Baseball Producer Jacob Luft will host a daily, open-ended discussion with SI.com readers this season. Don't just sit on the bench eating sunflower seeds. Get into the game by submitting your own thoughts. The best replies will be posted throughout the day.

You catching Fever?

	MAILBAG Submit a comment or question for Jacob. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

• What about The Pride of the Yankees? Gary Cooper made for an excellent Lou Gehrig.
-- Chris S., Owings Mills, Md. (2:49 p.m.)
• Will Fever Pitch be among the top five baseball movies of all time? Here's my five:
1. The Natural
2. Bull Durham
3. Eight Men Out
4. Field of Dreams
5. Bang The Drum Slowly
-- Mike M., New York City (1:49 p.m.)

After thoroughly enjoying the original version of Fever Pitch (Go Arsenal!)and being bashed over the head with nothing but Red Sox hype since October, the appeal of this movie has to rank somewhere between major dental surgery and a lobotomy. Is Jimmy Fallon at least going to brush his hair for this, or will he trot out that tired, intentionally rumpled look again? Will there be some type of explanation for why we had to watch Fallon examine Drew Barrymore's tonsils after Game 4 of the World Series? Is this at least going to be better than Taxi? What's the over-under on bad New England accents I will have to suffer through? The second season of Battlestar Galactica can't start soon enough.
-- JL (12:09 p.m.)

More Wily Mo

Judging a player based on Spring Training is dangerous and counter-productive. Pena showed what he can do last season when the games mattered.
-- JL (12:03 p.m.) 

• Wily Mo had his chance to claim a starting spot this spring. It was his for the taking. I think the situation is great. For a night-to-day, back-to-back situation, the Reds had three fresh players that are comparable to the regulars. What a great advantage.
-- Jared, Batesville, Ind. 

Free Wily Mo! (Thursday)

• Thank you for being the first Internet sportswriter I've seen to write something positive about the Reds instead of focusing solely on the Mets' troubles. I like the idea of giving Junior the day off in favor of Wily Mo on days when the conditions give a greater potential for injury. In fact, I'd like to see a 5 player-for-4 position platoon between the four outfielders and Sean Casey so that everyone stays fresh and sharp. All five of these guys are starter-caliber and should get quality amounts of playing time.
-- Kirk Locker, Southfield, Mich. (4:27 p.m.)

The Reds have to figure out how to get Wily Mo Pena more at-bats. He got his first start of the season today and homered in the second inning against the Mets. Pena belted 26 home runs in only 110 games last season -- that's 11 more than regular right fielder Austin Kearns' career high. Do we have to wait until Ken Griffey Jr.'s inevitable season-ending injury for Cincy to free Wily? Are there any other players who clearly deserve to be playing but are blocked by veterans?
-- JL (4:04 p.m.)

Mets slow out of the gate

• You can't pin the blame for this one on Ishii. If Kaz Matsui doesn't boot a double-play grounder in the first, the Reds don't score two runs. This was all about the lack of hitting.
--A.J., New York City (5:03 p.m.)

Yankees fans have taken enough grief today. How about those Metsies? They just dropped to 0-3 after a 6-1 loss to the Reds today. Is it too early to put Willie Randolph on the hot seat? Did anybody think Kaz Ishii for Jason Phillips was a good trade? The erratic left-hander walked four batters and gave up five runs in 6 2/3 innings to take the loss.
-- JL (3:38 p.m.) 

To Jeter's rescue ...

• How long until Torre pulls the plug on Jeter and puts A-Rod in at shortstop? A-Rod is still booting plays like Roger Dorn at third base. Third does not require much movement laterally and Jeter is closer to those barriers where he can fall over and make his allegedly amazing plays.
-- Cornbread, Washington, D.C. (4:24 p.m.)

Maybe the reason the Yankees didn't win the AL pennant last season was they couldn't make their midseason trade for Sojo.
-- JL (2:49 p.m.)

• I just love the "rings argument." So you're saying Luis Sojo is one of the greatest 2nd basemen of his day?
-- Patrick, Chicago

Bowa, huh? Maybe as a player. I'm guessing he won't get any votes as a manager.
-- JL (2:41 p.m.)

