I stalked Derek Jeter's 3000th hit. I admit it. I wanted to see it. I needed to see it. So, of course, I did. Yet in conversation with my friend Jack on Monday, he suggested that maybe people care too much about sports and hinted that maybe I was one of those people. He asked...who cares? I did and I do.
There are a few marquee names in sports. Those players create a aura of success and perform best in big moments. Young boys grow up wanting to become those players and fathers dream of their sons playing those positions. Fathers wanted their sons to be the next Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Don Mattingly, Nolan Ryan, Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, etc. Derek Jeter leads that list for people of my generation.
Derek Jeter has been the starting shortstop for the Yankees since 1996, the same year I graduated from college. Meaning, he has been The Man my entire adult life. Father Time may be catching up on him. Thirty-seven is old for a shortstop (thankfully not old for a real estate broker since he and I are the same age), but for this summer day, July 9, 2011, he turned back the clock, went 5-5 with a home run, a double, a stolen base, and the game winning hit.
I have always said that if I could change lives with someone, the only person I would pick is Derek Jeter. We have spent the last 15 years watching Derek carry himself with class and dignity as the de facto Prince of The City. He says the right things, he play hard, he gets clutch hits, he dates the women we want to date, he treats the game and his elders with respect, he is respected by his competitors, he calls Joe Torre "Mr. T", he loves to win, hates to lose, he knew the right things to say when they closed The Stadium in 2008 and he smiles on the field because he's playing the game he loves. But still...why do we care?
I can't speak for anyone else, but I care because I love the game and Derek reminds me of what it was like to dream in the backyard as a kid. Back then, I was Don Mattingly getting a big hit or Dave Righetti striking out Wade Boggs to finish off the no-hitter. Do I wish I was the one that hit the ball to Jeffrey Maier in 1996? Do I wish I led off Game 4 of the 2000 World Series with a home run? Or was the MVP of the All Star Game and World Series in the same year? Do I wish I was the one that made "The Flip" in 2001 and hit a walk off home run in Game 4 of the World Series? Do I wish I had five World Series rings? Do I wish I had 3000 hits and was a lock to be a first ballot Hall of Famer? You bet your ass I do!
We care because as kids, baseball players were our heroes. We collected the baseball cards, memorized the stats, copied the batting stances, and needed to wear the same numbers as our favorite players when we played Little League. Some of our heroes let us down along the way, but that's not what today is about.
Derek Jeter hasn't let us down. Ever. He's not only the baseball player I want my son to be, but he seems like the kind of person I would want my daughter to marry.
We care because we haven't seen this before and it's always fun to see something we haven't seen before. The Yankee Tradition is long and storied and Jeter has written an important new chapter. I am lucky enough to say that I was there when he dove in to the stands against the Red Sox, when he hit the home run in Game 4 against the Mets 2000 and the walk off against the Diamondbacks in 2001, when he got his 2000th hit, when he made his speech closing The Stadium in 2008 and now I can say I was there for his 3000th hit. When he did, I high fived strangers and shared with 50,000 people a moment of pure elation that almost felt like we won the World Series.
We care because Derek Jeter is our guy and you don't have to be a Yankee fan to feel that way.
If you don't care...I kind of feel bad for you. You are truly missing out.
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" - BS
JN
PS A big public THANK YOU to my amazing wife who is nine months pregnant and yet insisted I attend the games necessary to see the 3000th hit.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Big Man - Part II
In most Jewish synagogues, the rabbi is the spiritual leader of the congregation. He sets the tone, the message, and is responsible for being a teacher to the congregation. The cantor, or hazzan (cooler word) leads the congregation in prayers, typically by singing and through music.
For the better part of the last 19 years, Bruce Springsteen has been my rabbi and Clarence Clemons has been my cantor. Stay with me...I will explain.
