"I Want Jeter, Not Rodriguez"

I would like to apologize in advance for my lack of blogging the past several weeks. It's just that work and the surprising play of the LA Kings has got me concentrating on things other than Baseball. Fortunately, a recent interview happened that instigated a sports collision between the bat and the puck.

It is not often that Baseball and hockey collide, but this morning there was a clear crash that got me thinking about a potential blog post. Rich Hammond, writer of the "Inside the Kings" blog (Tony Jackson's peer at the Daily News) is in the midst of posting a lengthy interview he recently had with Kings GM Dean Lombardi.

Lombardi was asked about the status of winger Alexander Frolov as a core member of the team, but what is a core player? Lombardi went on to define "core" as player who gives to the team more than just his stats. A core player is someone who cares about winning and being a teammate. He then adds this line.

"I tell these kids, the difference between (Alex) Rodriguez and (Derek) Jeter is a huge friggin' difference. They better understand that I want Jeter, not Rodriguez."

Well said.

So who on the Dodgers do you consider a core member? Who do you consider to be "Jeter-like?"

BTW, "Inside The Kings" is, by far, the best team blog, for any team or sport, from a mainstream news source there is. Rich Hammond is a miracle worker for information-starved fans. My apologies to Dodger Thoughts.