(Photo: Getty)Where were you on July 9, 2011 at 2pm EST? Were you at home watching the Yankee game with friends and family? Maybe were you lucky enough to be at Yankee Stadium? No matter where you were, you got to see something that has never been done by any other Yankee before.
Yankee fans already know how special our Captain, Derek Jeter, is and we will tell anyone who wants to listen. We watched him pass Lou Gehrig as the all-time hits leader with 2722, and on this past Saturday….we watched him go five for five with a home run to left field marking his 3,000th hit.When I think about everything Jeter has accomplished throughout his career, I have my favorite moments just like everyone else does. Although it is hard to choose just one, the “dive into the stands” against the Red Sox on July 1, 2004 ranks near the top.
The Captain selflessly risked his own health to make a play that only he could make. I remember his cheek swelling, the gash on his face, and the way he walked off the field, like it was no big deal and it was just part of a hard day’s work. This game has a permanent reserved space on my DVR, and is always there to remind me of how he is “Captain Clutch.”
I also remember Game 4 of the 2001 World Series where the Yankees took on the Arizona Diamondbacks. I can still see the 3-2 pitch leaving Byung-Hyun Kim’s hand in the 10th inning and Derek’s bat depositing it in the seats.
(Photo: NY Daily News)As I sit here and write about our Captain and his amazing career, I reminisce about everything I saw on Saturday. I appreciated how first baseman of the Rays, Casey Kotchman, tipped his cap as Jeter ran past him and how former teammate Johnny Damon left the dugout to stand on the field and applaud Derek as he took his victory lap. Perhaps the biggest impression that the Rays left on me was when David Price leaving his glove on the mound and went back to the dugout to let Jeter enjoying his time in the spotlight…that was respect. Of course, the celebration at the plate was even better to watch. To see Jorge Posada be the first one to greet him at home plate and hug him brought a smile to my face.
(Photo: Getty)To watch his entire team crowd around him to hug and congratulate him, and to hear Alex Rodriguez on an opened mic say “That’s unbelievable!” gave me chills.
I have so much respect for the game and I analyze everything, and I find myself asking if there is more meaning behind this. Baseball is a game of superstition; ask any baseball player they have their beliefs….and in this case, so do I.
(Photo: Getty)Anyone notice that Derek is only the 28th player to achieve the 3,000 hit mark? Of course, we all know that this year we are back in the hunt for World Series championship #28 as well. I also draw reference to the ball that Jeter hit today, similarly to his hit in the 2001 World Series; it was also on a 3-2 pitch. I can’t help but look at these points and just think that this is more than just a coincidence….this is destiny. Time will only tell because there is still a lot of baseball left to be played….but I will always believe.
--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor
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