New York Yankees News Roundup: Revisiting the Flip Play

by Travis G on Mar 23, 2011 6:00 AM EDT in New York Yankees News

Beyond the Box Score took a very interesting look at the famous Flip Play (or "infamous" if you're an Oakland fan) -

... Was it luck or grit or extreme undeniable talent? It's probably some part of all of those, but if you watch the video it appears that Jeter had properly moved to the pitcher's mound area, then saw the throw was off-line and instinctually moved in place. Yeah, all that was in the blink of an eye. Luck and talent were both involved.

Check out the video and relive that amazing moment.

Remember Damaso Marte? Well, he's still in the organization and hopes to be ready to pitch by July. He's recovering from left labrum surgery that he had in October. He hasn't pitched since July 7 of last year.

Lenny of lenNY's Yankees interviewed former Yankee hurler Jim Bouton (of Ball Four fame). This part was especially telling -

When you are outspoken against the Yankees, then you get on their shit-list and you don't get invited to stuff like [Old Timers' Day], so that's why I haven't been invited since then.

Have a gander at Curtis Granderson's iTunes playlist.

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The Flip

I remember that well. It was my 20th birthday and Jeter and Jorge (who deserves a lot of credit too for making that tag) gave me quite a present!

I love the diagram.

by jimitre on Mar 23, 2011 9:51 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Bouton sounds pretty prejudiced against the Yankees

Bouton airs a bunch of dirty laundry in “Ball Four” (including what many of his teammates might have felt was an invasion of their privacy by publishing things said in private)… Yankees are upset (understandably!) and don’t invite him to events for many years.

Then his son appeals in the NY Times for him to attend Old Timer’s Day. Bouton says at that point, the Yankees “had to” invite him… that “they had no choice.” Sure they did! Can’t the guy be the slightest bit gracious about accepting the invitation!?!

Bouton’s son had appealed to the Yankees to let “bygones be bygones.” So what does Bouton do? He attends in 1998 then uses material from that experience to write an update to his book.

Then Bouton becomes very outspoken in criticizing the Yankees’ new stadium, displacement of the neighborhood park, etc. etc.

Guy sounds like an @ss.

by pinstriper on Mar 23, 2011 9:58 AM EDT reply actions

The only luck involved in "The Flip" was that Jeter was a Yankee at the time the play needed to be made.

As far as Bouton is concerned, he may be an ungrateful ass, but he has always been at the forefront of the movement to drag baseball out of the cave it has been dwelling in.

There are a lot of people afraid to speak up to either MLB in general or the Yankees im particular, but he hasn’t been. The behavior of the Yankees as an organization and MLB as a business over the years has been plenty deserving of most of what Bouton has had to say.

by designatedquitter on Mar 23, 2011 10:10 AM EDT reply actions

I would feel used

If I were Bouton’s teammate, I wouldn’t trust him at all, and would make sure I said and did as little as possible in his presence.

If I’m the Yankees, I feel like the guy’s an opportunist and will drag the organization through the mud forever, given the opportunity.

Look at any organization… heck, any PERSON for that matter… and if you know them well enough, you’ll discover all sorts of warts. That’s pretty normal… but to take high res photos of those warts, post them all over Facebook, carry a photo album of said warts in your pocket, discuss the warts at length, fund an ad campaign plastering every corner of the media with reminders of the warts, introducing yourself to everyone you pass on the street as, “Hi, I’m Jim. The Yankees have warts!” …that’s completely antisocial, and very wrong.

Bouton is no crusader. He sounds like an opinionated and outspoken guy (bravo!) who pubhished something not realizing it would cause as much of a firestorm as it did (that’s excusable) then continuing to rub salt in the wound over, and over, and over again (not cool) while simultaneously feeling violated when anyone happens not to be delighted by all the above (total hypocrite).

Sure, you see some things you don’t like, work to make them better. Much of that work can happen behind the scenes, and even when you go public, you can do it in such a way as to pressure toward change while also letting your adversary save face. Happens every day out there in the world, with all sorts of issues.

