Derek Jeter Phones Slain Teacher's Mom

I've made mention before that I'm not the world's biggest fan of the New York Yankees, but, man...it's hard NOT to like team captain Derek Jeter.

And dude just keeps making it harder to say anything bad about him.

Victoria Soto, the young 27-year-old teacher who died last Friday in the Sandy Hook shootings was, according to everything written about her, a huge fan of the Yankees and, well, Jeter found out.

"Vicki loved the Yankees...that was part of her eulogy," her cousin James Wiltsie told the New York Daily News.  "No one in the family reached out, so (Jeter) must have heard about it and ... reached out.  It was a surprise and unexpected. (Victoria's mother) spoke to him for quite some time."

There aren't any details about what the two discussed, but, honestly...do we care? 

All we need to know is that the future Hall of Famer is a class act.

Derek Jeter Is (Not) Fat?

You know the old adage "the camera adds ten pounds"? 

Sure, you do.

Last week, the New York Post published some pictures of Derek Jeter looking notso svelte.  But, days later...the New York Yankees captain waas spotted (and photographed) in what looks like an abandoned warehouse district hanging out with MLB Network's Harold Reynolds.

So, what gives?  And how soon until pitchers and catchers report?

Pete Rose Comments on Derek Jeter's Postseason Milestone

This past weekend, before he shattered his ankle (and the hearts of New York Yankees fans), Derek Jeter collected his 200th postseason hit.

And since you can't seem to mention a Jeter hit milestone without comparing him to Pete Rose nowadays...I decided to reach out to "The Hit King" and see what he thought.

Unfortunately, his response was not all that shocking.

"Jeter has had the opportunity to play in a lot more playoff games than players of my era due to playoff expansion," Rose told The Hall exclusively. "I'd expect a Yankee to hold that record."

If you're curious (you're not), Rose made the postseason eight times. Jeter...sixteen.

So, assuming players of Rose's era had the benefit of an extra round of playoffs, would any of them even come remotely close to Jeter's 158 postseason games and 734 plate appearances? Probably not.

Even a guy like Reggie Jackson and his eleven postseason appearances, would be looking at, at best, an extra 50 games if he had an extra round of playoffs. And if you add in those 50 extra games, 127 playoff contests for "Mr. October" would be no match for the current Yankees captain.

Derek Jeters Collects 200th Postseason Hit

Is it fair to call Derek Jeter "Mr. October" yet? I mean...dude does have more anythings than anyone else ever has during the postseason.

And Saturday night, the hits just kept on coming for the New York Yankees captain.

Literally.

With a second-inning single off Detroit Tigers starter Doug Fister, Jeter became the first player in baseball history to record 200 career postseason hits. Sure, Jeter has played almost an entire season's worth of postseason games (158 to be exact), but, still, any way you slice it...200 base knocks in the playoffs is pretty impressive.

Behind the shortstop on the all-time postseason list, former teammate Bernie Williams (with 128 hits) and slugger Manny Ramirez (117). The next closest active player is Albert Pujols who, in 74 postseason games for the St. Louis Cardinals, collected 88 playoff hits.

If you want to have some fun playing with numbers, Jeter has 3504 combined regular and postseason hits. At the same age (38 years, three months and 17 days), baseball's all-time hit king Pete Rose had 3344 (3289 regular season, 55 post). And, yes, I realize combining the two totals is pretty much irrelevant. But, it is worthy of a little cyber ink...if that is such a thing.

You see, the "Hit King" has been very vocal of late, dismissing Jeter's climb up the all-time hits ladder and eventually approaching his hits record.
　
"I don't think he will break the record," Rose said in a recent interview. "He still needs 950 hits, right? He had a great year this year, but you think he can do that again? At 39? A shortstop? Let's say he does it again. Let's say he gets 200 more hits next year. And let's say he gets 200 more hits when he's 40, though I don't think he can. Okay, can he get 200 more hits when he's 41? You think he can?"

"I don't think he can get 200 more hits at 41, but let's say he does. Okay, now he's 42. He’s gonna get 200 more hits then? At 42? Let me tell you, I've been there, the body locks up," Rose continued. "Jeter's a great hitter. I'd say he hits like I did. But he's gonna get 200 hits when he's 42? I don't think he will. And even if he does all that, he's STILL 150 hits short."

