SI Cover Jinx Hurts Yanks

The May 3rd issue of Sports Illustrated featured the Core Four on the cover. Let's break down what's happened since.

-Mariano Rivera hasn't pitched since April 30 because of stiffness in his side.
-Jorge Posada is out until (probably) Friday with a cramp in his right calf.
-Andy Pettitte left his start today after 5 innings and 77 pitches with mild inflammation in his left elbow.

Watch out Derek!

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Game 20 Yankees at Orioles

Lineups via Chad Jennings

Yankees
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner LF
LHP CC Sabathia

Orioles
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Ty Wigginton 2B
Miguel Tejeda 3B
Matt Wieters C
Garrett Atkins 1B
Nolan Reimold DH
Lou Montanez LF
Cesar Izturis SS

Four out of Five: That's how many losses the Yankees have had in as many games. Yes, they are struggling right now and are 1.5 back of the first place Rays.
Not So Grand: Curtis Granderson is stuck in the middle of an 0-for-17 slide. Girardi is keeping him in the lineup and Granderson thinks he will snap out of it.
SI Cover Jinx? In case you don't get Sports Illustrated, the core four (Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Pettitte) were featured on the cover this week. So far the Yankees have lost 4 of 5 and Jeter and Posada each made errors last night. But get this, Jeter's never heard of the jinx.

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Jeter is SI's Sportsman of the Year

Yankees captain Derek Jeter has another award to add to his resume, as Sports Illustrated named him their 56th Sportsman of the Year. Jeter hit .334 while finishing third in the American League MVP voting after leading the Yankees to their 27th World Series as a franchise and his 5th individually. This year, he also won the Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron Awards, the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove at shortstop. Here's a quote by Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonald:

Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he's extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field.

So congratulations to Jeter, and though I'm sure he will try to deflect and focus on the team, he deserves it. The issue hits stands Wednesday.

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Sabathia SI Sportsman of the Year?

Well, Sabathis didn't win the AL Cy Young, that went to Royals ace Zack Greinke.

However, every year, Sports Illustrated presents the award Sportsman of the Year in its first issue in December. Many great athletes such as Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and Michael Jordan have earned this honor. Many times it is given to a player who stands out the most on a championship team. With all the stars on the Yankees, and the postseason heroics of A-Rod, a case is made for CC Sabathia by Ben Reiter. Here is part of his argument:

"Sabathia is my Sportsman of the Year, first and foremost, because of what he did on the field. While he might not win his second AL Cy Young Award -- that honor will probably, and deservedly, go to the Royals' Zack Greinke -- no pitcher was as valuable to his team as Sabathia was to the Yankees. He was an ace, a stopper, a leader of men, and he was at his best when it mattered most.
But Sabathia is also my Sportsman of the Year because he showed us, in this money-fueled era of pro sports, that cash doesn't always change athletes, or corrupt them, and that the idea of a "contract year" can sometimes represent nothing more than a matter of timing."

Reiter makes an excellent case for Sabathia and I would love to see him win the award. You can argue Jeter, A-Rod, Matsui, but Sabathia demonstrated his character on and off the field is a huge part of being a successful athlete.

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