Valen, thanks for the clarification on Mussina's role, backing up the catcher...
visick wrote:and for Andycummings earlier post... D) Had Spencer hit the cut off man
I've sometimes wondered whether Giambi could have been nailed had Spencer hit the cut off man. Tino had a good, accurate arm for a first baseman, but he would have had to catch the ball, then turn and fire a really strong throw to Posada. Since Jeter had only a short flip, he could make the transfer much more quickly. Giambi didn't slide, I believe, because he didn't expect there to be any play at the plate.
I think Posada did get the tag on Giambi. It looks to me like Jorge caught the back of Giambi's calf with his glove. Anyway, they'll usually give the catcher the call if the ball gets in ahead of the runner. There was no argument, I think, from the Oakland bench.
All that said, I agree that the range ratings Jeter gets in SOM are way over the top. However, they reflect a widely held view, which helps to explain why Jeter has the big press. My point all along is that if Jeter was really that good on defense, he would
almost deserve his present level of admiration—though even as a Yankee fan, I could do without all the hype.