I've got to agree with Rose on this one...I don't think Jeter gets to 4256. But, then again, no one is dropping good money at a Las Vegas store to hear what I think.

 

Derek Jeter..."Survivor" Fan

When the finale of "Survivor: One World" hits the air Sunday night, it's possible that the show's host, Jeff Probst, might not be the most popular guy in the room.

That is, of course, if New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter makes good on a promise he made to one of the contestants back in Spring Training.

You see, one of the shows contestants, Troy "Troyzan" Robertson is a professional photographer and before the season started, he bumped into the Yankees captain.

"He just ran up to me and said, dude I'm watching the show and it's frickin' crazy! And I was like what?" Robertson told reporters after getting voted off.  "He walks right off the field, and I was like...really?  And he was like, yeah I have my family watching it, but don't tell me what happened last night because I haven't seen it yet!"

But it didn't stop there.

"He said he wanted to go to the finale if he wasn't working.  He said I'll be there if I don't have to work," Robertson continued.  "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he may actually want to go."

Well, Robertson (and the rest of the "Survivor" cast for that matter) might just be in luck.  The Yankees are scheduled for a 1:05pm EST start Sunday against the Seattle Mariners...and the "Survivor: One World" finale doesn't start until 8:00pm EST.

Fingers.  Crossed.

Ten American League Milestones to Watch For

With the start of the 2012 Major League Baseball season just around the corner, it’s time to check out some upcoming milestones. And unlike years in the past where The Hall has broken down the leagues division by division…we’re going league-by-league.

Yesterday, we took a look at the milestones on the horizon in the National League.  But today…it’s all about the American League!

2500
Last year, New York Yankees superstar Derek Jeter entered the season on the cusp of 3000 career hits. This year, we’re not as lucky. The most exciting hitting milestone involves Ichiro Suzuki. The Seattle Mariners outfielder is 72 hits from 2500. Why is that cool? Should the perennial All-Star get those in his first 36 games…he would become the second fastest all-time to reach 2500 hits. Also on the docket for Ichiro…with another 200-hit season, he’ll have a record breaking 11 seasons with 200-plus base knocks.

712
On May 15, 2003, the Boston Red Sox faced the Texas Rangers in front of a packed house.  711 games later...they're still playing to a sold out stadium.  And while 2012 marks 100 years of the BoSox at Fenway Park, 712 consecutive sellouts is pretty darn impressive.  Heck, it bests the second longest streak by more than 250 games!

400
Chicks dig the longball, right? No? Maybe?!? Well, if that’s still true, they’re going to love following three American League sluggers as they approach 400 career home runs. Chasing down the milestone…Paul Kornerko (who enters 2012 with 396), David Ortiz (378) and Adam Dunn (365).

200
New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia has an outside chance of reaching 200 victories this season. Sure, he’s going to need to channel Justin Verlander and win 24 games, but with some run support…the big lefty could pull it off.

192
Derek Jeter already has 3000 career hits…now it’s time for the New York Yankees legend to move up the ladder. The shortstop enters the season with 3088 hits and should he duplicate last season’s output (162 hits), he’ll jump from 20th all-time to 13th…right between Eddie Murray (3255) and Nap Lajoie (3242)

191
No one is going to argue with you if you said that Adam Dunn’s first season with the Chicago White Sox was awful. Lost in his dismal .159 batting average were his 177 strikeouts in just 122 games. Entering 2012, the “Big Donkey” is 191 strikeouts away from becoming the fastest player to ever reach 2000 career whiffs. And before you think it isn’t possible…he’s K’d 191 or more times three other times in his career.

13
Should Octavio Dotel make the roster for the Detroit Tigers (and he will), he’ll be pitching for his record 13th team. The 38-year-old righty is currently tied with Mike Morgan, Matt Stairs and Ron Villone.

12
With Tony LaRussa out of the picture, Detroit Tigers skipper Jim Leyland enters 2012 as the wins leader among active managers with 1588. With 12 victories, he’ll not only reach 1600, but he will surpass Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda who sits 17th all-time with 1599 wins.

7’1”
It's times like these that I am glad that Disney no longer has anything to do with the ownership of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Because if they did...we'd be subjected to them knocking the cobwebs off Shawn Bradley, dressing him up in a baseball uniform and throwing him on the silver screen Gheorghe Muresan-style to play 7’1” pitcher Loek Van Mil. Should the big righty get called up by the Halos...he'll enter the Majors, not only as the game's tallest player ever, but also the first seven-footer baseball has ever seen.

