers, the privates, the men patrolling hostile territory 24/7, living and dying, are truly bothered by the fact that the media on this side of the ocean was NOT reporting on the war they were fighting. Far from it. The lies and BS we were, are and will be told are often times quite the opposite of the facts in play.

First Lt. Sale Solaita is a very dear friend. Sale (Pronounced “Solly”) is the big Samoan that escorted both my friend and I during our 10 day stay in Iraq in 2008. Sale is Samoan, and his family is from Samoa.

Anyone following the news knows there was a MASSIVE earthquake and an ensuing Tsunami that has taken an incredible toll in lives and homes.

Rarely in life do we get a chance to give back so meaningfully to the men and women who offer the ultimate sacrifice for us, in service of our nation and freedoms. I don’t need to, but I will anyway, tell you that Sale is about as fine a man as you could ever hope to meet. Decorated service in the War in Iraq with a new baby to come home to when he returned.

Sale has listed the two ways to help below, if you can please give in any amount possible.

From the bottom of my heart for any and all that can help!

God Bless,

Curt

You could do either one of the 2:

1)  Send a check to:
 
 AIGA FOUNDATION:

c/o George Malauulu

re: AMERICAN SAMOA RELIEF FUND

3133 San Francisco Avenue

Long Beach, CA 90806

2) Wait until the helpsamoa.com site puts up their paypal account on www.helpsamoa.com.

Curt Schilling went on the Dennis & Callahan Show on Thursday morning, and discussed his reasons for electing not to run for the vacant Massachusetts Senate seat. A transcript of that part of the conversation follows. To listen to the complete interview (in which Schilling also discussed the state of the Red Sox heading into the final days of the regular season), CLICK HERE:

Was the decision to withdraw personal or was it related to Scott Brown?

Totally internal. I didn’t even get a chance to push the outside pieces and figure out where they fell. I can’t commit the time. At the end of the day, if I wasn’t going to have the chance to be literally all-in from a commitment standpoint, there was absolutely no chance I was going to do it. Maybe it’s naïve or ignorance, whatever you want to call it, but I was going in with the thought that I was going to win this thing and what that would mean. I don’t think that would have made my marriage and my relationship with my children better. If you want to talk about external forces, first of all, I could care less who’s running. If I was running, I was running with the thought that I could kick everyone’s ass who’s in it. I’ve got some friends who are going to be out and about and involved in the next round of elections, both in state and in government. I’ll do what I can do when I can do it.

I talked to Sen. McCain. I had a really good chat with him. I wanted to make sure he heard it from me first, because he’s been someone I’ve talked to repeatedly through the process. He’s been somewhat of a mentor over the last couple of months. It’s interesting, because I was going to announce it and then I was going to follow it up immediately by talking about potential people I was interested in being involved in, and he said, ‘Do me a favor, and do yourself a favor. Do not mention anybody else’s name until you’re 100 percent sure that you’re going to support that person and that person stands for the things you believe in.’ I took that piece of advice to heart.

What were the family considerations?

If you really sat down, and I did this, and started to write down what it might mean, you’d quickly come up that you’d better have an open slate for the next couple of years. Open meaning: you’re not committed to raising kids, you’re not committed to being at home, you’re not committed to being around for your wife and family. We did that for 19 years.

Did you figure out the cost of running?

I was led to believe it probably wouldn’t cost me anything if I wanted to [run]. There was enough support financially. That was one of my big dilemmas. There was enough support financially for me not to run on my dime. I talked about this earlier. I don’t know the intricacies of campaign financing from the standpoint of what you can and can’t do. I know you can’t take checks from special interests – or you can take checks from special-interest groups, but you just can’t let people know about it. I was going to be able to do this probably without cutting a check for anything. In this day and age, with the financial situation both locally and nationally, I wasn’t sure that would have been the responsible thing.

Were you concerned that fundraising for your campaign would lead to tradeoffs with fundraising for ALS research and the SHADE Foundation?

I posted on my blog yesterday, one of the concerns and one of the things Sen. McCain said, was maybe down the road you’ll decide to do this, but right now focus on the things you guys are committed to, which is your wife and your kid, and ALS and the SHADE foundation. That’s about 24 to 28 hours of work a day already. So it becomes easy when you start to lay those cards on the table and realize what playing them means.

