Two days after joining the 3,000-hit club in about the coolest way imaginable, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will reportedly skip Tuesday night's All-Star Game because of "emotional and physical exhaustion."
Jeter went 5-for-5 on Saturday, hitting his milestone on a home run and winning the game for the Yankees with a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of a 5-4 win over the Rays. Afterward, Jeter, the first Yankees player to get 3,000 hits, admitted that the pressure to reach 3,000 took a much bigger toll than he let on.
"I've been lying to you guys for a long time, saying I wasn't nervous and there's no pressure," an admittedly "relieved" Jeter told reporters on Saturday. "There was a lot of pressure to do it [at Yankee Stadium]."
And now Jeter needs a break to recover and will skip the All-Star Game. He has already been criticized by a fellow All-Star for not playing even though fans voted him in as an starter.
"I don't know if [it's an] obligation, but it's one of your duties as a player, out of respect, knowing that there was a guy that really wanted to be on the All-Star team, and his stats were right there, and he would have loved the chance to be here," Giants closer and beard enthusiast Brian Wilson told FOX Sports.
I don't know if it's an obligation either, but Cal Ripken Jr. never skipped an All-Star Game because he was tired. Just saying.