Journalist lack of Jeter disclosure disturbing

Fox & Friends scored a nice one-on-one interview with Derek Jeter after he won the SI Sportsman of the Year award. The interview was noteworthy in the media for Jeter's admission that he's not perfect. Among other fascinating insights: Jeter does not make his bed in the morning.

Host Gretchen Carlson conducted the interview, giggling and tossing softball questions at the Yankee Captain. A journalist fawning over Jeter isn't really news. What was disturbing about the interview was Carlson's failure to disclose a critical potential conflict of interest: that she is married to sports agent Casey Close, Jeter's long-time agent.

As a journalist, I have to take serious issue with Carlson's failure to disclose the relationship. It raises serious questions. Did Carlson's prior acquaintance with Jeter help her score the interview? Did she agree not to ask Jeter certain questions ahead of time?

She did ask the famously-private Jeter about his relationship with actress Minka Kelly, but in a way that allowed Jeter to easily deflect the question. Her focus was getting Jeter to talk about the way he felt about the loss of his privacy, particularly the recent New York Post cover story about his vacation with Kelly.

But she didn't ask him tough questions about becoming a free agent next year, with her husband set to play a key role in Jeter's contract negotiations. For example, she didn't ask Jeter whether he would be willing to move to another team if the Yankees failed to give him the amount of money or contract years he will ask for, something Close will help shape Jeter's opinion on.

Disclosing such conflicts of interest is Journalism 101. Carlson has been around for too long. She should know better.

Thanks to the Air Force Space Command via Wikipedia for the photo.

Yanks have their priorities straight

Unlike in previous years when the Yankee brass would go gaga over other clubs' players while ignoring their own, Brian Cashman & Co. intend to pursue their free agents first. Number 1 on the list is Andy Pettitte, which makes sense considering that strong starting pitching was the cornerstone behind the Yankees successful playoff run. Let's hope Pettitte soon decides to pitch one more year so the Yanks can quickly sign him and move on to other issues.

Settling on a left fielder is priority #2, with the Yankees starting to feel out Johnny Damon's expectations for a new contract. The Yankees are reportedly looking to cut their payroll by $15 million (I'll believe it when I see it) so I imagine they will be completely inflexible if Damon's agent Scott Boras asks for more than two years or more than $10 million per year. Cashman also talked to Hideki Matsui's agent, perhaps Matsui's pinstripe career isn't over if he is willing to sign for a much-lower salary.

While they will actively monitor the free-agent market, it doesn't sound like the Yankees have any inclination to pursue free-agent outfielders Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, which makes sense. Unless the bottom completely falls out, either player will be expensive and I don't think the Yanks need to spend that much on an outfielder. But if they do, I would prefer Bay, who proved he can perform at the highest level in baseball's most heated rivalry.

The Yankees also discussed players that could be acquired via trade, with Roy Halladay being the biggest fish out there. Honestly, he is the only one I would actively pursue. Curtis Granderson is a name that keeps popping up, but I don't have much interest in him and would be unwilling to give up a player like Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes, or even a top-level prospect, for him. We'll see how the Yankees play it.

Thanks to kidsire via Wikipedia for the photo.

Welcome back Boss!

Apparently the Yankees winning their 27th World Series title wasn't enough for George Steinbrenner. He was actively involved in yesterday's meetings, talking strategy and payroll with Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi and the rest of the Yankee brass. Say what you will about Steinbrenner, but he wants to win more than any other owner in baseball (and any other sport for that matter) and will do whatever it takes to get there.

I think his involvement in the meetings is a good sign. It shows that despite his poor health, he feels strong enough to participate in the discussions. And as long as the Boss is still around, the Yankees will never get too conservative. Given his fiery desire to win, he will sign off on whatever move he thinks will put the Yankees on top again next year. He's not going to let a Roy "Doc" Halladay slip away just because the team's payroll is the highest in baseball.

Unlike other owners, Steinbrenner puts a lot of the money he makes back into his team. It's one of the reasons I don't often complain about the high costs of Yankee tickets and everything at the new stadium. Sure, Steinbrenner is a businessman, but the Yankees are his passion and he will spend whatever he has to spend to put them back on top.

Welcome back, Boss!

News flash: Jeter not perfect

Derek Jeter says he's not perfect. In New York, when it comes to Jeter, that qualifies as a headline-worthy admission.

Without elaborating, the Yankee Captain said he in an interview that he has made mistakes in the past. Making mistakes is kind of the theme of the week with the Tiger Woods fiasco.

"Jeter is now the bulletproof guy," said WFAN Yankee beat reporter Sweeney Murti.

Jeter also talked about the struggle to maintain privacy when a person reaches the level of fame he has. Of course, it's the tradeoff. You can't have all the success, glory and money Jeter has without giving up something in return.

