Derek Jeter

Who’s the hottest team in MLB right now?

The answer is the New York Yankees.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is a Yankee-hater, because you either bleed pinstripes or you burn them. It is that simple.

In one line I will say this: Anything but a World Series in the year of the loss of George M. Steinbrenner, would be a disappointment. 

Don't tell Joe Girardi, but the Yankees haven't clinched anything yet.

The sputtering Bombers, who have lost nine of their last 13, somehow still have the best record in baseball. But their lead entering their final four-game series with the second-place Rays is just half a game, so the American League East title and homefield advantage could very well be decided this week in the Bronx.

Last Monday, the Yankees visited the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. for one of the most anticipated series in the 2010 season.

The race has been tightly packed all season, with no team leading by more 2 1/2 games since July 26.

In the last five days, there have been three flip-flops for the division lead. With another four game set about to happen between these two teams in Yankee Stadium, you can expect the seesaw to keep on tilting.

I figured since no one has decided to defend the Captain, then it was only fitting that I would step up to the plate and do it myself.

It has been three days now since Derek Jeter picked up the nickname, "Cheater Jeter," or "Jeter the Cheater." Either way you slice it, majority of those people either hate the New York Yankees or Jeter. He could hit a home run and people still would find a way to criticize him and his teammates.

Derek Jeter cheated.

Derek Jeter—the ultimate role-model, leader, and winner—cheated.

So people say.

However, it really is just part of the game.

For those who haven't seen or don't know about the incident in the Yankees-Rays game at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night (and if you call yourself a Yankees fan and haven't, I'm guessing you live under a rock), Derek Jeter came to bat in a crucial divisional game with his Yankees down by one in the late innings.

No, I'm not just excited because Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run home run with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning of last night's game to claim a dramatic, 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Yankees in Baltimore.

Joe Torre is undoubtedly one of the most successful managers in sports history. Starting as a manager for the Yankees in 1996, Torre went on to manage the team for 12 straight years, bringing them to the playoffs in each year. Also add in four championships.

At the end of the 2007 season, Joe Girardi took over as the Yankees manager, and Torre went on to manage the Dodgers. Three years later, he has announced that he will be stepping down as manager of the Dodgers in 2011, and will hand over the job to Don Mattingly.

Over the many years of player comparison and analysis, our understanding of what it means to be a great baseball player has continually evolved.

Along with that, we have also formed a better comprehension of the concept of a "bad" player.

There was a time when we would assess shortstops, catchers, and center fielders based merely on their offensive contributions, a practice we now understand to be shockingly limited. If ballplayers are to be judged, they must be judged for all of their contributions, both their hitting and their defense.

New York Yankees star Derek Jeter’s on-field performance the other night against the Tampa Bay Rays has definitely caught the eye of the sports world.

In case you missed Jeter’s trickery, just click HERE to watch it.