NEW YORK (AP) -- Derek Jeter peeked down at third base and saw a huge patch of green grass. There it is, he thought, a perfect opportunity to break out of that slump. So, he took advantage of it. Jeter began the night with a surprising bunt single - and didn't stop hitting until he tied Lou Gehrig.With three hits on Wednesday, Jeter matched the New York Yankees record of 2,721, a mark Gehrig held by himself for more than 70 years.
"It's just kind of mind-boggling to have my name next to his," Jeter said on the field during a postgame television interview pumped over the Yankee Stadium public address system.
New York rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on a three-run homer by pinch-hitter Jorge Posada in the eighth inning. The comeback victory made it easier for Jeter to enjoy his accomplishment -- he tied Gehrig with a seventh-inning single off rookie starter Jeff Niemann.
Moments after Posada's homer, Jeter received a booming ovation as he stepped to the plate in the eighth with a chance to break the record. He walked against reliever Grant Balfour, bringing a loud chorus of boos from the crowd.
The Yankees are off Thursday. Jeter gets his next chance to set the mark Friday night at home against Baltimore.
"I wish we were playing tomorrow," he said.
Shut down by Niemann most of the night, the Yankees finished a four-game sweep and sent the AL champion Rays to their eighth consecutive loss. It's their longest skid since dropping eight straight in July 2007.
Already on their feet in anticipation, fans at Yankee Stadium let loose with a roar when Jeter's sharp grounder inside the first-base line got by a diving Chris Richard in the seventh.
Jeter's parents, watching from an upstairs box between home plate and first base, raised their arms and exclaimed in excitement. The ball was saved for Jeter as a souvenir.
"I felt proud. I got goose bumps," said Posada, one of Jeter's best buddies. "It was a perfect moment."
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Jeter took off his helmet and twice waved it to the crowd of 45,848 during an ovation that lasted about 2 minutes. Rays players and coaches clapped as Jeter stood at first base.
"I'm very happy for him," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "He carries himself in a manner that's worthy of passing Gehrig."
Jeter entered the game in an 0-for-12 slide, his longest hitless stretch this season, but ended the skid right away. He noticed that third baseman Evan Longoria was playing deep, so Jeter dropped down a beautiful bunt single leading off the bottom of the first. He beat the play without a throw, prompting the first of several standing ovations.
"He was smart. He took what they gave him tonight. That's the type of player he has been his whole career," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "When you put his name next to Lou Gehrig, it's amazing. It was emotional for me because I wanted it so bad for him tonight."
With cameras flashing all around the ballpark on every pitch to Jeter, he grounded out in the third and drove a ground-rule double to center in the fifth.
On his first chance to tie Gehrig, Jeter came through in fitting fashion -- with an opposite-field hit on the first pitch.
"You don't want to say it was a relief, but afterwards I was pretty excited that I was able to do it tonight," Jeter said. "I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't thinking about it because pretty much everywhere I've gone this entire homestand I've been hearing on the street, in cabs, at the stadium, 'When you gonna get a hit, when you gonna get a hit? I kept telling them, 'I'm trying.'"
In the middle of the eighth, the large video board in center field showed a replay and flashed "Congratulations Derek!"
"He starts the game off, dropping the bunt down just to get a hit. I mean, nobody else thinks about that except Derek. He shocked the world up there doing that," longtime teammate Andy Pettitte said. "I'm just excited to see him break it and get it over with and now he can head on toward 3,000."
Gehrig's final hit came on April 29, 1939, a single against the Washington Senators. The Iron Horse had held the club record for hits since Sept. 6, 1937, when he passed Babe Ruth.
Gehrig's Hall of Fame career ended suddenly in 1939 because of illness. Two years later, he died at 37 from the disease that would later bear his name.
"I know a lot about the history," Jeter said. "What he stood for, being a captain, he's probably one of the classiest people to ever play the game."
