Derek Jeter Gets 3,000th Hit, Goes 5-For-5, Drives In Winning Run

Derek Jeter not only got the 3,000th hit of his Hall of Fame career on Sunday, but the New York Yankees captain turned the game into one of the best indivdual performance of his career, going 5-for-5 and driving in the game-winning run in the eighth inning as the Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-4.

Jeter singled in the first inning off David Price for his 2,999th hit. He then homered deep into the left-center field bleachers off Price in the third inning for the milestone hit, setting off a wild celebration at Yankee Stadium. The home run was only his third of the season.

Jeter was just getting started, though, in what turned out to be a back-and-forth, tightly-played game,

He led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double into the left-field corner and scored on a Curtis Granderson base hit. In the sixth inning, he singled to right field.

In the eighth inning, Jeter stepped to the plate with the score tied, 4-4, and Eduardo Nunez on third base after Nunez doubled and moved to third on a Brett Gardner sacrifice bunt. Jeter drilled a base hit up the middle off Joel Peralta for the game-winning hit.

When Jeter homered for the 3,000th hit, the Yankee bench erupted, racing onto the field to greet him. The game was halted for several minutes. Jeter is the 28th player to reach 3,000 hits, and his 3,0003 hits now place him 27th all time. Only three players have gotten to 3,000 hits at a younger age.

Jeter is the first player to amass 3,000 hits as a Yankee.

Relief pitcher David Robertson got the win for New York, and Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth inning for his 22nd save.

According to MLB.com, Jeter's home run was caught by 23-year-old Christian Lopez. Lopez quickly agreed to return the ball to Jeter, and the Yankees announced that Lopez will be awarded four tickets to every Yankee home game the rest of the season.

Derek Jeter Homers Off David Price For 3,000th Hit

Derek Jeter set off bedlam in the Bronx in the third inning Saturday, homering off Tampa Bay’s David Price into the seats in left field for the 3,000th hit of his career.

After singling sharply to left field in his first at-bat Jeter worked the count to 3-2, fouled off several pitches and then took a Price offering deep into the left field grandstand seats. The game was delayed several minutes as members of the Yankees streamed onto the field to congratulate the Captain, and by the raucous ovation from the packed house at Yankee Stadium.

Jeter, 37, is the fourth-youngest player to reach 3,000 hits. Only Robin Yount, Hank Aaron and Ty Cobb were younger.

Jeter’s quest for 3,000 seemed to take forever as he went on the disabled list for three weeks with a calf strain when he had reached 2,994. Friday night’s game against Tampa Bay was rained out with Jeter sitting at 2,998 hits.

The home run was only the third of the season for Jeter. It was the 237th of his Hall of Fame career. Jeter is the 28th player in major league history to reach 3,000 hits and only the second to do so via a home run. Wade Boggs homered for his 3,000th hit on Aug. 7, 1999.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Jeter Now One Hit Away

Derek Jeter moved within one hit of 3,000 for his career in the first inning on Saturday, grounding a base hit to left field in the first inning against David Price.

With one more hit Jeter would become the first player to amass 3,000 hits as a New York Yankee.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Sean Rodriguez Stands In The Way Of History

Sean Rodriguez of the Tampa Bay Rays apparently has no sense of history. After Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees doubled to lead off Thursday's game against the Rays, pushing his career hit total to 2,998, Rodriguez made two nice plays to deny Jeter the opportunity to reach 3,000 hits.

Rodriguez, playing third base, made a diving stab of a groundball down the line and threw Jeter out in the third inning. He then ended the game by making a nice play on a slow roller by Jeter, charging it and throwing Jeter out with two runners on base.

Jeter had started the game with a flourish, ripping Jeff Niemann's first pitch into left-center field for a double.

"After the first one, I'd be lying to you if I didn't think it was attainable today," admitted Jeter. "Niemann did a great job ... He settled down."

