We knew long before Derek Jeter stepped to the plate for his first at-bat tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays that he was one of the greatest players to ever wear the pinstripes.Now, the man who has been the main cog in the success of the franchise over the last 13 years is now etched, permanently, into the golden record book of Yankees history.
Jeter needed three hits to tie Lou Gehrig for the most hits in franchise history. After struggling to get a hit the past couple of nights, Jeter got three.
Typical of Jeter, a classic pull hitter, he lined a ground ball right under the glove of a diving Chris Richard to tie the record. Yankee Stadium erupted with an October fervor, applauding one of the classiest players to play the game in a long time.
As always, Jeter's parents were in attendance to witness his record-setting night. They had stayed here in New York all week waiting for their son to capture the spotlight. After the record was tied, coaches and players from both dugouts applauded him in his moment.
Moments later, Jorge Posada blasted a three run home run to give the Yankees a 4-2 victory, ending a thrilling night in the Bronx.
“What an ovation I got from the fans,” Jeter observed. “I’ve been trying to do it for them.” Read More.
In a decade where many baseball records have been broken by steroid users and cheats, this is one broken record that baseball fans can truly cherish. It's clean, it's real, it's Yankee legend.
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