3
And speaking of the Angels…Bobby Abreu has a chance to make some history this season. The veteran is seven stolen bases shy of 400 for his career and 16 home runs away from 300. If he reaches those milestones, he’ll become just the third player (and the first not named Bonds) to hit 300 home runs and steal 400 bases.


 

The Yankees Stink...Literally

There are jokes to be made about this, but Kevin Kaduk over at Big League Stew already made them all, so here.

This...according to ESPN New York.

Called, simply, "New York Yankees'' and "New York Yankees for Her,'' the team will introduce two "official fragrances'' at a cocktail reception in Manhattan on Tuesday, February 21. Smells like money.

This isn't the first Yankees-related scent to hit the market, Derek Jeter Driven was launched by AVON in 2006 and if you read some of these reviews...it had its fair share of fans.

On a related note, Bartolo Colon (see what I did there?) is expected to start Oakland's second game of the season when the Athletics take on the Seattle Mariners during baseball's semi-annual excursion to Japan.

Colon was 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 26 starts last season.

Full.  Circle.

Derek Jeter...Rockstar

I'm struggling with how to start this one.  So here goes...Derek Jeter bangs chicks and sends them away with signed swag as a parting gift.

There.

Done. 

I said it.

According to one of his buddies, the New York Yankees captain, well...this is what the New York Post is saying:

“Derek has girls stay with him at his apartment in New York, and then he gets them a car to take them home the next day. Waiting in his car is a gift basket containing signed Jeter memorabilia, usually a signed baseball,” the friend dished.

“This summer, he ended up hooking up with a girl who he had hooked up with once before, but Jeter seemed to have forgotten about the first time and gave her the same identical parting gift, a gift basket with a signed Derek Jeter baseball,” the pal said.

“He basically gave her the same gift twice because he’d forgotten hooking up with her the first time!”

Classic.

At least this is better than a few years ago when he just simply paid for their parking.

Seriously...an autographed ball from the newest member of the 3000 hit club can come at a pretty hefty price.  But, how would one of these ladies get it authenticated to draw top dollar if they flipped it on eBay?

Sure, the story itself would be awesome, but still.

Better question...how would you respond if your lady slid an autographed Jeter ball under the tree?

***Picture stolen from Jimmy Traina.***

Why The Yankees Lost

By now, the world knows that the New York Yankees lost Thursday night against the underdog Detroit Tigers.

And Hall contributor Bo Rosny thinks he knows why...Joe Girardi has the wrong attitude.

Seriously, why keep sending Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher out there and leave Eric Chavez and Andruw Jones rotting on the bench?

Has he forgotten 1996 when Joe Torre had the stones to bench Tino Martinez and future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs in favor of Charlie Hayes and Cecil "Prince's Dad" Fielder?

Unfortunately, this is probably the end of the Yankees' amazing 16 year run. They're more likely to lose 90 then win 90 next year.

And you can bet the Red Sox won't collapse again.

Plus...they're just getting old.  Age is the biggest factor, and the biggest reason why the Yankees just seemed tired in the playoffs.  Derek Jeter and A-Rod are toast, and are locked into multi-year contracts.

Mark Teixeira is far from the superstar he once was, and Curtis Granderson is not going to have a career year every year.

The pitching, outside of Mariano Rivera and possibly 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, is extremely suspect. Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon did a nice impression of Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon in 2005...but remember how long they lasted in 2006?

The free agent market looks very thin, so there doesn't look to be a way to buy a championship like they did in 2009.

Sorry Yankees fans...it's back to rooting for an ordinary team for you.

You can check out more of Bo's work (and I suggest you do) over at Baseball Cards Come to Life!

More on The Jeter Filter

Remember a couple of weeks ago after Derek Jeter became just the 28th member of baseball’s 3000 hit club I introduced you to the “Jeter Filter”?

Well, as it turns out, the thing is now blowing up.

Thursday, Kevin Kaduk mentioned Rob Spectre’s pet project over at Yahoo’s Big League Stew and later in the day…Jim Rome himself dropped the 4-1-1 (watch the clip below) on how you can rid yourself of those pesky Jeter headlines.

“If you told me in high school I'd eventually do something that ended up on ESPN,” Spectre responded to the news via Facebook. “I'd call you a liar.”