Thank you to everyone who reached out to me and voiced their support of my potential bid. I received just an enormous amount of support. I’m incredibly appreciative of that. I think it was legitimate, in the amount of hate mail I received, that people were honestly concerned and worried. That made me feel good as well.

Will you campaign for and support Scott Brown?

I have intentions of supporting somebody. Right now, I’m doing my due diligence. I have received the information I’ve asked for from the people I’ve asked it from, to go through their platforms, to understand what they’re trying to get done. When my choice becomes clear, I’ll make that public.

It may never make sense for me to do it, but right now it certainly does not.

Given the amount of things going on, I cannot in good conscience even consider running for the open Senate seat here in Massachusetts.

While I sincerely appreciate the outreach and the kind words I’ve received, I think at the end of the day it would be the wrong decision for all involved for me to attempt this.

I wouldn’t have even considered it if I didn’t think I could win. I don’t think I possess the experience I would want, or the time needed, to commit to doing this.

This state is in desperate need of someone new, someone fresh, someone completely dedicated to the constituents of the Commonwealth. While I think I would be all three, it’s a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year job, and 38 Studios, my family, ALS and Shade are the things that I need to commit my time to right now.

To those that have extended offers of help and encouragement, I sincerely appreciate it all.

Speaking on the Dennis & Callahan Show, Curt Schilling said he is still undecided in regards to running for the U.S. Senate seat previously occupied by the late Ted Kennedy. Schilling said his decision will come down to how it affects his family, having been assured by “people in the Republican party” that raising finances for such a campaign won’t be an issue. Schilling also talked about Wednesday night’s Red Sox win, Jason Varitek’s future and the importance of Alex Gonzalez.

Click here for Part 1 of the interview.

Click here for Part 2 of the interview.

Nineteen years ago Shonda and I met a man named Dick Bergeron. Dick had been recently diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

ALS, today, is still 100 percent fatal. However, in the past 19 years Lou’s name has gained notoriety and recognition in many positive ways.

His life story has been written about many times over. This is the best book I’ve ever read on it.

Why is this relevant? For two reasons, really. The first was the nation becoming aware of Lou during the previous decade, when Cal Ripken broke Lou’s consecutive game streak. Cal did it with a blue collar work ethic unmatched in anyone I ever played with. Knowing Cal’s father, it was easy to see how and why he was who he was.

The second reason occurred this past weekend. On a rain-soaked evening in the new Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter lined an opposite-field single for career hit No. 2,722 and became the all-time hits leader for the New York Yankee franchise. The event got some good PR and some decent coverage, but it’s far more significant than the coverage it’s been given, to me anyway. This isn’t the Nationals or Padres we’re talking about, this is one of sports’ oldest franchises and home of the game’s greatest all-time players.

Red Sox fans are pretty much in agreement that Jeter is a player they love to “not like.” I don’t say hate because real Sox fans — dyed-in-the-wool Sox Nation members — can’t hate the guy. You can dislike him immensely, and much of that is due to the pinstripes, but there is nothing we know of that would give pause, rhyme or reason to not having immense respect for what he’s done on and off the field.

His early career was marked by trend-setting numbers at a position defined by defense for the past century. Well, that and four World Series rings in his first week or two in the big leagues, it seemed.

But beyond that there are two things that stand out to me.

Derek Jeter has always been above the fray. As someone who’s wallowed in it, “foot-in-mouthed” it hundreds of times, said dumb things and backed up dumber ones, it’s refreshing. He’s shown up, played, and turned in a first-ballot Hall of Fame career in the hardest environment in sports to do any/all of the above.

That, in and of itself, is an accomplishment.

More importantly to me, though, was this. I enjoyed competing against him as much as anyone I ever faced. Derek was that guy who was going to hit his way, regardless, with enough talent to still get hits when you made your pitch and hit your spot. One of my favorite memories was stepping onto the rubber for Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, being as locked in as I’ve ever been, looking into home plate and looking into his eyes, and us smiling at each other, knowing what we were getting ready to experience. By the way, I should never have thrown the fastball away in the seventh inning, I had him if I’d just kept pounding the ball in …

I have no idea how he felt about competing against me, or about me as a player, but I know competing against that guy, for the decade or so we matched up, was what made the Major Leagues the Major Leagues for someone like me.

So, congratulations Derek, you earned every ounce of respect and accolades thrown your way, and you’re one of the few men I ever competed against who is worthy of having his name mentioned with the same reverence and respect as Lou Gehrig.