Why Does Jeter's Acting Differ from A-Rod's Antics

There has been a lot of debate over the last week in the baseball world revolving around Derek Jeter and his Oscar-winning performace last Wednesday, when he faked getting hit by a pitch that replay later showed hit the knob of the bat. Jeter would later score on a home run by Curtis Granderson.

Jeter, for his part, admitted after the game that he wasn't hit by the pitch, which will not likely help his cause on future incidents when being hit by a pitch. Meanwhile, Rays manager Joe Maddon, who was ejected from the game for arguing the call, said that he couldn't fault Jeter, because if one of his players put up the same performance, saying "If our guys did it, I would have applauded that, too."

But is Derek Jeter getting a free pass on this incident because of his sparkling image as the captain of the New York Yankees?

Let's put this into a different perspective, which we can call "The A-Rod Angle." Would Alex Rodriguez have gotten the same treatment or would he have been called out as "bush league" for these actions? Comparatively, Rodriguez has three similar incidents in his past as a Yankee that have been construed in a completely different light:

Incident #1 - The ALCS Ball Slap

During the 8^th inning of the pivotal game six of the 2004 ALCS, Alex Rodriguez hit a weak ground ball up the first base line, which was fielded by pitcher Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo attempted to tag Rodriguez for the out, but Rodriguez swatted at the Arroyo's glove, forcing the ball out and allowing Jeter to score from first. After review by the umpires, Rodriguez was ruled out on interference and Jeter was forced to return to first base. Boston went on to win the game on the way to coming back to win the series from a 0-3 deficit.

The incident sparked quite a bit of debate, mostly due to the timing of the action. It differs from the Jeter performance in that it was ruled a clear act of cheating at the time of the incident. However, it also goes to set the mindset in which many people perceive Rodriguez as well.

Incident #2 - The Toronto "Mine" Flap

In the top of the 9^th inning of an eventual 10-5 win by the Yankees on Wednesday May 30, 2007, Jorge Posada skied a pop-up on the third base side of the diamond. Rodriguez, as the runner on second with two outs, ran on contact. As he passed third baseman Howie Clark, Rodriguez yelled what the Blue Jays labeled as "Mine" or "I got it." Clark, thinking he was being called off by shortstop John McDonald, backed off of the ball, which eventually fell in for a single. There is no written rule in baseball that prevents players from verbally distracting opposing fielders, but Toronto nevertheless felt that Rodriguez had crossed the line of sportsmanship.

Comparatively, this incident is quite close to the Jeter acting class, as they both involve players working within the rules, but doing something that is questionably cheating. The difference of course being that A-Rod was labeled as being a "bush leaguer" while Jeter played it off as "gamesmanship."

Incident #3 - The Great Oakland Mound Crossing

The final incident involves another unwritten rule of the game. On April 21^st of this year, Rodrigues went from first to third on what was eventually a foul ball by Robinson Cano. On his route back to first base, A-Rod crossed over the pitcher's mound, something that Braden took exception to, to the point of yelling at Rodriguez to get off his mound. Rodriguez brushed off the incident, basically insinuating that a pitcher with Braden's experience and success did not have the status to push an issue like that. Braden on the other hand, went as far as to say that Rodriguez should "take a note from his captain", alluding to Jeter, in regards to sportsmanship.

This particular incident is more of a mind-game thing, something that Rodriguez seems to feel comfortable with playing. Jeter doesn't normally succumb to such stunts, but to put on a full blown acting job in order to be awarded first base and inevitably causing a delay in the game because of it doesn't seem that far off.

The final question comes down to why Jeter is granted amnesty while Alex Rodriguez becomes the easy target.

Sources:

Derek Jeter Fakes Getting Hit By Pitch, AssociatedContent.com

A-Rod Out, After Discussion, For Interference, ESPN.com

A-Rod Infuriates Jays as Yankees Avoid Sweep, TheStar.com

Dallas Braden Blasts A-Rod For Breaking Unwritten Rule, BigLeagueStew