Damon asks Jeter, "Now what's this thing called again?" Jeter laughs and silently tells the cameraman to "get a load of this fool."

Things are getting all kinds of experimental down in Tampa; Girardi has been toying with the idea of swapping Jeter and Damon’s spots in the lineup.

And it’s a move that I fully support.

It started as a happy accident.  Damon got moved back to two to give Posada more at-bats while he was getting his groove back.  Girardi liked what he saw.

Of course, between Jeter and Damon, Damon’s the one with the speed and also the one better known for working a count-both advantages when it comes to batting leadoff.  But, then, Jeter has a higher career OBP. The stats geeks suggest that Jeter has a slight edge for the leadoff spot. (So slight as to be practically inconsequential.)  But, whatever.  I think you could reasonably argue either side and have a valid point.

Some speculate that part of Girardi’s thinking is that he wants to separate two lefty hitters seeing as that lefty Brett Gardner will likely be filling the nine spot.  Bear in mind, however, that it was Damon himself who first hinted at that idea.  And that might just be what Damon tells himself to feel better.

If I had to guess, I would say that Damon probably has a pretty intricate system of rationalization that allows him to basically never feel bad about anything ever.

But leaving aside the numbers and the lefty v. right argument, Anthony Rieber from Newsday makes an interesting point:  Maybe part of the goal here is good old-fashioned motivation.  Jeter has seen a decline in his numbers over the past couple of seasons.  As I’ve previously discussed, while he may be the team’s leader, he doesn’t lead by oration.  He leads by example.  He sets the tone on the field by giving it his all.  And what better way to lead his team than to literally lead his team in the batting order?  To be the guy who gets the party started.

And by party I, of course, mean the loud club music and fireworks graphics on the jumbotron that accompany every run.