Quite a bit of baseball these days. Last night the National League defeated the American League 5 – 1 in the All-Star Game, which still makes me happy, even after years of confusingly shifting allegiances. Continuing on the theme, we’ll be cashing in on Jackson’s perfect attendance during the final grading period this past school year by going this evening to watch the Round Rock Express, our local Triple-A affiliate, and farm team of the Texas Rangers. It’s going to be hotter than hell the first few innings, so I’ll seek shade until it cools down.
Those minor league games aren’t really about baseball anyway, at least not when you go with kids. They’re more about the food (kids eat free tonight – yay!) and the rock climbing wall, which Diego and Jackson like to scale again and again and again.
The boldest baseball headline – maybe the boldest sports headline came this past Saturday, when Derek Jeter finally reached the milestone he’s been approaching all year – 3,000 hits. He takes his place in history, not only as the 26th man ever to achieve the feat, but also as only the second ever to do it with a homerun (Wade Boggs being the other) and, surprisingly, I thought, the only Yankee ever to reach 3,000. I don’t think there’s been much doubt he’ll reach the Hall of Fame – I think we’ve known this for a few years now. With this accomplishment Jeter can start to picture his number 2 posted up there in Yankee Stadium with all the other single-digit greats of the past, like Mantle (7), Berra (9), DiMaggio (5), Ruth (3) and Gehrig (4), none of whom accomplished what he has.
I feel a little bit about Derek Jeter the way I do about U2. It’s a bit different, in that I was brought up by a rabid Yankee-hating Brooklyn Dodger fan. During my brief rebellion in the mid-1990’s, I watched Jeter, then a baby-faced rookie, famous for his good manners and near perfect swing, quietly take on his role as captain of a constantly rotating band of baseball superstars. He did it with unquestionable class and finesse. Like the Irish rock and roll band, his success grew and grew; U2 became a supergroup, he became a superstar. And I was there from the beginning for both.
3,000 hits is a remarkable milestone; anyone who knows anything about baseball acknowledges that. Doing it in New York City, where the sports chatter never stops, and they love to report on who you’re dating, makes it even more impressive. Jeter has spent his entire career in Yankee pinstripes, and I’d be surprised if he retires wearing anything else. He’s famous for saying it’s the only team he’s ever wanted to play for.
In my mind, his even greater accomplishment was converting me – however briefly – into (sorry, Dad) a Yankee fan.
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