Lost in all the romanticism of the Derek Jeter walk-off single last night is the baseball decision that faced Orioles manager Buck Showalter.

Showalter, Jeter's first manager, and the only other person on the field in uniform when Jeter debuted, had the chance to intentionally walk Jeter in his final at-bat.

The game, which meant nothing to the out-of-contention Yankees, meant everything to the Orioles, who are battling the Angels for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

With a runner at second and one out in a tie game, Showalter could have intentionally walked Jeter to set up the double play, a double play that would have sent the game to extras and given the O's another chance to win. (Brian McCann was on deck).

Showalter elected to pitch to Jeter. Maybe he did so because at the core, Jeter is just a .250 hitter this season, and pitching to him presented the best chance for success. Or maybe he did it out of respect to Jeter and the fans.

What would you have done if you were Buck Showalter?

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