WHY IT'S BIZARRO WORLD

I was reading the Orange County Register online who had this nugget from the Los Angeles Times and to be honest, I can't believe I missed it. Read it HERE.

At first it confused me and then it made me smile. Wow, maybe not all people hate the New York Yankees or Derek Jeter. Maybe, just maybe, the tradition and ability of a 36 year old baseball player in pinstripes who will no doubt be up there with names like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle will get respect from cities other than in the Tri-State area.

It turns out… and I hope I’m not on Candid Camera right now, that The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are taking the high road to the sake of major League Baseball and honoring, not an Angel on September 9^th, but a New York Yankee… a baseball player…#2…..Derek Jeter. Sounds like Bizarro World, but it’s true and I applaud them. Why? Because it’s not about an individual team, it’s about the ability of an individual ballplayer... Derek Jeter.

According to the OC Register, the Angels Vice President of Communications was quoted as saying “We are stilling finalizing some things… It is fair to say we want to honor the man, the player and the person in some form.”

For the love of baseball, this is a classy move by the Angels. The Yankees and the Angels have had their competitive runs against each other over the recent years and it’s safe to say this gesture turns the other cheek for the sake of baseball. I respect it and appreciate it.

When asking Jeter what he thought, he said, “I think baseball fans appreciate things like that, But in terms of being honored by another team, I haven’t thought about it.”

I have thought about it and while I appreciate the gesture, you have to wonder how baseball fans and Angels fans in Angels Stadium will react. I would expect fans will get it and a standing ovation would take place, but to tell you the truth, with that stupid rally monkey all over Angels Stadium and the rivalry that has developed over the years between the 2 teams, there will be plenty of booing and aggravation. I guess that's part of the game too. We'll have to see what happens. After all, those Cali fans are having this forced on them and Jeter’s not a Rod Carew or a Tim Salmon to them… it’s Derek Jeter, a New York Yankee.

Bottom line, I hope it all works out and I hope the fans get it, respect the decision and they have a good time, after all, Derek Jeter may be a Yankee Icon, but he’s a baseball icon to boot and he makes me proud.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.