• Derek Jeter has much more to prove before he is a consideration for the Hall of Fame. It's easy for a franchise to buy a World Series Championship. If any shortstop deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, it's Larry Bowa.
-- Dennis Hannan, Philadelphia (2:40 p.m.)
• Jeter certainly has been buoyed by myth-making in his day (I don't know how he won that Gold Glove) but that catch against the Red Sox last July 1 being ordinary? No way. A-Rod didn't even try for it, and Jeter only got there after a full sprint from the moment the ball left the bat. So unless there are really "eight or so" shortstops with significantly better speed, they aren't going to be any closer. Actually, the slow motion diminishes the impact of that catch. In full speed, you realize why he couldn't have made it there earlier or stopped in time. Outfielders face those situations often, but they have a 12-foot high wall to brace against. Jeter had a 3-4 ft. "wall" to worry about toppling over onto the concrete and seats.
-- James daSilva, Baltimore (2:29 p.m.)
• Stats don't tell the whole story. Jeter is the best in the world at going back on popups. I've seen Chipper Jones quite a bit, and unlike Jeter, he shows below-average hustle and doesn't pick up his team in the playoffs.
-- Peter Risbergs, Lawrenceville, Ga. (1:36 p.m.)

Did Derek Jeter deserve that Gold Glove last season? Chuck Solomon/SI

Dennis, I'm not sure if you can do a straight comparison between Boggs and Jeter here, mainly because of the difference in positions. The third basemen in the Hall of Fame have vastly superior offensive numbers to the shortstops. Jeter probably will be voted into the Hall of Fame some day, and deservedly so. (Again, look at some of the numbers of the shortstops currently in the Hall.) Chipper's on his way too, especially now that he is back at third base, where his numbers won't be compared to the outfielders in the Hall.
-- JL (1:31 p.m.) 

• Jeter is a lock for the Hall of Fame if he keeps up his production. Let's compare him to Wade Boogs, who will be inducted this summer. Boggs averaged 190 hits, eight HRs and 62 RBIs over his first 11 years. Jeter has averaged 192 hits, 16 HRs and 76 RBIs so far in his career. When Boggs was still in Beantown, he was a lock for the HOF, at least that's what the Red Sox Nation said until they thought he had nothing left (just like Roger Clemens) and let him get away. Let's get off of Jeter's case and start discussing a true HOF bubble-baby: Mark McGwire!
-- Dennis Grogan, New York City (12:45 p.m.)
• Jeter's an excellent player, yes, but if he played anywhere but New York, he'd be seen at the same level as Edgar Renteria -- a solid hitter with good speed and an All-Star who's well-respected by his teammates and opponents alike. Talk about the rings all you like, but I'm pretty sure Jeter didn't win them all by himself. And please don't get me started on "the flip" -- if Jeremy Giambi knew how to slide, we'd all have forgotten it by now.
-- Mike G., Ann Arbor, Mich. (12:17 p.m.)
• Why is Derek Jeter considered such a surefire Hall of Famer? Has his career been that much more impressive than someone like Chipper Jones, who is a longshot for the Hall of Fame? Actually, the offensive numbers show Jones to be the better player. The only real advantage Jeter has over Jones is the New York media.
-- Chris Major, Charlotte, N.C. (11:39 a.m.)

Roger, there is no doubt the Red Sox players share in your respect for Jeter, as do the majority of ballplayers everywhere.
-- JL (11:35 a.m.)

• Even though I live and breathe Red Sox there is one -- and only one -- person I admire on that Yankees team: Derek Jeter. God, I wish he was on my team. I know for sure 90 percent of Red Sox fans have admiration and the greatest respect for Jeter, not just for his ability on the field but for his sportsmanship as well.
-- Roger Nathan, Boston (11:32 a.m.)

I can sum up what you are trying to say in two words: RINGZ BABEE!
-- JL (10:35 a.m.)

• For all you Jeter bashers, let me remind you that Jeter leads all current shortstops in two of the most important categories: World Series rings (four) and World Series MVPs (one).
-- Drew Wong, Ithaca, N.Y.

Is any current player cloaked in as much mythology and legend as Jeter? Jonah, You forgot to mention how Jeter has to walk to the stadium uphill both ways through blinding snow and slays dragons with his bare hands.
-- JL (10:31 a.m.)

• You really are clueless about Jeter, aren't you? The fact is that from 2000-2003, Jeter's dealt with a shoulder injury so severe, he could not even lift weights. It affected his range. Maybe you missed his diving stop in the second game of a grounder up the middle. He could not do that in the past. Please, unless you watch a player or team for 162 games, you don't know what you're talking about. Funny how he seems to have range on the national stage when it matters. It's because he was fighting pain in the playoffs.
-- Jonah Falcon, New York City

As Triumph the Insult Comic Dog would say, "I keed! I keed!" Grab a salad? This is New York City, pal. It's all about bagels and pizza, Dr. Atkins be damned. And what is this "ESPN" you are referring to? Never heard of 'em.
-- JL (10:26 a.m.)