Jeter and A-Rod

What's going on here? That was my reaction when I read John Harper's piece in the NY Daily News, in which he suggested that Joe Girardi shouldn't put Alex Rodriguez at shortstop in place of the injured Derek Jeter because it might offend Jeter.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous suggestions I've ever read. Since when did the Yankees become a soap opera instead of a baseball team? I thought the idea was to win ballgames, as opposed to soothing egos. For crying out loud, if Girardi thinks that the Yankees have a better chance of winning with A-Rod at shortstop, then A-Rod should play shortstop. No questions asked.

I have my doubts as to whether Jeter cares whether A-Rod fills in for him at shortstop. But if Jeter, for whatever reason, feels threatened or offended by that possibility, then he needs to do some serious re-thinking about his commitment to winning. If Jeter has become such a diva that certain players aren't allowed to fill in for him while he's injured, then I have to wonder what became of the ballplayer who was once such a selfless contributor that always valued wins over everything else.

Either way, Harper's recommendation strains credibility. Folks, the point of professional baseball is to try to win ballgames, not obsess over who receives top billing.