The atmosphere at Yankee Stadium was fitting. There were signs dotted throughout the Stadium counting down to 3,000. There were loud ovations for Jeter each time he stepped to the plate. Flashbulbs were popping on every pitch. There was, however, no history made.

Jeter will get his next opportunity Friday night with Jeremy Hellickson the starting pitcher for the Rays. Jeter has only two career at-bats against Hellickson, with one hit.

Countdown To 3,000: Derek Jeter Doubles, Now Two Hits Away From 3,000

Derek Jeter wasted absolutely no time Thursday night getting the 2,998th hit of his illustrious major-league career. Jeter lined the first pitch of the night from Tampa Bay starter Jeff Niemann into left-center field for a double. Jeter needs just two more hits to become the 28thy player in baseball history to reach the 3,000 — the only player to amass that total as a Yankee.

According to the YES Network broadcast, Jeter has had 254 three-hit games in his career. This season Jeter has two four-hit games and has gotten two hits in games 17 times. He has not had a three-hit game during the 2011 season.

The Yankees are home for a four-game series against Tampa Bay prior to the All-Star break. Jeter entered the game with a .258 batting average. He had two hits Tuesday against the Cleveland Indians and one more on Wednesday night.

The Rays lead the Yankees, 1-0, in the first inning.

Derek Jeter: Time To Celebrate His Greatness

Derek Jeter sits at 2,997 hits, three shy of becoming the first player in New York Yankees history to amass 3,000 hits, as the Yankees open a four-game series at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Let's hope Yankee fans shower Jeter with their appreciation for the next four days, turning this into the celebratory occasion it should unquestionably be.

It seems like we have been reading about Jeter's quest for 3,000 hits forever now, partially because it was interrupted for several weeks by his stint on the disabled list. But, while everyone has been tracking his approach to 3,000, it doesn't seem like anyone has really been celebrating it. And that's a shame.

It seems like knocking Jeter has become somewhat of a national pastime. He can't go to his left -- tell that to Cleveland's Austin Kearns, by the way, who Jeter robbed of a hit with a brilliant diving play up the middle Wednesday. He doesn't hit for enough power. He's got five World Series rings because he has been surrounded by great players. He's only thought of as great because he's in New York. He is in decline. How much longer can he stay at shortstop? Or, at the top of the lineup.

Can we please, for a few days, put aside the nonsense and celebrate one of the greatest players baseball has ever seen? Jeter is one of the six greatest players in New York Yankees history. Put Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Mariano Rivera and Jeter in any order you want those are the top six players in the history of a team with far more world championships than anyone else.

Lost in all the discussion of Jeter's declining range and batting average is just how great of a player Jeter has been throughout his career.

How great? Jeter has never tried to measure his career by statistics, only victories. ESPN's Jayson Stark, though, looked at the numbers Jeter has compiled and found few players in the history of the game that have done what the Yankee shortstop has.

Only five players have gotten to 3,000 hits faster. Only five other players have gotten 190 or more hits in a season at least 10 times, as Jeter has. Only two other shortstops have reached 3,000 hits.

Stark summarized Jeter this way:

Look, nobody loves debating whether this man is one of the most overrated or underrated players in history more than me. I did, after all, write a book about that once (shameless book-plug link). But there's other stuff to talk about.

And I would never dismiss the importance, to the Yankees, of the clear reality that Jeter isn't the same player he used to be. But there's other stuff to talk about besides that, too.

The reason is this: What Derek Jeter is now -- as a player, as a hitter -- has very little to do with how he got to the precipice of 3,000 hits.

You know what got him here? Greatness. That's what.

Pure, relentless, machine-like greatness. For a decade and a half. Nonstop.

Well said.

Jeter is about to accomplish something no Yankee has ever done. That should say enough. At 37, he isn't the same player he was at 27. Discounting a juiced-up Barry Bonds, you would be hard-pressed to find any athlete who has ever been as good or better at 37 than at 27.

