(AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
The Yanks topped the Rays 5-4 in a see-saw match on Saturday afternoon, and while the win was of utmost importance for a team that had flailed about for much of the past week, Derek Jeter‘s 3,000th hit — a game-tying solo home run off David Price — was undoubtedly the star of the show.
A.J. Burnett went 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs and striking out a season-high nine, though the Rays would tie the game off of David Robertson in the top of the eighth. Thankfully Robertson was able to hold on, Jeter hit the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, and the ball was handed off to Mariano Rivera in the ninth for his 22nd save.
In what could only be described as a storybook day, Jeter ended up going 5-5 and knocked in two runs. The only other multi-hit day was recorded by Mark Teixeira. I’ve been intensely critical of Jeter for the past year and a half, but I’m happy to remove my statistician dubiousness for today in honor of this momentous occasion and tip my cap to Jeter on becoming the first Yankee in franchise history to not only achieve this remarkable feat, but do it in the most stylish way possible.
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11 Responses to Yanks top Rays 5-4; Jeter homers for 3,000th hit
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TIQ IQ
Jeter needs 512 more hits to be #5 in hits (Tris Speaker has 3514 hits) and #2 in hits by an AL player (Cobb has 4191 hits.)
I think Jeter could do it.
If he collected 74 more hits this season – the number of games the Yankees have left to play – for 3077 career hits through this season, he’d need to average only 146 hits a season 2012-2014 to finish with 3515 hits. If he finished with 3515 hits through 2014, I’d go for the gusto if I were him and try for 116 more hits to pass Stan Musial (3630) then another 141 more hits to surpass Hank Aaron’s 3771 hits for #3 in hits. Omar Vizquel is 44 and still plugging away for 3000 hits – why not Jeter? 128 hits in 2015 and 129 hits in 2016 and he’s #3. He’d be only 42 in the middle of 2016, still two years younger than Vizquel is now.
Btw does anyone think Vizquel will reach 3000 hits? He has 2831 hits last check. I figure if he can collect 40 more for 2871 through 2011, he should just go for it. Too bad he had alot of years where he missed significant time as he probably would’ve had 3000 hits by now or be alot closer to 3000 than he is.
‘Checked Vizquel’s Baseball Reference page. The 1994 strike and an injury-shortened 2003 really hurt his chances of getting 3000 hits. It’s fair to say he lost the 169 hits he’d need to already have 3000 or the chance to get 3000 this year from those two seasons.
I wasn’t really caught up in the chase for 3000 but I have to say watching Jeter get that hit was pretty special, in a way that I didn’t think it would be.
Besides the home run itself, I have to say my favorite part was the embraces Jeter and Alex had. That relationship has come a long way, and you could see Alex was very genuinely happy for Jeter on a day he finds out he is probably going to miss more than a month.
Great win, great game for Jeter, great day to be a Yankee all around.
Fuckin’ Orioles!!! ‘Laid down for Boston a third straight time, but what did I really expect? LOL. It’s the O’s annual tease ‘n’ swoon.
Fun fact about this: the first hit surrendered by David Price in the majors was none other than a Home Run to one Derek Sanderson Jeter. Atta boy Jete! Time for a BIG second half from the King of NY!
I’m still not ready to say Jeter will have a huge second half. This was a great day, and one that doesn’t need to devolve into talking about his negatives, but his bat has clearly slowed down, and that isn’t going to reverse because he hit 3000. If he ends the year hitting .265+ I think the Yankees will take that.
Agreed. I’m not throwing out 2+ seasons of weak ground balls after one big day. Remember the 2 HR game in Texas? He did nothing for the next month.
I will give him another chance, though. I’ve been convinced he’s a diminished player since the middle of last year. But there’s a theory that the contract was weighing on him last year, and he admitted the DJ3K was on his mind in today’s presser. Let’s see if he rolls off a hot streak after today’s game. I wouldn’t bet on it, but I will keep a somewhat open mind for the next few weeks.
If I may I’d like to change subjects Steve. I really want to know your position on the Ubaldo Jimenez conversation I was having with Smurfy the other day. At the time it was really more just me spit balling, but since then I have read for the right price the Rockies would listen to calls about Jimenez. So until the trade deadline comes and goes, dashing these hopes I’d at least like to have the conversation. Would you trade Hughes, Montero, Banuelos, and Betances for Jimenez? Do you think they would do it?
I understand that the likely that group would out career WAR Jimenez alone, but the addition of his arm gives us one of the best 2-3 rotations in baseball with him and CC alone.
I don’t care if he never gets another hit. Today was special! It was history!
great day for jeter
i find it hard to believe that the “pressure” of 3000 affected one of the greatest postseason performers of all-time. this may be the last highlght of jeter’s magnificent career.
for baseball’s sake i really hope vizquel, a below average hitter, doesnt get to 3000
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