The E Street Band is definitely a band where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They play together, even though guys can stand out during certain songs or certain solos, and are truly in sync with each other and with Bruce. They are a well oiled machine able to pull out songs that they haven't played in years (or ever) without rehearsal or even notice. As much of a unit as the band was (or still is), Clarence Clemons always stood out.
When Clarence stepped forward to play a solo or even a quick riff, the entire arena would cheer. He made it look effortless. The notes would just ooze out of his sax and wash over crowd. While his body was failing him and he may have hit a few bad notes over the last few years (or more than a few), he always looked like he was having as much fun as anyone in the arena, except for maybe Bruce. Even as his role as the main on stage foil faded because he couldn't move, the fans still went wild for the solos.
I have a pretty great life, but everyone has good days and bad days. When having a bad day, there's nothing like the redemptive spirit of rock n roll and when having a good day, it can take you higher and higher. There's really nothing like a live rock concert to lift your spirits and for me, my redemption comes charging through the strongest when the E Street Band takes the stage.
Bruce is my rabbi with or without The Band, but everyone knows that the E Street Band has a power like none other to take it to another level and take the crowd with them. As I said earlier, musically, Clarence stood out. He always has, for MANY reasons. But the ones I am talking about relate to the power of his sax and his presence. The power of those solos as they washed over me these last 19 years, lifted me up when I needed it and took me higher when I didn't. As we have read and heard over the last two weeks, Clarence was a lot of things to a lot of people. I knew when I posted my earlier blog post that I hadn't captured the essence of what I was trying to say. It's really very simple.
Clarence led my congregation in music and he is irreplaceable in that role. He helped my rabbi deliver his message, set his tone, and tell his story. Someone (or several someones more likely) will take his place when Bruce reconvenes the E Street Band again. Someone will play those solos, probably even Jungleland. But it won't be the same. I just hope it's close. There's really nothing like it.
Rest in Peace Big Man.
JN
For the better part of the last 19 years, Bruce Springsteen has been my rabbi and Clarence Clemons has been my cantor. Stay with me...I will explain.
The E Street Band is definitely a band where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They play together, even though guys can stand out during certain songs or certain solos, and are truly in sync with each other and with Bruce. They are a well oiled machine able to pull out songs that they haven't played in years (or ever) without rehearsal or even notice. As much of a unit as the band was (or still is), Clarence Clemons always stood out.
When Clarence stepped forward to play a solo or even a quick riff, the entire arena would cheer. He made it look effortless. The notes would just ooze out of his sax and wash over crowd. While his body was failing him and he may have hit a few bad notes over the last few years (or more than a few), he always looked like he was having as much fun as anyone in the arena, except for maybe Bruce. Even as his role as the main on stage foil faded because he couldn't move, the fans still went wild for the solos.
I have a pretty great life, but everyone has good days and bad days. When having a bad day, there's nothing like the redemptive spirit of rock n roll and when having a good day, it can take you higher and higher. There's really nothing like a live rock concert to lift your spirits and for me, my redemption comes charging through the strongest when the E Street Band takes the stage.
Bruce is my rabbi with or without The Band, but everyone knows that the E Street Band has a power like none other to take it to another level and take the crowd with them. As I said earlier, musically, Clarence stood out. He always has, for MANY reasons. But the ones I am talking about relate to the power of his sax and his presence. The power of those solos as they washed over me these last 19 years, lifted me up when I needed it and took me higher when I didn't. As we have read and heard over the last two weeks, Clarence was a lot of things to a lot of people. I knew when I posted my earlier blog post that I hadn't captured the essence of what I was trying to say. It's really very simple.
Clarence led my congregation in music and he is irreplaceable in that role. He helped my rabbi deliver his message, set his tone, and tell his story. Someone (or several someones more likely) will take his place when Bruce reconvenes the E Street Band again. Someone will play those solos, probably even Jungleland. But it won't be the same. I just hope it's close. There's really nothing like it.
Rest in Peace Big Man.
JN
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