He is one of the best players the game has ever had. Also one of its best people. A great ambassador, a guy about whom there has never been a whiff of controversy -- an amazing thing in this age of Twitter and the 24-hour news cycle.

There has always been jealousy because of the fact that Jeter is a Yankee, because of the championships, because of the beautiful, well-known women who have always attached themselves to him. That, largely, is what has driven much of the anti-Jeter sentiment for the past several years.

For the next few days, though, there should be only appreciation for one of the greatest careers baseball has ever seen. And celebration at Yankee Stadium.

Countdown to Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: 2,997 Down, Three To Go

Derek Jeter will head into a four-game homestand against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium needing just three hits to become the first member of the New York Yankees to amass 3,000 hits with the franchise. When he reaches the mark he will be the 28th player in baseball history to do so.

Jeter went 1-for-3 Wednesday night with a walk during a 5-3 Yankee loss to the Cleveland Indians. His lone hit was an eighth-inning double to right-field off Justin Masterson that pone-hopped the wall in right-center field.

The Yankee Captain was originally not scheduled to play Wednesday as Yankee manager Joe Girardi wanted to give him the day off before the series at Yankee Stadium. Jeter, however, apparently convinced the manager that he should be in the lineup.

Wednesday night Jeter struck out in the first inning, flied to center field in the third inning and walked in the sixth inning prior to his double.

Derek Jeter Will Play Wednesday Against Indians

Derek Jeter will be in the lineup Wednesday night when the New York Yankees face the Cleveland Indians. Yankee manager Joe Girardi had said Tuesday he intended to give Jeter, four hits shy of 3,000 for his career, the night off.

This is the right decision, in my mind. The All-Star break is coming soon and, while Jeter is playing in the game, he will get a couple of days off then. Girardi wants to be cautious with Jeter, who missed three weeks with a calf strain, but sitting him when he is four hits shy of 3,000 is a tad ridiculous.

The manager told reporters he had not been pressured by management to keep Jeter out of the lineup Wednesday in Cleveland.

The Yankees, of course, open a four-game series at Yankee Stadium Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The ideal scenario would be for the Yankee Captain to reach 3,000 during those games against the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

If he gets them tonight, however, so be it. Ultimately the job is to win games not to try to orchestrate a spectacle. If Jeter did not play tonight his 3,000th hit would end up marred by the fact that the Yankees would, ultimately, have looked as if they were guaranteeing it would come at Yankee Stadium,

Besides, if he does happen to have a four-hit night Wednesday then the Yankees would most likely win the game. Which is what they should really be focusing on, anyway.

'The Captain': Book About Derek Jeter Worth A Read

Countdown To 3,000 Hits: Derek Jeter's Quest Getting Serious Now

Derek Jeter’s pursuit of 3,000 hits has officially reached the serious stage. The specially-marked baseballs have arrived.

Jeter went 2-for-6 Tuesday night in Cleveland and is now four hits shy of becoming the first player to amass 3,000 hits as a Yankee. He enters Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Indians with 2,996 career base-hits.

Yankee fans should, of course, be familiar with the specially-marked baseball ritual. They witnessed it when Alex Rodriguez was at 499 home runs seeking his 500th and 599 home runs seeking the 600th of his career.

Once Jeter get to 2,999 hits, each time he steps to the plate the home plate umpire will be handed a batch of baseballs specially marked for the occasion. The brief, but obvious, switcheroo always seemed to bug Rodriguez. We will have to see what it does to Jeter.

Could Jeter get the magic 3,000th hit Wednesday night against the Indians? Well, if manager Joe Girardi lets him play then it is a possibility. Girardi, though, has reportedly been making noises about giving the Yankee Captain and shortstop the night off, fearing pushing him too hard after his stint on the disabled list with a calf strain.

