WHY WAIT 'TIL MONDAY? JETER SPEAKS OUT

Derek Jeter didn't wait until Monday to address Boss George's critique of his priorities. Jeter spoke with AP columnist, Steve Wilstein this morning. Here is some of what he had to say:

"He's the boss and he's entitled to his opinion, right or wrong, but what he said has been turned into me being this big party animal...He even made a reference to one birthday party. That's been turned into that I'm like Dennis Rodman now.

"I don't think that's fair. I have no problems with people criticizing how I play. But it bothers me when people question my work ethic. That's when you're talking about my integrity. I take a lot of pride in how hard I work. I work extremely hard in the offseason. I work extremely hard during the season to win. My priorities are straight."

..."No way am I trying to get into a verbal match with the boss," Jeter said. "I'm just trying to make it known that I care about one thing and that's winning."

...Jeter's image as a playboy on the town surely has been promoted by New York's gossip columns, where he's been romantically linked to models, singers and actresses.

"I'm not a hermit," Jeter said. "It's not like I'm locked up in my house. But it's amazing the things that are in the gossip pages that aren't true. They've got me dating everyone imaginable. A lot of it I wish I would have."

The real downside of that, he said, is that some fans will say, "there he is again, out partying. He doesn't care."

That's the kind of false image that Jeter worries Steinbrenner is fostering with his complaints and that tabloids are spreading. Last week Jeter was asked if he was going to change his approach to this season after losing in the playoffs.

"My response was, no, not at all," Jeter said. "Next thing you know, the back page of the Daily News had a picture of me saying, 'Party On.' Like I was saying, that I refused to change my ways for the boss or to be the captain of the Yankees.

"If you're a fan looking at that, you'd think I don't care whether they win or lose. That couldn't be farther from the truth."

You go, DJ: don't take no shit off nobody.

Ya hoid?