Davidoff: In Jeter second, Crawford ninth, Joe opts for big picture

ANAHEIM, Calif.

Derek Jeter has a .274 batting average, .340 on-base percentage and .392 slugging percentage this season.

Carl Crawford has a .321 batting average, .380 on-base percentage and .521 slugging percentage.

So naturally, when Joe Girardi announced his American League lineup for tonight's All-Star Game at Angel Stadium, it featured . . . Ichiro Suzuki (.326, .377, .409) leading off, Jeter hitting second and Crawford hitting ninth.

I raise this point not to scold Girardi, or Jeter, or the Midsummer Classic. Just shedding some light on the varying interests that come into play.

The winner of the All-Star Game gets home-field advantage in the World Series, and the Yankees remain the favorites to represent the AL in the Fall Classic. So shouldn't Girardi go with his best possible lineup?

Not necessarily, because, after all, his best chance to win the World Series will come with an optimally productive Jeter. Why bruise his ego on this national platform?

"I look at their careers, and I also look at this year as well," Girardi said in response to my question about this situation. "The thing about Carl Crawford, with him at the bottom, you have basically two leadoff hitters. And the lineup is probably the toughest thing to make out. We spend time talking about it, there were changes, there were additions, subtractions, and it's the hardest thing.

"But Derek Jeter has been to this All-Star Game many, many years in a row, and we just thought he deserved to be second."

The Yankees know that if Jeter doesn't pick up his performance in the second half, the club will gain considerable leverage in the captain's free-agent negotiations this coming offseason. Certainly, however, no one is ready to write off the 36-year-old Jeter. Would it surprise any of us if he dropped a first-inning homer against Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez? Not in the least.

At this point, however, Crawford - who, by the way, is unlikely to be pursued by the Yankees this offseason - represents the greater threat. The better chance for the AL to win this game.

Jeter wouldn't have stomped off nor ripped his manager had Girardi gone with the more statistically sensible lineup. That's not his style.

But the season brings enough challenges along the way. Whatever Girardi would gain from dropping Jeter down in the lineup for this one game, he would lose right back in upsetting Jeter for even a moment.

There's no great solution here, unless you want the game to be played and managed by robots. Just another subplot to contemplate as you're watching the fun Tuesday night.