I'm not much for particular numbers; is 3,000 hits really THAT much more impressive than 2,999? But to celebrate the consistency and the longevity and, let's face it, the breadth of a career that has so far taken in 15 remarkable summers, this was as good a time to pause and express our appreciation as any. Better than some. Perhaps even better than it will be on that inevitable day at Cooperstown (I'm going--anybody want to carpool?) or the even more inevitable Derek Jeter day, when they retire the #2, give him yet another Edge and shower a man who has made hundreds of millions of dollars with gifts. Hopefully, one of those gifts will be part ownership of the New York Yankees. Derek Jeter should never actually leave the team.
To reach the numerical milestone he did and to do it with one of the least probable home runs (and no cheapie!) ever, and then to get three more hits, including--here's the best part--the one that won the game, well, that's Derek Jeter. It was as if he'd gone to everyone on both teams before the game began and said, "Here's how I want it to go. Any objections?" And then hearing none, he proceeded.
In this age of ridiculously bloated salaries (for which I blame the owners, not the players--if someone offers YOU $30-million a year to do your job, are you going to protest that you're not worth it?), it takes a lot to bring the goosebumps one got watching Mantle hobble around on those tortured legs or Guidry strike out batter after batter seemingly on the power of a mustache. But watching Jeter yesterday, acting like he was 27 instead of 37, getting his five hits, raising his average about 15 points, getting hugs and applause from his teammates and THE OPPOSING PLAYERS, acknowledging his family first and then the fans, whom he never seems to forget--that was a day. A really, really good day. I'm glad my daughter, now an 18-year-old Yankee fan, was home from college to watch it with me.
Thank you, Derek.
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