If all goes according to plan, Derek Jeter will come off the disabled list on Monday in Cleveland, where he will continue his quest to become the first New York Yankee to reach 3,000 hits, joining 27 others in the elite 3,000 hit club. The All-Star shortstop went on the disabled list after straining his right calf on June 13th, just six hits shy of 3,000 hits.
Born Derek Sanderson Jeter on June 26, 1974, in Pequannock, N.J; Jeter’s family moved to Kalamazoo, Mich when he was still a young child and began playing T-ball at the age of 5; in 1992 he graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School, where he hit .508 (30-for-59) with 4 home-runs, 23 RBI’s in 23 games during his senior year, while being named the 1992 High School “Player of the Year” by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
It was in 1992 that the Yankees made the New Jersey native their 1st round pick (sixth overall), becoming only the third shortstop in club history to be selected as the 1st round pick, joining Dennis Sherrill (1974) and Rex Hudler (1978).
While fine-tuning his skills in the minors, mostly in Greensboro NC and Columbus OH, Jeter got his first taste of the big leagues in 1995 when he filled in for injured Yankee shortstop Tony Fernandez on May 29, 1995 in a game against Seattle, playing between All-Stars Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs. On the following day, Jeter recorded two of his first hits as a major leaguer.
To start the 1996 season, the Yankees named Jeter their Opening Day shortstop, becoming their first Opening Day rookie shortstop, since Tom Tresh in 1962.
Like a Broadway show, Jeter lived up to his grand billing. Not only did he display his dazzling athletic agility with a leaping catch to deny Omar Vizquel of a run scoring single while his team was clinging to a 2-0 lead, but he became the first Yankee rookie to hit an opening day home-run since Jerry Kenney in 1969, when he belted a solo shot off of the Cleveland Indians’ Dennis Martinez at Jacobs Field in only his second at bat.
Ever since that memorable curtain-raiser, Jeter has been a house-hold name, not to mention a matinee idol with thousands of female admirers from coast-to-coast. He finished his rookie season with a .314 average, 10 home runs, 78 RBIs and 14 steals, capping off the season with the American League Rookie of the Year Award, along with a World Series ring, (the Yankees first since 1978) one of five World Series rings that would be added to his deep treasure chest.
On June 3, 2003, Jeter was named the Yankees 11th captain in franchise history, and the first since Don Mattingly retired after the 1995 season.
So as we prepare to refocus our attention on Captain Clutch’s pursuit of 3,000 hits, here is a brief statistical snapshot of his career with the Bronx Bombers.
• Slapped his first major league hit (a single) against Tim Belcher in Seattle on May 30, 1995.
• Hit his first major league home-run, a solo shot, off the Cleveland Indians’ Dennis Martinez on April 2, 1996 at Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in Cleveland.
• Will be the first Yankee to record 3,000 career hits. Lou Gehrig had 2,721; Babe Ruth, 2,518; Mickey Mantle, 2, 415; Bernie Williams, 2,336; Joe DiMaggio, 2, 214; Don Mattingly, 2,153; Yogi Berra, 2, 148; Bill Dickey, 1,969; and Earle Combs, 1, 866.
• No player has ever reached 3,000 hits at Yankee Stadium, either at the old or the new one.
• Of the 27 members of the 3,000-hit club, four have played for the Yankees: Dave Winfield (1,172 games, 1,300 hits), Wade Boggs (602 games, 702 hits), Rickey Henderson (596 games, 663 hits) and Paul Waner (10 games, 1 hit).
• On two occasions, a player has recorded his 3,000th career hit against the Yankees: Carl Yastrzremski on September 12, 1979, a single off the Yankees’ Jim Beattie (at Fenway Park) and Nap Lajoie September 27, 1914 -Game 1, a double off the Yankees’ Marty McHale (at League Park in Cleveland).
• When he reaches the3,000 hit milestone, Jeter will join 10 others who have recorded all of their 3,000 hits with one club, including: Stan Musial (3,630 – STL) Tony Gwynn (3,141 – SD), Carl Yastrzemski (3,419 – BOS) Cap Anson (3,081 – CHC), Cal Ripken Jr. (3,184 – BAL) Craig Biggio (3,060 – HOU), George Brett (3,154 – KC) Al Kaline (3,007 – DET), Robin Yount (3,142 – MIL) Roberto Clemente (3,000).
• Jeter will be 37 when he reaches 3,000 hits, joining Pete Rose( 37 years, 21 days) and Tris Speaker (37 years, 44 days); the youngest to reach 3,000 hits was Ty Cobb (34 years, 244 days), followed by Hank Aaron (36 years, 101 days), and Robin Yount (36 years, 359 days). The oldest was Cap Anson, who was 45 when he reached 3,000 hits.
• Recorded 653 of his 2994 hits in the 1st inning; 439 hits came in 3rd inning; 361 in the 5th; 325 in the 6th; and 305 in the 7th innings.
• Has collected hits off of 807 different Major League pitchers; the pitcher he faced the most was Tim Wakefield. In 119 plate appearances, Jeter has 32 hits against the Boston knuckleballer, the most in his career against any one pitcher.
• Highest batting average percentage (based on a minimum of 20 plate appearances) was against Hideo Nomo .600 (12-20); he was batting .500 against current teammate CC Sabathia (13-for-26).
• Faced Jorge Julio 14 times in his career; without a hit.
• Recorded 200 or more hits seven times, one shy of Lou Gehrig’s club record.
• Finished with 1,274 career hits at the original Yankee Stadium, enough to surpass Lou Gehrig (1,269) for the most all-time hits at the Stadium.
• Recorded two 5-hit games in his career; 35 4-hit games; 217 3-hit games, while going hitless in 536 games.
• At the time of recording his first major league hit (5-30-1995), gas cost $1.09 a gallon, a postage stamp could be had for 32 cents; Alex Rodriguez hadn’t even hit his first home-run yet (his first didn’t come until June 12, 1995); Mario Rivera hadn’t saved a game yet; the top box office draw was the movie ``Dumb and Dumber’’, while ``Seinfeld’’ was the number one television show.
• Banged out a career 303 hits against the Baltimore Orioles; 286 against the Boston Red Sox; and 285 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Most hits at a visiting park over his career was at Camden Yards (160 hits).
• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jeter has collected at least one hit against all current 29 opposing franchises in Major League Baseball; he has at least 150 hits against 11 Major League teams (every American League opponent except the White Sox and Twins).
• Has recorded six walk-off hits in his career, three of which came against Boston.
• Recorded 1022 hits batting first; 1634 batting second; 171 batting third.
• Collected 1933 hits during night games; 1061 during the day.
• Compiled 2200 hits against right-handers; 794 against lefties.
• 1507 of hits have been at home; 1487 away.
• Has racked up 2, 219 singles; 477 doubles, 62 triples, and 236 home-runs.
• Recorded 564 hits in the month of August; 523 in July; and 505 in May.
• 762 of his hits have come with two outs.
• 27 of his hits came as a DH; one as pinch hitter.
• Jeter will join only three other shortstops in recording 3,000 hits – Honus Wagner, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Robin Yount.
-Bill Lucey
[email protected]
July 1, 2011
Source: New York Yankees’ Media Relations; Elias Sports Bureau.
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