Derek Jeter’s 3,000th Hit
Anyone that knows me is well aware of how much of a New York Yankees fan I am. I’ve told the story over and over about how when I was a kid and lived in Queens, with Shea Stadium and the Mets about five minutes away, my dad would take me all the way to the Bronx to see the Yankees and my favorite player, Willie Randolph.
Yup, I roll with the pinstripes, yo.
Cut to this summer, my last one in New York for the foreseeable future, and Derek Jeter had the chance to make history. Get his 3,000th career hit, which is a HUGE deal. Hall of Fame worthy, even. It was a Saturday, and the Yankee captain was just back from the disabled list. He was having a statistically sub par year by his standards. People said he was too old. Worn down. Not as good.
[Sidebar: A friend of mine, who's a lawyer, argues with me all the time, saying that Jeter is not a global icon. That only those in New York City even care about him. That his name isn't big enough to get national credits, like commercials or campaigns. I totally disagree, but he stands firm by this belief.]
On top of all that, New York was playing against the Tampa Bay Rays, with their best pitcher on the mound.
The stage was set.
And Jeter commanded it, not only getting the milestone hit, but doing it in grand fashion with a home run!!! Some would say that this type of stuff only happens to the Yankees. That getting such a big hit in that way is all a part of Yankee lore. Maybe, but it couldn’t have happened to a better person. A better player. A truer Yankee.
But wait, there’s more. The young man would took possession of the home run ball. . .gave it back to Jeter. On his own accord. Amazing.
Every time I see the replay, I get goosebumps. Just incredible.
Popularity: 8% [?]
