Chasing History: Derek Sanderson Jeter

[JoltinJoe]

An interesting sidenote is developing as the Yankee captain approaches 3,000 hits.

Jeter is currently 36 years old and does not turn 37 until June 26, 2011.

Only two players in MLB history, Ty Cobb (34) and Hank Aaron (36), have reached the 3,000 hit milestone prior to their 37th birthday.

Jeter currently needs 38 hits before June 26 in order to join this exclusive club. The Yankees have 41 games scheduled between today (May 12) and June 25.

Jeter has played in 32 of the Yankees' 34 games thus far this season and has 36 hits.

At present pace, this is going to be a close call.

[andy7171]

OOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!! I wet my pants just reading this!!!!

[JoltinJoe]

OOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!! I wet my pants just reading this!!!!

This hit by Derek Jeter was in the post-season and doesn't count toward his career records.

Jeter is the all-time leader with 185 post-season hits. Counting them, he has 3,147 career hits.

[89Hen]

He should have retired two years ago.

[89Hen]

OOOOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!! I wet my pants just reading this!!!!

Interesting. I wouldn't think a fan of a team would bring up one of the worst umpiring calls of all time.

[JoltinJoe]

Interesting. I wouldn't think a fan of a team would bring up one of the worst umpiring calls of all time.

WTF you talking about? Great call!

[89Hen]

WTF you talking about? Great call!

And then to go FURTHER down this path??

[GannonFan]

Good thing for Yankee fans that no one there has spit on Minka Kelly yet, otherwise Jeter could be somewhere else this year.

[andy7171]

Good thing for Yankee fans that no one there has spit on Minka Kelly yet, otherwise Jeter could be somewhere else this year.

[Grizalltheway]

Meh. The best pure hitter in the game hails from Japan.

[grizzaholic]

Meh. The best pure hitter in the game hails from Japan.

Nomo?

[andy7171]

Ichiro

And agreed.

[Grizalltheway]

Meh. The best pure hitter in the game hails from Japan.

Nomo?

No, mofo.

[Grizalltheway]

Ichiro

And agreed.

I like mine better.

[grizzaholic]

Nomo?

No, mofo.

What?

[Grizalltheway]

Whomp.

[JoltinJoe]

Nomo?

No, mofo.

No homo.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

makes me wonder - had Ichiro played in MLB from say 22 years old... would he have been able to break Rose's hit record? I feel like the answer is yes.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Also - Jeter may be the most overrated player in the history of the game.

That being said, and I've said this many times to many Twins fans (up until last year, when I think he passed the point of being worth what he gets paid) - you may not like the guy, but if he played for your team - he'd be your favorite player.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

also - what is it about the yankees and always managing to get the calls to go their way in October?

like this "foul ball" from 2009...

[Grizalltheway]

makes me wonder - had Ichiro played in MLB from say 22 years old... would he have been able to break Rose's hit record? I feel like the answer is yes.

No doubt in my mind. Not that I'm biased, or anything.

[JoltinJoe]

also - what is it about the yankees and always managing to get the calls to go their way in October?

like this "foul ball" from 2009...

[GannonFan]

Also - Jeter may be the most overrated player in the history of the game.

That being said, and I've said this many times to many Twins fans (up until last year, when I think he passed the point of being worth what he gets paid) - you may not like the guy, but if he played for your team - he'd be your favorite player.

The guy's a HOF'er, so even though I'm not a Yankee fan, Jeter's going to Cooperstown. Maybe he's been overhyped a bit (he has a lot of undeserved Gold Gloves for instance) but that's just Yankee fans - they always tend to overhype their own, probably even more than other fan bases. But give Jeter his due, he's a HOF'er.

[JoltinJoe]

The Jeter is overrated thing is pretty thin.

We're talking about the third youngest guy ever to 3,000 hits. This guy was a hitting machine in his prime, good for 200 hits a year. If you've watched the Yankees every day over the years, the image of Jeter going with a pitch perfectly and striking a single (to any field, depending on pitch location) is locked into your mind. There have been only a handful of such sweet, technically perfect hitters in MLB history.

Now, is he overpaid? Yes. He's pretty much the best paid singles hitter ever.

He is over-hyped outside baseball, re: endorsements, appearances in celebrity tabloids, etc.? Yup. Yankee superstar + good-looking guy who has dated many of the Maxim 100 + celebrity endorsement opps upp the ass = the best known baseball player in America, better known even than Albert Puljols.

But don't confuse over-hyped and overpaid with overrated. So many baseball fans have blurred the concepts of over-hyped and overrated that Jeter has become, in the eyes of baseball fans, perhaps the most underrated player in the game. Jeter, is in his prime, could turn around any of the best stuff thrown at him into a hit. He was, in his best years, a technically perfect hitter.

[AZGrizFan]

makes me wonder - had Ichiro played in MLB from say 22 years old... would he have been able to break Rose's hit record? I feel like the answer is yes.

Add up Ichiro's Japanese and AMerican records.....not even close.