Sep 11 2009
J-Speaks: Current Yankee Captain Passes Legendary Captain on All-Time Hits List
He has played in more in a New York Yankee uniform than George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. Has more total bases than Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra. Scored more runs than Joe DiMaggio and hit more doubles than Mickey Mantle. On Wednesday, the current captain and shortstop of the Yankees tied another record of another great team captain that has stood for over seven decades and has a chance to break that record tonight in front of the New York faithful.
In their 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, two nights ago, who they have defeated in all four games this week, Derek Jeter with his third hit of the night, a two out single, in the bottom of the 7th inning, he tied Henry Louis “Lou” Gehrig as the all-time hits leader in New York Yankee history at 2,721. Jeter tied a record that has stood for 72 years.
When the Yankee captain stood on the first base bag after the hit, he received a rousing ovation from the audience of 45,848, which included his parents Dr. Charles and Dorothy Jeter. The celebration lasted close to 1 ½ minutes and included many flashbulbs from cameras.
While the moment was very special, it was mute at the time because the Yankees (91-50) were trailing the Rays (72-68) 2-0. That all changed when first baseman Nick Swisher with runners on first and third hit an RBI single that cut the deficit to 2-1. Then catcher Jorge Posada hit a pinch hit 3-run homer off of pitcher Grant Balfour that gave the Yankees the lead at 4-2. Pitcher Phil Coke came in at the top of the 9th inning and earned his second save of the year and helped the “Bronx Bombers” secure their 23rd victory in their last 27 outings at home.
“I really didn’t know what to do,” Jeter said after the game. “We were losing at the time so I’m just trying to get on base and hopefully help us win this game, but I took a moment to soak it in.”
His parents, particularly his father Dr. Charles did what most parents do when their child achieves something remarkable, so their pride and appreciation for the moment.
“This is exciting. Really,” Dr. Jeter said after the hit occurred to the Yankee’s Entertainment and Sports Network (YES). “I can’t stand here and say it’s not exciting because you’re looking at Gehrig and all the other players in Yankee history that he’s passing. There are monumental men in Yankee history. For my son to be anywhere in the conversation with the hits, I’m excited about it, really!”
His three hits in four tries at the plate 48 hours ago ended his 0-for-12 slump in recent games. He first hit was a bunt off of pitcher Jeff Niemann to the third base side. After grounding out in the 3rd inning, Jeter got his second hit of the night in the fifth as he hit a double to centerfield that went over the head of B.J. Upton. Jeter had a chance to pass Gehrig and set the all-time hit record in the eighth, but Balfour walked him, which drew a chorus of boos from the crowd.
“”I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t thinking about it because pretty much everywhere I’ve gone this entire home stand,” Jeter said. “I’ve been hearing it on the streets, in cabs, fans saying, ‘When are you going to get a hit? I kept telling them I’m trying, but I thought what the fans did was pretty special. They’ve been great this whole home stand. I’ll remember this day.”
While many players might have made breaking a monumental record like this at the top of their list in the same situation, Jeter has done what he always has done in his 15 seasons in Yankee pin stripes. Just take care of the business at hand and worry about the game. That is something that his manager Joe Girardi said prior to Wednesday night’s action.
“He’s a humble man that really just wants to worry about winning. He doesn’t want to worry about the hoopla of a record that he’s about to break. Just not who he is,” said Girardi, who played with Jeter at the beginning of his Yankee career.
Rays manager Joe Maddon echoed the respect he has for Jeter when he said after the game, “He carries himself in a manner that is worthy of passing Gehrig.”
That level of respect and focus is something that Jeter learned from his parents Dr. Charles and Dorothy.
“I’ve talked with Derek not specifically about Lou Gehrig, but about living in the moment sometimes,” Dr. Jeter said to ABC 7 Eyewitness News Sports reporter Jessica Taff before the game on Wednesday.
Derek’s mother Dorothy also said to Taff that, “He’s going to get it. One of these days and that’s great and I just want him to play good ball and have some wins so we can go into October.”
It is in October where both of these Yankee captains have shined. In his 17 seasons with the Yankees, Gehrig won six World Series rings. In his prior 14 seasons with the “Bronx Bombers” Jeter has won four titles, which also includes a World Series Most Valuable Player honor that he received in 2000 when the Yankees defeated the cross town rival Mets 4-1.
In his first season in 1996, he was the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year with his .314 batting average, 10 homers and 78 RBIs. He has been a 10-time All-Star selection, winning the All-Star Game MVP in 2000. Won three straight Gold Gloves (2004, 2005, 2006), a three-time Silver Slugger Award recipient (2006, 2007, 2008) and the 2006 AL Hank Aaron Award recipient as the top hitter.
One day he will have a plaque of his own in Monument Park in the New Yankee Stadium. He will one day be in inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Tonight versus the Baltimore Orioles, Jeter will have a chance to add another part to his legendary resume as a Yankee as their top hitter of all-time.
His only objective as it has been from the very beginning of his professional baseball journey is to win and let everything else take care of itself.
“He’s one of the classiest people to have ever played this game and I have the up most respect for him and its just kind of mind boggling to have my name next to his,” Jeter said to YES sideline reporter Kim Jones on Wednesday.
Quotes, statistics and information are courtesy of: 9/10/09 12:30 & 6 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter;” 9/10/09 edition of Newsday; www.newyork.yankees.mlb.com; en.wikipedia.com; 9/9/09 6 p.m. edition of ABC 7 Eyewitness News with Bill Ritter and Liz Cho and www.abclocal.go.com;