XM MLB Chat: In 2001 no Yankees were voted onto the All Star team by fans. When Torre had the nerve to name Jeter to the team, media asked him to explain why

In 2001 Joe Torre was asked by the media to justify naming Derek Jeter to the 2001 All Star game as he was seen to be having a sub-par year. Jeter had been MVP of the 2000 All Star game.

7/5/2001, "Torre, Valentine offer no apologies," Seattle Post-Intelligencer Staff, News Services

"On a media conference call yesterday, New York Yankees and American League All-Star manager Joe Torre was not bashful about owning up to his bias in selecting seven of his own players for the team.

"When push comes to shove, I'm going to take my own players," he said, "although I think it's the first time I've picked seven."

Torre and Bobby Valentine, manager of the New York Mets and the National League All-Stars, both came under scrutiny after selecting pitchers and reserves for the 72nd All-Star Game on Tuesday at Safeco Field.

After no Yankees were selected by the fans as starters, Torre penciled in Yankees pitchers Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera and Mike Stanton, along with shortstop Derek Jeter, outfielder Bernie Williams and catcher Jorge Posada.

Regarding the selection of Jeter, who has missed games with injuries and is having, for him, a subpar year, Torre said, "Jeter, if I'm not mistaken, did pretty well in the voting, he's hitting close to .300 (.294) and he's a pretty good player.

I can't think of anything else to say."

Torre said he picked Stanton over the Mariners' Jeff Nelson, in part, because it would be Stanton's first All-Star Game, and that Pettitte got the nod over Minnesota's Brad Radke because Torre didn't want to pick three Twins starters.

Torre received input from American League executive Phyllis Merhige, while National League executive Katy Feeney helped Valentine with his selections. The AL and NL presidents played a role in the process

until baseball eliminated the positions in 1999.

"I don't mind the responsibility (of choosing)," Torre said. "You know you're going to take criticism, but I'd still like to be able to have some influence on who's picked."

Torre mentioned Boston pitcher Tim Wakefield, Kansas City shortstop Rey Sanchez, Cleveland first baseman Jim Thome, Oakland pitcher Mark Mulder and Toronto outfielder Shannon Stewart as deserving players who failed to make the cut.

Valentine, who counted Florida outfielder Cliff Floyd and pitcher Brad Penny, Philadelphia closer Jose Mesa, Colorado shortstop Neifi Perez and Houston second baseman Craig Biggio among his toughest omissions, said baseball should consider allowing the NL to carry two more All-Stars than the AL because it has two more teams.

"I like the responsibility," Valentine said, "but I wish we had some kind of equitable system."

Regarding the NL starting pitcher, Valentine said that while the12-3 mark of Curt Schilling makes him the obvious favorite, the Arizona right-hander is scheduled to pitch Sunday.

Valentine is waiting to hear from Arizona manager Bob Brenly about whether Schilling will be available, but said that his teammate, ex-Mariners lefty Randy Johnson, who pitched Wednesday and would be rested, "is a candidate, absolutely."

Torre did not address the issue of the AL's starting pitcher, a spot that appears to belong to Clemens if he wants it."

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Troubled BBWAA member and Guardian of the Game Joe Christensen said he would not vote for Jeter for 2006 MVP because he was on a "team of rich guys getting it done." Tues., Sept. 19, 2006. Further discussion of this.

8/10/2005, "Baseball's Own Full-Court Press," Tim Marchman, The Sun

"In baseball, the press is traditionally seen as the guardians of the game." (parag. 6)

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Joel Sherman finds the Commissioner's office to be the source of much anti Yankee negativity. From page 311 of his 2006 book about the 1996 Yankees, "Birth of a Dynasty:"

"Unfortunately for the legacy of this group, the success of these Yankees coincided with

a powerful push by central baseball to convince fans that the disparity between the financial "haves" and "have-nots" was destroying the competitive balance of the sport. The Yankees came to embody the big-market superpowers. They were demonized for buying championships.

They were cast as villains by a Commissioner's Office that saw the advantages of portraying them as a prop in a strategy to win salary concessions from the players in collective bargaining,

Thus the Yankees of this era do not receive near the amount of credit they deserve for what they accomplished."...

Page 311 from Joel Sherman in his 2006 book, "Birth of a Dynasty," about the 1996 Yankees.

(Ed. note: Over time you can get people to believe anything. For example, 82% of Muslims in Egypt believe you should be stoned to death for adultery.)