Now, I’m not saying the discovered this thing (honestly, I saw Jimmy Traina tweet about it first)…but, man, I do feel good for my boy Rob.

And in case you’re not up to speed on what exactly the “Jeter Filter” is…here’s the skinny.

Jeter Filter quickly and carefully scours the Internet for signs of Derek Jeter and removes him while you browse, making Jeter disappear...right before your very eyes.

Get a visual notification when Derek Jeter might be on the webpage you are viewing. If the Jeter Filter's search patterns are tripped, your address bar gets a subtle warning icon, serving as a cue you should navigate away immediately.

Job. Well. Done.

***The Jeter illustration used in this post was lifted from Big League Stew. Don't hate.***

Derek Jeter...Mentally and Physically Exhausted?

Saturday, after Derek Jeter became baseball's 28th member of the 3000 hit club, I questioned the apparent love affair with the New York Yankees shortstop.

What I found was this, Yankee haters hate Jeter as well...but (some) will go as far to say they respect him. Seems simple enough.

But then, dude took the seemingly nationwide adulation and ignited a whole other firestorm by sitting out of the All-Star Game citing "mental and physical exhaustion".

Bob Young from the Arizona Republic caught up with some All-Stars during the festivities earlier this and asked them about Jeter's reasons behind not just sitting out of the game...but ignoring it completely.

"It's good to be here," injured New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes said. "As a baseball player you want to be at the All-Star Game, but we have to understand Jeter. He is coming off an injury, so it's good for him."

"I think Derek Jeter has been a great ambassador of the game," Kevin Youkilis from the Boston Red Sox added. "He's been huge for the game of baseball and had a great day the other day with his 3,000th hit. I don't think anybody can say anything bad about Derek Jeter not being here."

Naturally, members of the baseball fraternity will back the Yankees captain, but you can't expect fans to feel the same way.

Meet Bob Thompson from Drinking With Bob.

So what do you think...what's next?

Me? I don't know if I agree with Bob completely...but I do think that Jeter should have been in Arizona to, at the least, tip the cap (or whatever it was Brian Wilson did) and acknowledge the fans that have voted him in.

Not Everyone Loves Derek Jeter

Without a doubt, the New York Yankees are one of the most polarizing sports teams (not just baseball teams) on the planet.

People love them or loathe them…it’s true. And the same can be said about most of their players, both past and present.

Except Derek Jeter.

As Jeter became just the 28th player in Major League history to get to 3000 hits on Saturday, a quick glance at Twitter or “The Worldwide Leader” would lead you to believe there is a nationwide lovefest for the 12-time All-Star.

Or is there?

Ladies and gentlemen...the “Jeter Filter”.

Wait…what?

According to the website (aptly JeterFilter.com), the creator (Rob Spectre, a Boston Red Sox fan) has developed an application that “quickly and carefully scours the Internet for signs of Derek Jeter and removes him while you browse, making Jeter disappear...right before your very eyes.”

Sounds simple enough…but why?

“Because in these dark times, when Fenway faithful around the world are only a click away from torn-ligament-this and three-thousand-hits-that, Red Sox Nation DESERVES some recourse so that they can live their lives worry-free,” Spectre told The Hall.

“Fortunately, we also live in times where technology can be that respite,” Spectre continued. “I believed then as now that if we applied some basic engineering to the problem of Derek Jeter, we could at least remove it as the center of our lives online. That if we worked hard, we could make a world without Derek Jeter and that world would be a glorious one indeed.”

Now…I’m not sure if or how this thing works (Spectre assures me it does and, honestly, I don’t have the mental makeup to doubt him), but I know one guy who would probably enjoy the heck out of NOT having to see Derek Jeter news every time he logs on to his computer.

Enter Gene Hutmaker.

The lifelong baseball fan is the self-proclaimed “biggest Yankee hater on this planet Earth” and author of Banned in the Bronx, The Yankee Hater Memoirs: 1953-2005. Basically, the book chronicles the year-by-year account of each baseball season with little or no mention of the success of the New York Yankees…but rather a highlight of their failures.

Like Spectre, Hutmaker has to be the other guy out there that hates Jeter, right?

Right.

