Give Jeter pass for All-Star no-show

PHOENIX

So apparently, this isn't just a New York thing.

The notion that Derek Jeter is no longer Teflon? It's gone national.

The newest member of the 3,000-hit club isn't here at the All-Star Game, by his own choosing; Jeter, voted the starting AL shortstop, announced Friday that he would neither play in the Midsummer Classic nor come to Phoenix to thank the fans.

Much anonymous, intra-industry grumbling has resulted, and Phillies chairman Bill Giles, the honorary NL president, wondered why Jeter wouldn't come. Said Giles: "Yeah, I think it's too bad that Jeter in particular is not here, because of what he accomplished over the weekend, and I think it is a bit of a problem and baseball should study it."

Although Jeter tends to be overly sensitive regarding everything from his on-field performance to his Florida mansion to his contract negotiations last winter, I think he deserves a mulligan on this one. He should be able to enjoy three days of peace and quiet amid a very noisy season. More to the point, he repeatedly has proved his willingness to represent MLB.

"I've got so much respect for Derek," AL manager Ron Washington told Newsday. "If Derek pulled out of this game, there was a reason. I don't think he would have let the fans down just to not be a part of this. He's a class act."

This All-Star Game has turned into the No-Stars Game, or at least the drip-drip of dropping-out players has created that perception. Mainstays Albert Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki didn't make the team, and Jeter, Alex Rodriguez (knee surgery) and Mariano Rivera (triceps) backed out.

The list of All-Stars blew up from the original 68 to 84, thanks to injury withdrawals and the rule that pitchers who started Sunday can't be active. Most injured players still bothered to come, however. Jose Reyes, who has been named to four All-Star Games and will sit out his third, always attends.

"Personally, every time I have an opportunity to come here, I'm going to come no matter what happens," said Reyes, elected as the NL starting shortstop.

Reyes added, however: "You have to understand Jeter. He's coming back from an injury. It's good for him to take a break."

The criticism of Jeter evokes, for me, words that Roger Clemens spoke the day he testified in front of Congress in 2008. Not the ones for which Jeter's pal is now in trouble, though.

"When the commissioner asked me to get myself together to go out there, and the league asked me to put USA on my chest and represent my team, my country, I did everything I could to get ready," Clemens said, referring to his participation in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

His point essentially was: I've done so much for this game. Why are you doing this to me?

The same goes for Jeter. He played in both World Baseball Classics for Team USA. In 2008, he served as "host" of the All-Star Game at the old Stadium. He addressed the fans at its closing, and again a year ago when the Yankees honored the late George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard.

"The guy does enough as it is," said Shane Victorino, who won the fans' Internet ballot as the extra NL player, sprained his right thumb and decided to show up anyway. "He's definitely the face of baseball. He just reached 3,000 hits. I could imagine what he has to deal with. I'm sure he has a lot on his plate."

Sure, in a perfect world, Jeter would be here and soak in the adulation of contemporaries and fans. But we've known in New York, for a while now, that Jeter isn't perfect. For this supposed transgression, he should be quickly forgiven.