Post by Die Fledermaus on Jul 10, 2011 18:59:38 GMT -4
A great milestone for the Yankee captain set with a home run!
>>http://news.yahoo.com/jeter-reaches-3-000-career-hits-homer-192235040.html<<
>>New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter reached 3,000 career hits on Saturday with his first home run at Yankee Stadium this season, becoming the storied club's first player to achieve the milestone.
On the day, Jeter went 5-for-5 at the plate, including a tie-breaking single in the eighth inning that helped the Yankees beat Tampa Bay 5-4. Jeter homered, doubled and added three singles in the Major League Baseball triumph.
But the moment of the day, long awaited by Jeter after a right calf strain and a batting slump slowed his pace in recent weeks, was his historic homer, his first at Yankee Stadium since an inside-the-park effort last July 22.
"Something I will remember for the rest of my life," Jeter said.
Jeter had not hit a homer since May 8.
"Hitting a home run was the last thing I was thinking about," he admitted.
Jeter began the day on 2,998 hits after a game scheduled Friday against Tampa Bay was rained out, but the 37-year-old shortstop moved to the brink of history with a single to left field in the first inning.
Jeter returned to the plate in the third inning and swatted the ball over the left-field fence off Rays all-star pitcher David Price, becoming only the 28th batter in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3,000-hit plateau.
The only other player to make his 3,000th hit a homer was Wade Boggs, who was among the first to congratulate his former teammate.
"It's a monumental achievement," Boggs said. "It is an exclusive honor, achieved by only a select group. I had no doubts that Derek would reach this milestone. He is a very consistent player and he never deviated from his game."
Jeter gave a clap as he rounded first base and was greeted by friend and teammate Jorge Posada with a hug after crossing home plate. Both were then mobbed by a sea of joyful teammates celebrating the feat.
Even many of the Tampa Bay players came out of the dugout as well to applaud Jeter's effort.
In the eighth inning, Jeter smacked a two-strike pitch up the middle to score Eduardo Nunez from third base with the game's final and deciding run.
The hit allowed Jeter to match his career high for hits in a game and was the first five-hit game for any player in the latest version of Yankee Stadium, which only opened in 2009, the last year the Yankees won the World Series.
Jeter was the first player to reach 3,000 career hits since Houston's Craig Biggio, who did it in 2007, also in a game where he produced five hits. Jeter also became only the 11th player to obtain all 3,000 hits with one club<<
>>http://news.yahoo.com/jeter-reaches-3-000-career-hits-homer-192235040.html<<
>>New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter reached 3,000 career hits on Saturday with his first home run at Yankee Stadium this season, becoming the storied club's first player to achieve the milestone.
On the day, Jeter went 5-for-5 at the plate, including a tie-breaking single in the eighth inning that helped the Yankees beat Tampa Bay 5-4. Jeter homered, doubled and added three singles in the Major League Baseball triumph.
But the moment of the day, long awaited by Jeter after a right calf strain and a batting slump slowed his pace in recent weeks, was his historic homer, his first at Yankee Stadium since an inside-the-park effort last July 22.
"Something I will remember for the rest of my life," Jeter said.
Jeter had not hit a homer since May 8.
"Hitting a home run was the last thing I was thinking about," he admitted.
Jeter began the day on 2,998 hits after a game scheduled Friday against Tampa Bay was rained out, but the 37-year-old shortstop moved to the brink of history with a single to left field in the first inning.
Jeter returned to the plate in the third inning and swatted the ball over the left-field fence off Rays all-star pitcher David Price, becoming only the 28th batter in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3,000-hit plateau.
The only other player to make his 3,000th hit a homer was Wade Boggs, who was among the first to congratulate his former teammate.
"It's a monumental achievement," Boggs said. "It is an exclusive honor, achieved by only a select group. I had no doubts that Derek would reach this milestone. He is a very consistent player and he never deviated from his game."
Jeter gave a clap as he rounded first base and was greeted by friend and teammate Jorge Posada with a hug after crossing home plate. Both were then mobbed by a sea of joyful teammates celebrating the feat.
Even many of the Tampa Bay players came out of the dugout as well to applaud Jeter's effort.
In the eighth inning, Jeter smacked a two-strike pitch up the middle to score Eduardo Nunez from third base with the game's final and deciding run.
The hit allowed Jeter to match his career high for hits in a game and was the first five-hit game for any player in the latest version of Yankee Stadium, which only opened in 2009, the last year the Yankees won the World Series.
Jeter was the first player to reach 3,000 career hits since Houston's Craig Biggio, who did it in 2007, also in a game where he produced five hits. Jeter also became only the 11th player to obtain all 3,000 hits with one club<<