“As the Nation's foremost Yankee hater I canNOT root for any player from the darkside, however, I am objective on the accomplishments of them,” Hutmaker told me. “For example, Babe Ruth is the Zeus of baseball…everyone else is a secondary God. Mickey (Mantle) is the second best player I ever saw behind Willie Mays. It’s hard to hate Yogi (Berra) and Lou (Gehrig) is the all-time greatest first baseman in Major League history.”

Hold on…is Hutmaker actually soft on the Yankees or just a smart baseball fan?

I believe it is probably the latter, but I still had to ask about Jeter.

“Since Jeter is from the darkside, I detest him on the field,” Hutmaker responded. “However, I do respect his achievements as he is one of the top five shortstops in the game's history.”

He said "detest".  Whew.

Given the media coverage, I figured everyone loved the newest member of the 3000 hit club. But when I talked with Spectre and Hutmaker, I realized this…Yankees haters also hate Jeter.

But, apparently, they do respect him.

Case closed...mystery solved.

Ten Things About Derek Jeter's 3000 Hits

Well...there you have it.

With a third inning home run off of Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price, Derek Jeter became just the 28th player in Major League history to get 3000 hits and only the second to do it with a roundtripper.

"It means a lot. It's a number that has meant a lot in the history of the game, because not too many people have done it," the shortstop said about the milestone following Saturday's 5-4 victory. "This is the only team I've wanted to play for, and to be the only one to do something like this, I don't know if I can describe it."

It seems like not that long ago, Jeter made headlines when he surpassed Lou Gehrig and became the Yankees all-time hit king. But did you know that just a month before he passed up the Yankees Iron Man, he became the all-time hit leader among shortstops?

Perhaps...but perhaps not.

Here are ten other things you might not have known about Derek Jeter and his 3000 hits.

1508
Like many of his current teammates, Derek Jeter has played at the two latest incarnations of Yankee Stadium. That said, he clearly has the most hits. Combined…the future Hall of Famer has 1508 hits at home in the Bronx.

1171
Throughout his 17-year career, the Yankees captain has faced 1171 different pitchers. He’s gotten hits off of close to two-thirds of them. You can do the math on how many that is, but in case you were wondering…Derek Jeter has gone hitless against 349 of them.

538
And speaking of going hitless. Derek Jeter has put up a goose egg in the hits column in 538 of the 2362 regular season games he has appeared in.

175
In 2001, Derek Jeter was named “Mr. November” thanks to a tenth inning home run off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim just after midnight on October 31. Despite the nickname, Jeter was 3-for-12 in November baseball that postseason. That aside…“Mr. November” is also the all-time leader in postseason hits with 175.

37 years, 13 days
While not the youngest ever player to reach 3000 hits (Ty Cobb was the youngest at 34 when he reached the feat in 1921), the youthful-looking Derek Jeter was 37 years and 13 days old when he got to 3000 hits. And yeah, he is also the fourth youngest to get there…behind just Cobb, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.

34
Of those aforementioned 1171 pitchers the 12-time All-Star has faced, Derek Jeter has 34 hits (in 122 at bats) against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Next up on the list…Wakefield’s former teammate Pedro Martinez and the Aruban Knight Sidney Ponson at 29.

25
All-time hit king Pete Rose once hit in 44 straight games. Derek Jeter’s longest hitting streak came in 2006 when he hit in 25 straight games.

5-for-5
You might think that Derek Jeter got a lot of his hits in bunches. He didn’t. Before Saturday's performance, only twice (May 23, 2001 and June 21, 2005) did the shortstop get five hits in a game. Not once did he get six hits in a game.

3
Curious as to just how great Derek Jeter is? Consider this…dude is now one of only three players with more than 3000 hits, 1700 runs scored, 200 home runs, 1100 RBI, 300 stolen bases and a .300 or better career batting average. The other two? Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Paul Molitor.

1
2999 of baseball’s latest baseball’s latest 3000 Hit Club member’s hits came as a starter for the New York Yankees. Only one of Derek Jeter’s hits came off the bench. As a pinch hitter, Jeter is 1-for-6 (.167)…a far cry from Lenny Harris’ record 212 pinch hits.

So, yeah...there you have it!

Derek Jeter 's Quest to Resume

You're going to be inundated with two different Derek Jeter stories this week.

One concerns the 37-year-old chump who, by being selected to his 12th All-Star Game robbed the world of watching Detroit Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta next Tuesday night.

The other follows the New York Yankees captain's quest, while sitting at 2994 hits, to become the 28th member of the 3000 hit club.