By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Sports Writer
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
It's a great feat considering all the outstanding players that have been in the Yankee's organization. Now consider this: if Jeter plays another 8-9 years and gets 190 hits each year(he'll be 43/44 years old by then)he will just approach Pete Rose's 4256 hits. As great as Jeter is he won't come close to Rose. It's time to put Pete in the Hall of fame.
Jeter is without a doubt an underated player.
Unless you see him play on an everyday basis, you won't see the true measure of his ability and value to his team.He is an MVP of this team.
When you hear sports announcers, like Pete Gammons, make subtle swipes about Jeter's abilities, you must wonder if he truly is a Red Sox loyalist.
This guy annoited the Twins catcher the MVP before September is over. The question is: which guy makes his team better,which guy's team is in first place, where would each guy's team finish without them?
The Twins are a great distance from making the playoffs in a very weak division. The Yanks are running away with the division in a strong competitive division.
This Pete Gammons is so adament that the Twin catcher is the best player in the league that it smells of envy on his part.
It is more of a swipe against the Yanks and Jeter, than proclaiming the Twin catcher a sure bet MVP.
Consider that the Bosox had over seven different shortstops in the last two years with little production. the Mets lost their shortstop and their season went with the injury.
Catchers are easier to replace than a hall of fame type shortstop.
Gammons you are a biased sports reporter / announcer.
I was thinking recently, that if the Big Four in Yankees lore are, in no particular order of greatness, Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle, who would be fifth? At first I thought, "Berra," but I thought again. Perhaps it is, after all, Jeter? I'd be interested in hearing if I'm way off base or right on target.
I grew up in NYC and have rooted for the Yankees for over 40 years. I am of the opinion that the line of succession of Yankee stalwarts was Ruth-Gehrig-DiMaggio-Mantle-Munson-Mattingly-Jeter. The big question is, who's next?????
Yor are off base just a little.
While Jeter is one of the best Yankees ever, to make a list of five or six or even ten is difficult.
The Yankees had so many great players.
Berra has more World Series rings than any other Yankee. No one mentions Rizzutto and his accomplishments. He was the glue of the fifties dynasty without him Ted Williams stated: The Red Sox would have won all those tites.
About Roger Maris, Tommy Henrich,Craig Nettles,and Reggie and a slew of other greats.
Jeter is special and when his career ends, he will be in the upper echelon of the Yankee ladder of greatness!!!!!
I believe we are really talking "eras" and not necessarily 'greatness', however that is defined. So Gehrig had the 'misfortune' to play in the Ruth era when he started and the Dimaggio era when his career ended. Berra joined Joe's time and then played into Mantle's reign. Murcer was supposed to be the next one but had such a weak supporting cast. Munson had s short era for obvious reasons but did have great support with Jackson, Nettles, Chambliss, et.al. Mattingly was a leader but also had less help. And even as a youngster then Jeter put his stamp on his era and his team, even as big names (A-Rod) and more have joined in. And with the exception of a couple of years in Houston for Pettitte, those two and Rivera and Posada are the glue in all of it. Salute a class act, Derek Jeter.
I agree with your list "gawbrooks" except the last one. I love Jeter. But it is Yogi Berra !
A great catcher, handled pitchers well, could hit anything to all fields, and was a cornerstone for the Yankees glory years. He hit over 350 life time homers, three time MVP, and he wears/holds more World Series rings than any player in history. Yogi was competitive, as is Jeter,and we could not have won all those years without Lawrence "Yogi" Berra. Just my opinion.
Being a Yankee fan, assembling the top 5 is a nice problem to have. Let's make it a top six and include both Berra and Jeter.
Agreed...and let's not demean DJ by comparing him to Rose. Derek is a class act.
I'm not exactly a yanks fan by any stretch of the imagination but Jeter is a very-very good all around player.he has all the tools,and has always had.of course he's a step or 2 slower than in his younger days,but all in all,one of the best i have ever seen play.i hate it cause he's is and always will be in the pinstripes.gotta admire him for his loyalty.he may or may not break Roses' record,that has yet to be seen.as for Pete,let him in the Hall."Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." just an opinion or 2 from the folks out here in "left field."
