Yankees infielder Derek Jeter put on an Oscar-worthy performance, pretending to get hit by a pitch Sept. 15. It was Oscar-worthy because Jeter was actually awarded first base.

So it begs the question…is he a cheater? I would not go that far. Even though the act was quite ridiculous, he is not the only athlete in the world to exaggerate plays in order to get a referee, or in this case umpire, to sway in favor of the player. To me, it’s as cold as the cold wind blows; whoever can put on a good act and fool the ref, they are deserving of a questionable call.

What Jeter did Wednesday night is the same thing basketball players do to draw a charge. Where do you think the term “flopping” comes from. Players will fall back on the floor after not even the least bit of contact to try and get the refs to call a charge. How about a wide receiver who arms the motion of throwing a flag after an incomplete pass in an attempt to get the ref to call pass interference?

Surely 90 percent of the time it is not pass interference, but wide receivers still try and show a “fake” emotion to let the cold wind of questionable calls sway in their direction. It’s like a game of tug-o-war for these players. In professional sports, it has gotten even more ridiculous, but at this level, teams and players are willing to do anything to help their team. That’s what Jeter was doing.

Everybody “cheats” in sports. Jeter just got caught. I think the all-time worst acting job goes to Arkansas baseball player Brian Walker. At least the ball thrown at Jeter actually hit something (the bat).

Walker “hit” pitch did not even graze his jersey, and prompted the umpire to not by any of the shannanigans. Better yet, a pitch later, he struck out, and kept the act going by arguing with the umpire, and getting thrown out of the game.

Okay so maybe nobody knows who Brian Walker even is-he plays A ball by the way, but the fact it was Derek Jeter “cheating” put the controversy in perspective. If a lesser known player had done it, sure it would have been news worthy, but only because it was entertaining to see the acting job. Jeter’s fake reaction to getting hit by a pitch sparked a new perspective: “gamesmanship.”

What do people want from him? To give back the base he took like Reggie Bush gave back the Heisman Trophy?

To me, it could have also been a desperate attempt on his part to do something productive for the Yankees offensively, since his .262 average hasn’t contributed much.

I give Jeter props for fooling the umpire. I know Tampa Bay Rays fans won’t be too happy about that, but they wouldn’t be Tampa Bay Rays fans if they weren’t in a playoff race anyway. Heck, they probably do not even know the “Rays” were once called the “Devil Rays.”

So call him a cheater. If you do, might as well call every athlete a cheater, because they all do it for gamesmanship. Jeter just got caught.

Brian Walker Emmy Nomination