Frankly, with all due respect to Mr. Peralta, I'd prefer to focus on milestones and the history of the game rather than the SABR-fueled snubbings

Well, after a brief, less than spectacular, rehab assignment with the Trenton Thunder this past weekend, Jeter is set to return Monday when his Yankees open up a three game set against the Cleveland Indians.

And now that he's back...our eyes turn to when he'll get hit number 3000 and who will surrender it.

Unfortunately for Jeter, there are no long-time veterans that he's seen a number of times. Basically, until David Price takes the bump for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Yankees this weekend...the shortstop is facing mostly unknown commodities.

Monday, the Indians send second-year starter Josh Tomlin to the mound and Tuesday, the ball goes to 24-year-old Carlos Carrasco. Combined, Jeter has three hits in nine at bats off the top hurlers.  Sure, three-for-nine is good for a .333 batting average, but still...less than ten plate appearances doesn't scream "historical matchup".

Wednesday night is a little better for Jeter. But not much.

Taking the hill for the Tribe is Justin Masterson. Jeter has faced the Indians ace twelve times (getting five hits), but that doesn't really compare to, for example, the 130 plate appearances against Masterson's former Boston teammate Tim Wakefield.

But let's be honest with ourselves...do we really think number 3000 is going to happen in Cleveland?

Not a chance.

Thursday night, the Bombers return home and square off against divisional rivals Tampa Bay.

On the mound for the Rays in those four games...Jeff Niemann, Jeremy Hellickson, David Price and James Shields.

Jeter is a combined six-for-eleven against Niemann and Hellickson and six-for-25 against fellow All-Star David Price.

But it is the James Shields matchup Sunday that intrigues me most.  And it is against Shields that I think Jeter gets hit number 3000.

It would be fitting right?

Against all odds, and on the eve of the Midsummer Classic, the Yankees superstar returns from injury to become the 28th player to reach 3000 hits and, in front of the world, is coronated baseball's latest hit king...therefore negating the opinions of those that scoffed at his selection.

Just watch...it'll happen.

Thoughts?

Derek Sanderson Jeter...GQ Cover Boy

In what the New York Yankees can only hope results in the reverse of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx...Derek Jeter is on the cover of next month's GQ.

Just in time for Opening Day.

In the piece, set to hit newsstands Tuesday, writer Seth Mnookin sat down with the shortstop and discusses his private life in the New York media fishbowl and what should be the captain's final years in The Big Apple.

It's a great read and, as you would suspect, more amazing than Jeter's countdown to 3000 hits is the fact that he's been able to keep his private life under wraps and off the front pages of the tabloids.

"Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't go out and have fun," Jeter says to Mnookin.  "But there's been a lot of players that come to New York and get caught up in the lifestyle, and before you know it, they're sent away to another team because it affected their performance. My number one priority was on the field. I've had fun. It's not like I've never gone out; I've done a lot of things. But I've always kept sight of my number one priority."

If you're looking for dirt on Jeter...you're not going to find it. 

What you'll find instead is a quality piece on a guy who, as described by Curt Schilling, "(has) shown up, played, and turned in a Hall of Fame career in the hardest environment in sports to do any/all of the above."

Derek Jeter...clap clap clapclapclap

Ah ha...I successfully fooled the internet!

I knew that if I waited long enough banging out a piece about Lance Berkman-to-St. Louis the terms of the Derek Jeter contract would pop up.

And here you go...according to SI.com's Jon Heyman:

The Yankees and Derek Jeter's agent, Casey Close, have reached an agreement on a contract guaranteeing the iconic shortstop three years and $51 million.  Jeter can also pick up an option for 2014. The maximum for the four-year deal can reach $68 million.

Apparently there's some complicated "point system" where the Yankees captain can earn more money based on how he finishes in the MVP voting, Gold Gloves, etc, but given I've never fully understood the Weight Watchers plan or Malboro Miles...you're going to have to search that out on your own.

Sure...the 36 year old future Hall of Famer is coming off what Heyman calls "the worst offensive season of his career", but , that aside, he appeared in his eleventh All-Star game, won his fifth Gold Glove award and enters this season a mere 74 hits away from 3000.

Personally, I'm not a Yankees fan...but seeing Jeter in something other than pinstripes would've made my heart ache.

At least they won't have to close down his restaurant.

