Late-night television talk shows made headlines in the world of baseball Thursday night.
First, Mark Cuban, appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, had some choice words and opinions about Alex Rodriguez and Bud Selig.
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was also the subject of a much-talked about late-night moment, but as usual, it was for something much less controversial than the world of Alex Rodriguez.
Appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the host, joined by The Roots, took it upon himself to introduce Jeter to new walk-up music for use during his Yankee Stadium at-bats.
The entire bit was hilarious, well done and clearly enjoyed by Jeter.
Each of the three potential future Jeter walk-up sounds was, well, unique.
The first two, performed by an overly excited Fallon, nearly brought Jeter to tears of laughter.
Fallon began the festivities by asking Jeter to walk from behind the curtain to a home plate set up on the stage, simulating his walk to the plate from the on-deck circle at Yankee Stadium. Then the real fun began.
While it’s unlikely Jeter would use either the over-the-top fan-favorite rendition or the heavy-rock, loud and brash rendition, he did seem to really, really enjoy The Roots’ third and final try at a new song.
In part one of the Jeter interview, Fallon and the future Hall of Fame shortstop spoke about a Jeter charity event and party that Fallon was invited to attend years back. Among the highlights of that conversation: Fallon’s embarrassing first time meeting Michael Jordan, golf talk from two non-golfers and where a group of celebrities and athletes finally found a lost Fallon at the Hard Rock hotel.
This wasn’t Jeter’s first foray into late-night comedy. As the interviewer and interviewee noted during Thursday night’s interview, the Yankees shortstop hosted Saturday Night Live 12 years ago. Although Jeter has always been measured and calm when dealing with the media, he’s actually thought of as a really funny and outgoing guy around his teammates and friends.
In a world of sports coverage where every quote is dissected for meaning, Jeter rarely provides anything to spark the flames in New York.
Yet when given a forum, like Thursday night with Fallon, he delivered a fun and interesting pair of segments.
Moving forward, don’t expect many more late-night television appearances from Jeter or to start hearing Fallon’s vocal cords introduce him to the Bronx crowd when he returns from the disabled list, but The Roots’ work would actually be really fun to hear in Yankee Stadium.
Jeter has suggested he may transition into ownership when his career ends, but if Thursday night showed anything about his post-career potential, Fallon shouldn’t have to look far for a co-host on his talk show.
In a baseball world of controversy and harping on performance-enhancing drug issues, coverage of the sport can use some levity.
If A-Rod’s return to the Bronx is throwing you into a tizzy, re-watch Jeter’s face when Fallon’s vocal cords begin to crack. It’s worth the click!
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