Nope. My opinion is that Bouton is an @ss.

by pinstriper on Mar 23, 2011 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t have warts. One of my friends got them from an ex-bf, though. Right in her hooch.

February 14th, pitchers, catchers, and Messiahs report to Spring Training.

by Wraithpk on Mar 23, 2011 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly!

The only luck involved was that Jeter was a Yankee at the time.

Poetry.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 23, 2011 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Thanks

Thanks for the link. Hope you enjoyed the interview.

by lennysyankees on Mar 23, 2011 12:16 PM EDT reply actions

Giambi

I will never take away that moment from Yankees’ history because it was incredible BUT if Giambi slides we aren’t talking about it today so I think Giambi deserves a thank you.

by Mondoas on Mar 23, 2011 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

True… though I’ve always felt Giambi wasn’t sliding because it was inconceivable there would even be a play at the plate. That’s part of what makes the play amazing: it was THAT improbable!

by pinstriper on Mar 23, 2011 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

x

Baseball Statistics and Acronyms Explained

Follow me on the tweetbox - @LordDuggan12

by Lord Duggan on Mar 23, 2011 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I’ve got a 16×20 picture of the exact moment Posada applies the tag signed by all three participants. One of my favorite collectibles.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 23, 2011 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

dang

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Mar 23, 2011 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

aw poor Jeremy Giambi

two claims to fame: Jason Giambi’s brother and the victim of The Flip Play

by jetanumba2 on Mar 23, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, but

I’d rather be remembered for the “victim of the Flip Play” than for what his brother is going to be remembered.

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 23, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Although one could argue that Giambi should have slid on general principle, I think he gets an unfair rap.

As he is coming in from third, he can probably see the throw going behind him, towards third base. There would be little reason for him, or anyone else to think that either-
anybody was there to field the errant throw, or that there was time to make another throw in order for Posada to have a play on him.

Given that, the only ‘luck’ involved was Giambi’s bad luck to have been dealing with one of the very few players ever with the presence of mind and ability to make that play.

There are people who view anyone who used steroids like they were deliberately spreading the ebola virus. I suspect that the rest of the fans (who are a majority) will not demonize Jason Giambi over the long haul. I say this for three reasons- 1) I don’t think anyone will be demonized 20 years from now, not even Bonds or Clemens; 2) Giambi (mostly) owned up and apologized while he wa splaying; and 3) he paid for it with a debilitating injury.

by designatedquitter on Mar 23, 2011 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions

the guy obviously loves to play the game...

he’s been in the league forever, he has boat loads of money, playing part time and not putting up the best numbers but he’s still sticking around. I was stoked for him when he went on that little tear last september

by MichaelGGBGrabow on Mar 23, 2011 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Giambi was splayed?

Must have been while he was wearing the golden thong.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Mar 23, 2011 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Twenty years from now...

I believe Clemons and Bonds will still be demonized. I do not believe they will be in HOF ever. Two guys that had all the talent but wanted more.

by Kansas Yankee on Mar 23, 2011 11:15 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I talked with one of the A's coaches a few months after that play

He was still pissed, called Giambi one of the dumbest baserunners in baseball. That seems harsh, but the guy may well have taken a WS check from the coach so I do make some allowances.

by d_c_guy on Mar 23, 2011 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Funny thing

I was in Vegas in the summer of ‘01 and had $500 to put on the winner of the World Series. Oakland was at 100:1 odds and the Yankees were something like 2:1. I wanted to bet on something that would make me some money, so I put it on Oakland. My friends couldn’t believe I didn’t put it on the Yankees. Little did I know they’d be playing the Yankees in the playoffs and it was perhaps that play that may have kept me from winning a sh*tload of money. Oh, the irony of it all…

I bet it's good to be playing again, huh?

by david d on Mar 24, 2011 2:22 AM EDT up reply actions