Derek Jeter is the New "Mr. October"

During Game 4 of the 2001 World Series, a fan held up a "Mr. November" sign after New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter sent a Byung-Hyun Kim offering over the rightfield wall.

Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay started calling Jeter by the moniker...and the nickname stuck.

But following that home run, Jeter went 2 for 11 (good for a .182 batting average) that November AND walked away ringless.

Mr. November?  Really?!?

Sure, the nickname is cute and all...but c'mon, aren't we giving the dude a little too much credit?  Shouldn't the two-headed monster of Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson share the title Mr. November?  Afterall, it was their performances in Games 6 and 7 that shut down the Bronx Bombers.

Now...flash forward to Tuesday night and New York's 10-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

During the game, Jeter set or tied a handful of postseason records. 

In the third inning, he scored his 32nd career LCS run...topping former teammate Bernie Williams' former mark.  Two innings later, Jeter would best Williams again when he collected his 30th postseason double of his career.  The two-bagger, Jeter's tenth in LCS play, put the shortstop in a tie with Williams and Hideki Matsui.  Monday night, he surpassed Williams' career mark with his 52nd extra base hit.

Also on Monday, the Yankees captain passed Manny Ramirez when he played in his 50th career LCS game.  With three more hits...he'll surpass "ManRam" as the all-time hit leader in LCS play.  For his career, Jeter is 56 for 213 (a .263 batting average) in the second round of the playoffs.

Add that to his 78 hits in the Divisional Championship Series and 50 in World Series play and you're looking at a guy who has put together a full season's worth of activity in just the month of October alone.

So, perhaps, maybe a better nickname might be in order.  Is Reggie Jackson still using his?


What do you think...should Derek Jeter be regarded at the new "Mr. October" or should Reggie Jackson retain the title?  Vote!

Derek Jeter Had a Good Game Too!

Perhaps overshadowed by the fact that his teammate Alex Rodriguez finally got that monkey off his back and slugged home run number 600 is the history that Yankees captain Derek Jeter made on Wednesday.

Not only was it the 50th time that A-Rod knocked in Jeter with a homer...but the shortstop was also on base three years ago (to the day) when number 500 was hit.

But enough about Rodriguez and his milestone. For now.

With four hits, Jeter surpassed Yankees great Joe DiMaggio with his 35th 4-for-4 game. For his career, the Yankees hit king is sitting at 2872...one behind Babe Ruth on all-time leaderboard.

Not only did the Yankees captain get four hits, but two of them were doubles. Jeter entered the game tied with Hall of Famers Sam Crawford and Jimmie Foxx with 458. He ended the contest with 460 and tied with another Hall of Famer...Dan Brouthers

By scoring three runs, Jeter put his career total at 1652. When he rounded the bases in the first inning after Rodriguez sent number 600 deep, Jeter passed up Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (1650 runs scored) on the all-time list.

So yeah, Alex Rodriguez had a pretty good afternoon (check out ten things you might not have known about his milestone HERE), but let's not forget his teammate Derek Jeter and his own pursuit of excellence.

The season that was...September

Alright…let’s get right to it.

On September 11, Derek Jeter surpassed legend Lou Gehrig to become the Yankees all-time hits leader. With all the hype surrounding Jeter getting hit number 2722, you would think that he actually set some sort of real record.

He didn’t.

While the feat is impressive, the fact that it took him close to 1500 more plate appearances doesn’t make it AS impressive. Wake me up when he becomes the first Yankee to get 3000 hits…sometime in June of 2011.

And since we’re talking Yankees hits milestones (we were, right?)…let’s add another to the list.

Admitted steroid user (and yes, I will call him that until the media’s current man crush subsides) Alex Rodriguez finished the season tied for eighth all-time in home runs with 583.

Tied with who you ask? Mark McGwire.

No comment.

On September 2…Rodriguez collected career hit number 2500. But perhaps the most impressive “A-Rod” achievement this season was his ending the season with 100 RBI…for the 12th straight year!

Less than a week after Rodriguez got hit number 2500, Ichiro Suzuki sent the second pitch of the Mariners September 6 contest down the right field line for his 2000th hit in the Majors. With that case knock, he became the second-fastest player to reach the milestone.

Only Hall of Famer Al Simmons did it quicker.

A week later, Ichiro tallied his 200th hit of the season for the ninth consecutive year…setting an all-time Major League record. All-time hit king Pete Rose holds the non-consecutive record with ten.

