"If I would have tried to have scripted it myself and presented it to someone, I wouldn't have even bought it, to be honest with you..."
- Derek Jeter on his 3,000th hit
When it was over not even The Captain himself could believe it, and he had already authored some of the most memorable moments in New York Yankees history: The Flip, The Dive, the "Mr. November" walk-off homer in Game Four of the 2001 World Series. Derek Jeter's flair for the dramatic was already well established when he took to the field in the Bronx on July 9, 2011 two hits short of becoming the first player ever to record his 3,000th in a Yankees uniform. A single in the first took the superstar shortstop to the brink, setting up another meeting with the 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price in the third. Jeter battled his way to a full count before launching the Rays ace's curve ball over the wall in left center field. "See ya!" Yankees announcer Michael Kay shouted to YES Network viewers. "3,000! History...with an exclamation point!"
Had the story ended there, with Derek Jeter joining Wade Boggs as the only men to enter the 3,000 Hit Club in such dramatic fashion, it would have been more than enough to prove the magic of the Jeter mystique, but the dazzling performance was far from over as the stalwart leader was swarmed by joyous teammates at home plate. His lead-off double in the fifth started a two-run rally that gave New York the lead, and he added another single in the sixth. Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, Jeter's grounder up the middle brought home Eduardo Nunez, supplying the one run lead that his buddy Mariano Rivera would preserve with a perfect ninth. And so concluded a five-for-five afternoon-a first in the history of the new Yankee Stadium.
Jeter's 3,000th hit was famously returned to him by the young Yankees fan who found himself on the receiving end of history, and certainly the uniform and bat that participated in the magic will never enter the collecting hobby. Presented here is perhaps the most substantial artifact available from that red letter day in baseball history, the Yankees on-deck batting circle, Jeter's final stop before a performance for the ages. The heavy rubber disk measures seventy-one inches in diameter and bears the classic bat and hat Yankee logo and, now, a foot-long black sharpie autograph from Jeter, notated "3000th hit 7-9-11."
Both the on-deck circle and the autograph itself are certified by Steiner Sports, official source for all New York Yankees game material. It's a relic that would be the ultimate centerpiece to any memorabilia room, office, man-cave, or an invaluable draw to a sports bar, restaurant or other public venue.
LOA from Steiner Sports.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA.
Full LOA from JSA.