Derek Jeter Wins SI’s Sportsman Of The Year

November 30th, 2009

According to SI.com (obviously), New York Yankees SS Derek Jeter has won the coveted Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award. Derek becomes the first Yankee to ever win the award and the first baseball player to win the award since the Boston Red Sox won it at as a team in 2004.

I have no problem with Jeter receiving the honor, but he should receive it for the right reasons, not one of the reasons that Sports Illustrated Group Director Terry McDonell gave.

“This verifies my idea that he is on the level of Ruth and Gehrig,” McDonell said. “He’s the greatest shortstop in the history of the game.”

What???

He sounds like a junior high school kid. You give someone this honor because they deserve it and they dominated the sports world for that particular year, not because this gives credibility to a preposterous idea you have that Jeter is just as good as Ruth and Gehrig.

I could just see this guy talking to his friends and saying you know what? I really think Jeter is as good as Ruth or Gehrig and just to verify this thought, I am going to make him Sportsman of the Year.

Now to his credit, McDonell did give one logical reason as to why they picked Jeter for 2009.

“Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he’s extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field.”

Now I am not a Florida Gators fan and I don’t like or dislike Tebow, but the Gators did win a National Championship in the 2008/2009 season and when it is all said and done, he will probably go down as the most celebrated college football player of all time.
If there has been one athlete who has dominated the sports landscape for the last three years, it’s been Tebow. Whether you like him or despise him–that’s just a fact of life.
Sports Illustrated has never given the award to a college athlete, but Tebow would have been a good pick.
You can follow The Baseball Index on Twitter @ baseballindex

By The Baseball Index

« - - - »

No Responses to “Derek Jeter Wins SI’s Sportsman Of The Year”

  1. ryanfrontz says:
    November 30, 2009 at 7:48 pm

    I am a Gator fan but I like to think I hold a somewhat objective point of view. I too think Tebow should have received the honor. He has done things that almost no other college player has been able to accomplish. But his character stands out even more and that is what is so compelling about him. A great, if not the greatest, player and and even better person.

  2. Tom Spirakis says:
    December 1, 2009 at 3:33 pm

    I’m going to go with Albert Pujols on this one. Jeter is great, well respected and charitable. He is not dominant! He is not the best shortstop ever, he’s not be the best shortstop in baseball today (Hanley).

    Pujols on the other hand is dominant based on his back to back MVP awards (3 in total). He’s very charitable, and carried the Cardinals to a NL Central title when most picked them to finish 3rd or 4th. He also carries himself with class as demonstrated during the All Star festivities. He made every appearance, excepted every interview and was a true ambassador to the sport.

    When discussing Ruth and Gehrig, Pujols not Jeter is in their class.

    As for Tebow, I would have had no problem with him winning the award, I don’t follow College Football but even I know this guy’s been a stand out player and citizen.

    BTW – I’m one of those “crying” Cardinal fans

Leave a Reply