Yes, sir, let the praise begin.
Derek Jeter just put every hater to shame. Every person that said for the past three weeks that the New York Yankees would be better off without Jeter was made to look foolish once again as they doubted him.
We all knew the captain was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It was without question. On July 8, 2011, he cemented his place as the greatest position player to ever grace the hallowed diamond. Period.
That’s it. There is no argument against it. With the pressure of 3,000 hits looming over his head for the past month, he threw everything aside and put together one of the most magical performances in the history of the game—just like he always does in the wake of monumental moments.
There have been bigger moments in Yankees history, but as far as individual accolades, this takes the cake for the pinstriped captain. Every fan in the stadium stood in awe as he stepped into the batter’s box for hit No. 3,000.
The flash of the cameras assisted the glorious sun shining down on Jeter, almost as if there was a bit of divine intervention for this at-bat. He put together a phenomenal at-bat against All-Star pitcher David Price. With a full count, he connected on a bomb to left field in front of his diehard Bronx fans.
He rounded the bases in jubilation as the fans roared. Teammates stormed from the dugout to congratulate him and even adversary Rays players tipped their hats and applauded. It was a surreal moment for a man more deserving than anybody in the history of the game.
He’s been ridiculed as an overrated player throughout the past decade, yet he managed to dominate in an era highlighted by behemoths. He is the most popular man in baseball and he never lets it get to his head. He is a humble, well-spoken icon of the game who always seems to do everything right.
He is the greatest clutch performer in the history of the game—ranging from his defense to offense—and with 3,000 hits on the line, he lived up to his reputation. It was only fitting for a player, and human being, of his caliber to blast a game-tying home run to crack 3,000, explode for his first five-hit game in over six years and ultimately lead his team to victory over a tough division opponent.
That is who Derek Jeter is. This is what he has always done throughout his entire career.
The 37-year-old is a 12-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, four-time Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year and, most importantly, five-time World Series champion. Talk about a résumé.
A World Series and All-Star MVP award winner, he was unjustly passed over for the 2006 MVP award, which was given to Justin Morneau. We’ll leave that for another time, but most know he was more than deserving to have that honor under his belt.
Yet, Jeter is the type of person who would never dwell on that, which is what makes this moment even better.
The man is the captain of the team, yet refuses to wear the captain “C” on his jersey. He is the confident team leader, but he would never try to separate himself from the team. He is a consummate professional who shows up to work and, more often than not, gets the job done, with pressure seemingly always on his shoulders.
We would be here for days going down the monumental plays and milestones of his career, but to be the only man in a Yankees uniform to cross the hallowed 3,000 path is simply remarkable. He has been the epitome of excellence and consistency in an era filled with hatred, backlash and doubt. Those who have tried to doubt Jeter’s abilities have failed miserably.
More importantly, he is a team-first player who, more than anything else, wants to see the team walk away with a victory. Part of the reason 3,000 hits is so special today is because his team was able to win the ball game. You play to win the game. Jeter plays to win every single game. He does not come to the ballpark to reach a milestone and lose—that is simply out of the question.
You can take your Babe Ruths, Barry Bondses, Joe DiMaggios, Mickey Mantles, Hank Aarons and Lou Gehrigs. Give me Derek Jeter and I’m going to win. There is nothing more important than winning. There is no man I want in the batter’s box with the game on the line.
At the age of 37 and on the downturn of his career, he did everything he has always done throughout his career—he stared down the eyes of pressure, grabbed it by the throat and tossed it to the side.
He tied the game with a colossal hit, and then won the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with a go-ahead RBI single. This is why he is the greatest. Not a single man lives up to the pressure like Derek Jeter. He is the Michael Jordan of Major League Baseball. He personifies clutch. Go ahead, look it up in the dictionary.
On a beautiful, bright, sunny day in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium, Jeter shined even brighter than the sun. The man is untouchable and will forever remain the single greatest baseball player to ever grace the hallowed diamond.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments