If you are a fan of baseball, or Derek Jeter, then you know he had a certain flair for the dramatics when he took the field. 2008 was the last season for the 85-year old Yankee stadium, so the Captain and the rest of the Bronx Bombers were hoping to send it off with a bang. Although they had a rough year and wouldn’t make it into the postseason, throughout the year Jeter did his part in adding to the memories at the iconic stadium. That year Jeter hit his 400th double in the Big Apple along with passing both Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth for second place on the Yankees all time hit list. And on September 14, he tied Lou Gehrig for most hits at Yankee stadium.
Then came Tuesday, September 16, 2008 against the Chicago White Sox. Laced up in the basic black colorway of his signature model that year, the Jumpman Jeter Clutch, Jeter stepped up to the plate for his 8,002nd at bat. In front of 52,558 fans White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd threw his first pitch to the star shortstop. Swinging on the first pitch, Jeter connected and got a tough ground ball past the third baseman Juan Uribe for a single. He stood alone at the top, his 1,270 hits were the most by any single player at Yankees stadium. Oh…and he managed to surpass Gehrig in 81 fewer games.
Although they lost that game, Jeter’s milestone was something that allowed all Yankees fans to go to bed happy. It is one of the few records that is guaranteed to never be surpassed since the stadium held its final baseball game just a few days later. It was no surprise that the Captain would send the stadium off with a memorable achievement. Just one of many during his career in the pinstripes.
Aaron Nojima
Robbie Falchi