New York Yankees SS Derek Jeter moved into 3rd place on the team’s all-time hit list Wednesday passing legend Mickey Mantle in the process. Jeter now trails only Babe Ruth and Lou freakin’ Gehrig on the Yankees list.
In Feb. 1997 we had a private conversation with a then newly ROY Jeter and specifically discussed our mutual hero Mantle, who had passed a couple of years earlier. Jeter, just a kid back then, impressively spoke only of Mantle with the utmost reverence and respect.
Jeter considers himself a true baseball historian, but sometimes when you talk with a ballplayer who says stuff like that, you can tell by the commonality of the references that it’s bullshit. Not in this case. Jeter spoke at length of guys like Ralph Houk and Bobby Murcer and Jim Bouton in relation to Mickey…certainly not names a novice would easily recognize.
That’s the kind of guy who The Mick would want to pass him.
That, plus someone who could belt back a fifth of bourbon, of course.
Heroes aren’t always perfect.
| Player | Hits | Seasons |
| Lou Gehrig | 2721 | 17 |
| Babe Ruth | 2518 | 15 |
| Derek Jeter | 2416 | 14 |
| Mickey Mantle | 2415 | 18 |