On June 27, 2007, Phillies slugger Ryan Howard became the fastest player to hit 100 home runs when he bested Ralph Kiner by 60 games.

Earlier this season (on July 16), Howard again surpassed Kiner when he became the quickest to 200 home runs.

On September 18, the first baseman again joined some pretty exclusive company. With a sixth inning bomb off Atlanta's Tim Hudson, Howard joined Babe Ruth, Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey, Jr. as the only four Major Leaguers with at least four consecutive 40 home run, 120 RBI seasons.

Almost as impressive as Howard’s consistency in sending balls deep into the Philadelphia night…is Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds’ consistent futility.

In 2008, Reynolds became the first Major Leaguer to strike out more than 200 times…he finished with 204. This season, he was sent back to the bench a new record 223 times!

If it means anything to anyone, I’d like to point out that only two National League pitchers (Tim Lincecum and Javier Vazquez) struck out more batters than Reynolds struck out.

Lastly…it is worth mentioning that Brian Roberts (yes, THAT Brian Roberts) secured his status as a doubles hitting machine.

With his league leading 56 doubles, Roberts not only became the fourth Major Leaguer ever to achieve three seasons with more than 50 or more doubles (Hall of Famers Tris Speaker, Paul Waner and Stan Musial are the others)…but he secured the top spot on the “most doubles hit by a switch hitter” list.

And to think, back in March when I

previewed the Baltimore Orioles…I suggested “Monument City” had nothing to celebrate.

I stand corrected.

The season that was...August

Going into the 2009 season, there were about a dozen or so active players with 300 or more home runs. By the time August rolled around…five more joined the club and two others topped 400 and 500 respectively.

Which brings us to (drum roll, please)…Carlos Lee!

When “El Caballo" went deep against his old team, the Brewers on August 8, his Astros became the first team in Major League history to have three players (Ivan Rodriguez and Lance Berkman were the first two) get their 300th home runs in the same season.

Another sidenote...Lee is the only Panamanian born player to hit 300 home runs. And in case you were wondering (and I know you were), Ben Oglivie is next on the "most home runs hit by a Panamanian born player" with 235.

Two nights later, Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero accomplished something that only five others have done...reached 400 career bombs while maintaining a .320 career batting average.

So who are the other throwbacks you ask?

Babe Ruth (.342 career average and 714 home runs), Jimmie Foxx (.325 and 534), Ted Williams (.344 and 521), Lou Gehrig (.340 and 493) and Stan Musial (.331 and 475).

Later in the month, Guerrero became just the 13th player to notch more than 1000 hits with more than two teams. He’s got 1215 from his days in Montreal and ended the season at 1034. And still young at 34, it isn’t out of the question that he could get the 751 hits he needs to get to 3000.

All that aside, I’m picking him as an early lock to get enshrined whenever he decides to hang up his batting gloves, er…cleats.

Also on August 10, Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies hit for the cycle against the Cubs. In doing so…he became only the second player in baseball history to have hit for the cycle and have an unassisted triple play in their career.

The other? John Valentin.

And before he surpassed Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig for what proved to be the most over-hyped milestone of the season, Derek Jeter actually accomplished something a little more impressive than being the Yankees all-time hit leader.

In the span of one week, the Yankees shortstop amassed enough hits to pass up both Luis Aparicio and Omar Vizquel to become the all-time hit leader among shortstops.

Allow me to explain.

Of Vizquel's 2697 hits at the time...2669 came at shortstop, whereas all but four (2673) of Aparicio's 2677 career base knocks came at shortstop. Coming into the August 16 contest against the Mariners, Jeter had 2672 hits as a shortstop.

Clearly, his 3 for 4 that night put him over the top.

To put this achievement into perspective, Cal Ripken Jr. notched 2479 of his 3,184 hits as a shortstop. So, how good is Jeter?

He's a ten-time All-Star (missing the game only twice since 1998), carries a .316 career batting average and in 2003, was named New York's team captain...making him only the 11th player to carry that moniker since 1912.

Not too shabby.

Add to that that his second place finish in the 2006 MVP balloting was the best by a Yankees shortstop since Phil Rizzuto took home the award in 1950 and you've got a legend in the making.

But I didn't have to tell any of you that.

Knock yourself out and check out April, May, June and July...September, naturally, is up next.