Derek Jeter Honored for his 3,000th Hit!

On Saturday I went to Yankee stadium to see a game between the New York Yankees baseball team and the Tampa Bay Rays.  Before the game a few special presentation ceremonies were held to celebrate the Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter's recent historic milestone of being the 28th major league baseball player and the first Yankee ballplayer to get 3,000 hits.  Jeter accomplished this feat on July 9th, 2011, in a home game against the same Tampa Bay Rays.

First, Jeter donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame representatives the helmet and batting gloves that he wore when he homered for his 3,000th hit. Then the Yankees’ president, Randy Levine, and the team’s chief operating officer, Lonn Trost, gave Jeter a 14-inch inscribed Waterford crystal vase.

Jeter holding the commerative Waterford vase.

Next, Hal Steinbrenner, the managing general partner of the Yankees, and his wife, Christina, presented Jeter and his father, Dr. Charles Jeter, with commemorative rings, while Jeter's mother and sister were presented with pendants of the same design.  The rings Jeter and his father received have 50 diamonds each, 14 making the No. 2, whcih is Jeter's uniform number.

Finally, the entire Yankee team presented Derek with a a 225-pound, mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture. It featured the No. 3,000, topped by a triple-layered bust of Jeter waving his helmet to the crowd. The inscription under the number 3000 reads: "To our captain, leader and friend. Congratulations on a great achievement, from your teammates."

The Yankees went on to win the baseball game by a score 9-2, including two more base hits by Derek Jeter and a grand slam by Jorge Posada!

I wasn't lucky enough to be in Yankee ballpark attendance when Jeter got his 3,000 hit, but I was excited to be present for the special pregame ceremonies honoring him, as he is one of my favorite players and definitely a baseball legand in his own time in the manor of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio and many other Yankee and baseball greats.  Congratulations to Derek Jeter!

I'm linking to "Mosaic Monday" with Mary of The Little Red House blog, Sally's "Blue Monday" on her blog Smiling Sally, and the My World Tuesday crew. Please visit their blogs and enjoy their special blog events!