The positive portrayal of Jeter in the media has reached an all-time high this year. Of course, there will always be the Jeter haters, but they are increasingly becoming the minority. For every Joel Sherman ridiculing the notion of Jeter as Sportsman of the Year, there are 10 Mike Baumans laying out the reasons Jeter is deserving.

Being a big Jeter fan myself, I don't mind the plaudits he gets. And given his play on the field and his work with his Turn 2 Foundation off of it, I think he's definitely deserving of every one. But as Jeter said, he's not perfect. Let's take him at his word.

Thanks to OneTwo1 via Wikipedia for the photo.

How much will Yankees spend for 2010?

The Yankee brass is meeting in Tampa today and tomorrow to discuss ways to improve the team. The key question: how much are they willing to spend on a team that just won the World Series?

The Yankee payroll is destined to again be above the $200 million mark despite Brian Cashman's stated desire to reduce it and the decision not to offer arbitration to any of their free agents in service of that goal. According to the New York Post, they have about $45 million coming off the payroll, but at least $15 million in raises due to players under contract.

Re-signing some of their free agents is going to cost them additional millions. Andy Pettitte, for example, may ask for more than the $10.5 million he earned this year, given that he was a key factor for the team's playoff success and his lingering bad feelings over his incentive-laden contract. And it's hard to believe they would let a player like Roy "Doc" Halladay pass them by without pouncing simply because he's going to want an expensive extension.

Apparently not on the agenda is a contract extension for Yankee manager Joe Girardi. Typically, a manager going into the final year of his contract is given an extension just to avoid lame-duck status. But with nobody suggesting Girardi's job is in any danger after winning the World Series, the Yankees seem content to wait. I don't have a problem with that, especially considering that the Yankees make their players wait for extensions or new deals.

Maybe Girardi should ask what the Jets pay since he's already done some coaching for them. The Jets could use all the help they can get.

Brian Cashman airs Yankees dirty laundry

Brian Cashman must feel really good about the Yankees winning the World Series this year because the normally tight-lipped general manager made some pretty controversial comments on the events of the past year.

At a breakfast appearance sponsored by WFAN, Cashman openly talked about how the Core Four Yankees (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada) intimidated incoming players in previous years. Out of deference to the core, the newer players toned down their personalities and tried to blend into the background, according to Mike Francesa's report of the event.

In fact, Francesa quoted Cashman as saying one of CC Sabathia's reservations about coming to the Yankees was that he heard the Yankees didn't like each other. Francesa alluded to what was apparently the main cause: the Cold War between Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Cashman said he told Sabathia and the other newer Yankees that he wanted them to bridge that divide and be themselves. That's obviously how things played out because by all accounts the Yankees were a tighter bunch, with Jeter and ARod finally burying the hatchet. But I have to wonder if CC is going to be happy about Cashman revealing their private conversation.

Cashman also apparently said former Yankee manager Joe Torre's book "The Yankee Years" was "garbage," according to one report. I don't really have a problem with him having such a strong reaction given the book's negative portrayal of him. But he could have taken the high road since he won the World Series without Torre.

I hate to discourage the normally close-mouthed Cashman from being so open, but it seems a bit self-serving for him to be airing the Yankees dirty laundry. It's almost as if he wants to ensure he gets credit for bringing in the guys who finally changed the chemistry of the clubhouse and helped put the Yankees back on top. But I guess if you're the Yankees GM under the Steinbrenner regime, you always have to jockey for position and credit.

Thanks to Jimmyack205 via Wikipedia for the photo.

Watch out Dustin. Captain Jeter will get you

Better watch out Dustin Pedroia. The last thing you want is Derek Jeter gunning for you.

The Red Sox second baseman said he is willing to switch positions to shortstop to help his team. It's quite admirable considering Pedroia is a former American League Most Valuable Player who does not need to do anything to prove his loyalty to his team. The problem is Pedroia's mouth. He couldn't resist a little dig at the Yankee Captain: "Tell Derek to enjoy the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards while he can."

Pedroia was obviously kidding, He and Jeter became quite chummy during the World Baseball Classic (highlighting the only problem I have with the WBC--Yankee and Red Sox players becoming friends).

But Pedroia should know better than to issue any kind of challenge to his pal Derek. After hearing stat geeks constantly criticizing his defensive skills, Jeter spent the last offseason working on his flexibilty and lateral movement. The result: he had his best defensive season in years, winning a well-deserved Gold Glove. Jeter will probably laugh off Pedroia's comments publicly, then immediately go to work on a 2010 performance that will blow the newly-minted Red Sox shortstop away.

Come to think of it, thanks Dustin!

Thanks to Eric Kilby via Wikipedia for the photo.