One thing about Jeter, he is a class act. He always gives 100%, and even though he's not the best shortstop, his work ethic makes up for it. Please stop the comparisons to rose. Rose screwed himself out of the hall, because he willingly broke the rules. Even though rose was a great player, he doesn't belong in the hall. It's time to get back to a persons ethics and morals meaning something, and being part of the Hall of Fame requirements. That sure would eliminate a lot of people from entering or being removed from it. Professional atheletes think they can do whatever they want with no repercussions, and the leagues let them. Just my opinion.
Here's a great unselfish player in the selfish steroids era. Like Mariano Rivera, you know that Jeter isn't using steroids. By the way, Pete Rose knew that if he started betting, he would probably be banned from the game. Before the Black Sox 1919 world series scandal, there was a player named Ed Delahanty. Delahanty played for Washington and the Philadelphia A's. His mangled body was found in Niagra Fall, New York on July 1903. It's thought that he crossed gamblers who were mobsters. As Casey Stengel used to say, you can look it up.
Derek has been a mediocre player during his career however he is a Yankee favorite which means they keep him despite his shortcomings on the field. It's no wonder he broke the record when one looks at the length of time he has been a Yankee. I don't see this as any great feat he probably makes more in two weeks than Gehrig made for an entire season.
Mediocre??? Hmmm 4 rings. World Series MVP. All Star game MVP. Gold Glove winner Rookie of the yr...Medicre?? What FU*KIN planet you just get back from.. YOU don't even need to be a Yankee fan to know what this man has done..NOT only will he be in the HOF he will be taking the EXPRESS train there...You dont get there by being MEDIOCRE
How much Jeter makes in two weeks compared to Gehrig is perhaps the most irrelevant issue anyone could possibly bring to a debate. Did Jeter have more at bats, YES. So what. The numbers game that exists in MLB says as of today, Jeter and Gehrig are tied for the most hits ever in Yankee history. Nothing more nothing less. Mediocre? You don't get to stay around for 14 years as mediocre. Maybe you last a few extra at 44-45 if you had a Jeter career, Ruth did it with Pittsburgh and a lot of players have done so. But you can take your apropos screen name and stick it. May the fleas of a thousand camels find a home in .............. your key board as well!
Hey jnscram,
You must be related to Pete Gammons.
How many of the Yankee games do you watch?
Jeter makes all the routine plays, most of the hard plays, and a lot of great plays.
Last year, he had hamstring, shoulder and groin injuries. This year he is fully healthy and it shows.
Besides playing stellar defense, hitting over .320 all year, he has 25 steals. Sure he only has "17 homers", but he is a great baserunner and makes his team better by example.
To compare a ballplyer in one era to another era is difficult. But, Jeter could play in any era!!!!
if the "moral"rule is gonna be applied to pete,then we need to dig deep into the past of all present members of the "hall." think there may be a skeleton or two in most of those closets?
this isn't the "POTUS" we are talking about.come on folks.to exclude the all time hits leader from the hall is at the very least a hypocritical judgement,and at worst a massive injustice to not only Pete,but the fans and the hall itself! my question to the selection committee and all the other "we gotta keep the hall pure" alternative reality dwellers,do you really see yourselves as the moral statues that you would really like to think that the rest of the see you as. your kidding---right??
If you know anything about pro baseball or its history, you'd know that there is no greater sin than gambling on the game. (Ever hear of Kinnesaw Mountain Landis and the Black Sox?) That is, and always has been, the rule for anyone who plays, coaches or manages at any level. Rose was a great player, but he knew from day one that gambling was taboo. He did it anyway.
Ill say what needs to be said ------jeter is class act!!!!period
The keep him despite his short comings on the field??? Thats why is batting average this yr is around 330. Over 100 runs scored..And his heart and love for the game motivates those around him..YOU wish YOU had short comings like that. Now get back in your cabin and close the door. We are ALL sure the stench is overwhelming