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Ink Immortality on Horizon for “The Captain”
In this day and age, records are precious. Especially the ones set so many years ago by legends of the greatest game on earth. We’ve protected, preserved, and even protested them because we care about their impact on history. Although some of the biggest ones have been tainted beyond repair, it’s still our job to cherish and respect the ink that fills the books. This season marks Derek Jeter’s 15 th year in the Major Leagues, all of which have been spent with the Yankees. He’s on the verge of surpassing Lou Gehrig on the Yankees all-time hits tally. And the question is: Are we ready?
I’m not sure. We’re too worried about whether or not Pete Rose, a self-proclaimed illegal gambler who bet on baseball while managing, will ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame. There was even a segment on TV about the starting QB assignment of the Detroit Lions. Who are the Detroit Lions? Give me a break. I could’ve filled that spot with at least 5 minutes on the opinions regarding Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Madden’s new hair-color.
Baseball is healing, believe it or not, from a near incurable infestation of cheats. Jeter’s impact gives fans and haters alike a target of energy, whether it’s good or bad. But I know it’s impossible to be a lover of the game and hate Derek Jeter’s performance on the field; and I don’t need to tell you why. Just refer to his head-first face-busting dive into the stands of Yankee stadium after a fly ball in a meaningless August game against the Red Sox. Then watch the highlight from the 2001 ALCS against the A’s when he sprinted across the diamond to cut off a throw to home plate from right field and flip it to Jorge Posada for the tag on Jeremy Giambi. These are plays he has made his entire career. Such a shame they didn’t make the stat sheet, but they did earn him the title of Captain of the New York Yankees. They’re what Jeter admires about his predecessor’s all-time Yankees hits mark.
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Consistency, Jeter says, is the most overlooked and underappreciated trait in a ballplayer’s performance. It’s why he admires Lou Gehrig.
As of Monday September 7 th, Jeter is three hits behind Gehrig’s number of 2,721. It’s a record that has stood for 70 years in the air and ambiance of Yankee Stadium. It has entered into the New Yankee Stadium for the 2009 season, waiting to be finally set once again by today’s Yankee legend. I move for it to be set in stone on a gold plate. It’s gonna to be there a while. After all, what better way is there to pay tribute to an athlete who’s done it the right way?
By Tim Gaffney
MLBcenter.com New York Yankees Correspondent
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