Derek Jeter needs to embrace Yankees Old-Timers’ Day after no-show

Let’s give Derek Jeter the benefit of the doubt here, OK? The explanation he gave WFAN’s Suzyn Waldman is difficult to argue with: The Jeters would be celebrating daughter Bella turning 8 that day (though her birthday isn’t until Aug. 17). Jeter, by all accounts, is a wonderful father and a devoted family man. We are not ogres here.

Let’s do it one better: Let’s say those plans really were in place before he got his formal invitation to Old-Timers’ Day. We do not have access to the Jeter family calendar. Perhaps Hannah is a planner. Some of us have spouses like that, who can tell us precisely where we are going to spend the afternoon of Sunday, June 20, 2032.

Fair enough. If we’re willing to concede these points, then we are willing to give him a pass for having been a no-show Saturday, when the Yankees honored the 2000 team that won the World Series — the only one of the five World Series Jeter won for which he was also named MVP. God willing, they’ll run it all back in 2050, for that team’s golden anniversary.

All good.