Derek Jeter's 10 best plays of Hall of Fame Yankees career

May 2024 · 3 minute read
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Derek Jeter on Tuesday was officially elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2020, falling one short shy of becoming the second unanimous inductee in history behind former Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera. Here’s a look back at the 10 best plays of Jeter’s Hall-of-Fame career.

  • 1.The Flip Play

    Perhaps the most iconic play of Jeter’s career came in Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS against the A’s. Shane Spencer overthrew the cutoff man from right field, but Jeter was there to save the day, running over to the first base line to scoop up the ball and flip it to Jorge Posada to tag out the tying run.

  • 2.3,000th hit

    Jeter joined the 3,000-hit club in convincing fashion, cracking a home run off David Price on July 9, 2011. It was part of a 5-for-5 day in a 5-4 win.

  • 3.Last Yankee Stadium At-Bat

    In true Jeter fashion, the shortstop’s final hit at Yankee Stadium came in his final at-bat in the Bronx, lining a single to opposite field to walk the Yankees off against the Orioles on Sept. 25, 2014.

  • 4.Mr. November

    Just minutes after the clock struck midnight and October turned into November, Jeter took Byung-Hyun Kim deep in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Yankees to a 4-3 win in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series against the Diamondbacks, tying the series 2-2.

  • 5.The Dive

    Jeter tracked down Trot Nixon’s pop up down the third base line on July 1, 2004, but he had been running full speed, so his momentum carried him diving into the stands at Yankee Stadium, earning him seven stitches on his chin.

  • 6.Subway Series Leadoff HR

    Fans were just settling into their seats at Shea Stadium for Game 4 of the 2000 World Series when Jeter crushed the first pitch of the game for a leadoff home run.

  • 7.Jeffrey Maier Home Run

    Jeter did get some help on the way to 280 home runs (regular and postseason). In Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS against the Orioles, Jeter hit a fly ball to right field that didn’t have the distance, but Jeffrey Maier helped, reaching over the wall to catch it for what was called a home run.

  • 8.All-Time Yankees Hit Leader

    On the way to 3,000, Jeter became the Yankees’ all-time hits leader, surpassing Lou Gherig’s record of 2,721, with a single on Sept. 11, 2009.

  • 9.First Career Homer

    In the first game of his 1996 Rookie of the Year campaign, the 21-year-old Jeter clubbed his first career home run on Opening Day off Indians pitcher Dennis Martinez at Jacobs Field.

  • 10.Jump Throw

    Jeter’s signature play was his jump throw deep in the hole at shortstop. One of his most memorable came in the 1998 ALCS against the Indians, when he fired a bullet to nab Travis Fryman at first.

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