September 9th vs. The Rays
For 25,700 days, no one touched Lou Gehrig’s Yankees career hit record. But, today, Derek Jeter made it a milestone built for two. And, now, on 9/11, Jeter will have a chance to break that tie and own the record.
Oh, by the way, the Yankees won another game in dramatic comeback fashion. Actually, it’s starting to feel like New York will hardly ever lose a game again – and never lose another game at home. High fives and fist bumps go to the Yankees bullpen and Jorge Posada for this “W.” But, obviously, this night, on the whole, belonged to Derek Jeter – as he collected three hits on the evening, and, in the process, matched the New York Yankees record for career hits (a mark held by Lou Gehrig with 2,721 career base hits).
Too bad the Rays walked Jeter in the 8th inning. But, that record breaking hit will come…and many more will follow after it.
New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter hits a single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009, at Yankee Stadium in New York. The hit tied Jeter with Lou Gehrig for most hits by a Yankee. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
It would have been nice if Michael Kay, in the YES coverage, didn’t insist on talking so much, and shouting, during Jeter’s AB in the 7th, huh?
Oh, by the way, a prediction: Jeter will not get a hit on 9/11 and will break the record on 9/12? Why?
I had tickets for 9/12 and had to sell them – as my kids will be attending a birthday party that day, and I want to be there. So, you just know the Yankees Gods will make me pay for that…
I wish I had known that Chas, BEFORE I bought a ticket to Friday’s game.
Chas? Wrong board. Sorry, Steve.
Jeez. Major brainflatulence by me.
This game started out all types wrong and ended all right. I’ve become pretty much numb to the experience of watching #62 and he’s usually out of the game now before I become nauseated. I honestly didn’t think that Jeter was going to get more than two hits and I figured the Yanks would have difficulty hitting a guy who I don’t think they have seen yet. Then the night turned into one of those nights reminiscent of the old stadium because there was that special vibe. The collective excitement of watching a milestone unfold along with that feeling that this team cannot be stopped at home.
Good for Derek, i’m sure we’ll have all the chances in the world to acknowledge his accomplishment when he breaks it against Baltimore.
However, the real story of the game is still around Joba. How does he sit there in the first inning and do his same, tired scene of straight, slow fastballs and weak sliders then change it all after Derek comes in and says some words to him. Is that what it takes to make the kid work faster, throw out a better pitch selection and throw harder? I don’t get it, it all confuses me.
His second and third innings were very impressive, how do we get him to do that more often?
G.I. Joey wrote:
I really felt the same way. I wasn’t home for the first six innings but I got home right as they were singing “God Bless America” and got to see Jeter’s record-tying hit a few moments later. The whole time Jeter was on base I kept thinking “there’s no way they can lose this game after Jeter tied Gehrig, right?” Sure enough, Posada took care of business.
Just a few questions to everyone who watched from the beginning:
1) How did #62 look? More of the same nonsense of shaking off his catcher? Did he locate his fastball? Was be varying his pitches or still throwing the same slider in the dirt low and outside?
2) I saw that Molina started the game. Why was Frankie catching in the 7th? Did Molina get hurt?
YankCrank wrote:
there’s more to it than that, IMO. Joba is pretty good at getting 2 strikes, and he did that throughout his outing. There was, however, a difference after Jeter left the mound. It looked, to me anyway, that Jeter yelled at him and told him to stop pussy footing around with 2 strikes. Before Jeter went to the mound, Joba did his usual routine. He shook off molina, he threw the 2 strike slider every time. He got 1 K on the slider, but then they started to take it. Then when he couldn’t get on the same page as Molina and Molina had to visit the mound, so did Jeter. Once Molina left, then Jeter got his word in. Once that happened, Joba stopped throwing the 2 strike slider. The very next batter he got ahead 0-2 (like he seemingly does all the time) and instead of throwing the 0-2 slider, he froze the batter with a fastball perfectly place on the outside corner. Clearly the hitter was taking all the way, expecting a slider. From there, Joba had 0 issues throughout the rest of his outing, as he attacked every hitter and didn’t throw another 2 strike slider. It may be premature but, this might be a turning point.
Corey wrote:
I certainly hope so. I hope this was Joba’s turning point, and I hope Burnett’s last start was a turning point. We’ll need these guys if we wanna get out of the first round.
Does anyone know what Jeter said to #62?
If it took Jeter’s saying something, I wonder where the hell Girardi, Eiland and Posada were and if they were taking notes. As much as I rag on #62, I lay some of his failures at the coaching staff/catcher’s feet. If you can’t communicate what you need from him in simple enough terms then you’re not doing your job.
@ MJ:
i’m not really sure, I have the game DVR’ed though. When I go home tonight i’ll have a look and see if I can read his lips. All i know is, after he said his 2 cents Joba seemed like a different pitcher.