I don’t think I’ll ever forget where I was when Derek Jeter got his 3,000 hit. Living in Houston, Texas, my roommate and I were watching the game on my Apple TV (just like our grandfathers did). As Jeter came to the plate, about to face David Price, one of the premeir pitchers in baseball, I turned to my roommate and said “Imagine if Jeter hit it out right here” (hit it out means hit a home run, and if you didn’t know that, please leave). We both had a good laugh, because, come on, Jeter’s not a home run hitter. He’s never even had a 25-home run season in his career. People have joked that he’s probably the only player in 20 years who hasn’t used steriods, and it wasn’t a compliment.
I’ll admit I’m pretty new to this writing thing. I don’t have the capability to put into words what happened next, but then again, I’m not really sure even Shakespeare himself could. Instead of you listening to me seach for the proper adjectives, just watch this. I mean, can you believe that? I know we’ve all seen it now, that game is six-months old, but seriously, can you believe that. Go back and rewind to 0:28 and listen. Can you hear how loud that crowd is? The camera is shaking. Imagine yourself standing alone, in the batters box at Yankee Stadium, as 52,000 people chant your name in unison. Can you fucking imagine that? If you don’t have goosebumps when Jeter takes his most memorable swing, you’re probably dead. In one plate appearance, Derek Jeter had cemented himself as one of the five best Yankees to ever play.
Derek Jeter has always been about more than statistics. If you want to see them, click here, they’re ample, but it’s always been about much more. In New York, he’s simply known as The Captian. That’s not a throw away title used for the best player on the team, because truthfully, Jeter wasn’t the best player on the Yankees for most of those years. At the beginning it was Bernie Williams , Tino Martinez, or Paul O’Neill. Lately it’s been Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, or CC Sabathia. Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettite have been, or were, just as valuable on the field as Jeter. That’s not the point. 
Since the day Jeter first put on the pinstripes in 1995, Derek Jeter has had a presence about him. Jeter does things that the other players either don’t want to deal with, or can’t. After tough losses Jeter is always the one at his locker, ready to answer difficult questions. When controversy is in the air that never involves him (lately in NY, controversy is about as common as E! showing a Kardashian show). When George Steinbrenner was alive and ranting from the top office about his personal life, Jeter always knew how to de-escalate the situation. In the end, “the Boss” and “the Captian” even make this awesome Visa commercial together.
For Jeter, it has never been about the numbers, and always about that titles, which is really what Alex Rodriguez never figured out. The pursuit of baseball Gods and their numbers pushed players Alex Rodriguez and others to steriod and performance-enhancing drug use, or as 50 said “put Lamborghini doors on their Escalades.” That’s what these guys don’t understand. Bonds and Arod would have been Hall of Famers anyway. Numbers are never worth your integrity. An Escalade doesn’t need Lamborghini doors, and to be a legend you don’t need the best numbers.
Jeter always understood what The Sandlot taught us, “Heros get remembered, but legends never die”. We really only look for one quality in our heros; integriy. Jeter’s has never wavered. For all these reasons, and countless more (like this awesome Jeter story that broke yesterday, or this one ), I emplore you to embrace, and enjoy these last few years that we watch the Captian climb the career hits list (barring injury he’ll be at least 5th, and who knows from there). Baseball may be a dying sport, too dull for the younger generation, but even still, Jeter’s star has never shined brighter.
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