If he plays, though, the 3,000th hit could happen. Jeter has gotten four hits in games twice this season.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Jeter 2-For-6, Reaches 2,996

Derek Jeter got two hits Tuesday night, increasing his career total to 2,996. He needs four more hits to become the 28th player in baseball history to reach 3,000 hits, and the first to amass that many as a member of the New York Yankees.

Jeter got an infield hit in the first inning off Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco on a dribbler down the third-base line. In the second inning Jeter drilled a two-RBI double to deep left-center field to help spark a five-run uprising.

The Yankees banged out 17 hits on the night en route to a 9-2 victory over the Indians.

Jeter is now hitting .257 on the season. Tuesday was his second gamne back from being on the disabled list with a calf strain. Anything less than a four-hit night Wednesday against Cleveland and Jeter will have an opportunity to reach the mark at Yankee Stadium. Beginning Thursday the Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays for four games prior to the All-Star break.

Derek Jeter 0-For-4 In Return To Yankees' Lineup

Derek Jeter went 0-for-4 Monday night in his return to the New York Yankees lineup, his quest to become the first player in franchise history to reach 3,000 hits remaining stuck at 2,994.

The hardest ball Jeter hit all night during a 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians was an eighth-inning line drive to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera off reliever Vinnie Pestano.

Jeter has six games remaining before the All-Star break to reach the 3,000-hit mark. After two more games in Cleveland, the Yankees open a four-game homestand at Yankee Stadium against the Rays on Thursday, leading into the break.

“It feels good to be back,” Jeter said. “I don’t like to miss games, period, so to be out for three weeks — it’s tough to be away, because you want to be out there playing. In retrospect, it probably was the best thing to do."

Jeter is now hitting .256 for the season.

Derek Jeter Set To Return From Disabled List On Monday

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter has been out for a couple weeks with a strained calf, but according to USA Today Jeter is set to return to the lineup on Monday when the Yankees face the Cleveland Indians. Returning to the lineup at this time gives Jeter a good shot to top the 3,000 hit mark while at Yankee Stadium. The Bombers will play seven games at home starting Monday before the All-Star break, and Jeter is just six hits shy of 3,000.

"I feel good now," Jeter told the Associated Press after today's workout at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Fla. "I'm ready to get out of here."

Jeter will spend some time rehabbing with Double-A Trenton over the weekend before heading back to Gotham for Monday's game. He is hitting just .260 this season with two home runs and 20 rbi.

For more on the Bronx Bombers, head on over to our Yankee blog Pinstripe Alley.

Derek Jeter Headed To Disabled List?

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will not play Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers and the Yankees are reportedly "strongly considering" placing him on the 15-day disabled list. That news derails, possibly for a few weeks, Jeter's quest to become the first to amass 3,000 hits as a Yankee.

Jeter has 2,994 career hits and the Yankees have three games remaining on their current 10-game homestand. The hope, of course, was that Jeter would reach the 3,000-hit plateau prior to the Yankees heading out on the road for interleague games against the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

At least one blogger has floated the notion that while Jeter might not be faking an injury the Yankees will use this as an excuse to place him on the disabled list so that they can orchestrate making certain his 3,000th hit comes at Yankee Stadium. Needing six with three games to play, and now not playing in one of those, getting the six hits he needs seems unlikely.

For me, that's a preposterous notion. Everyone connected with the Yankees -- the organization, fans, Jeter himself -- would like to see the Yankee Captain reach the milestone at Yankee Stadium. Getting it at Wrigley Field in Chicago or Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, where he has no connection or history, just would seem somewhat hollow. No Yankee has ever reached this mark, and it would be special to do it in the Bronx.

The Yankees, though, are not going to sacrifice winning -- and a shot at the 28th World Series title that is their mandate -- for the PR of ensuring that Jeter gets his 3,000th hit at home.

Injury Slows Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit

Derek Jeter got the 2,994th base hit of his illustrious career Monday night, but his chase to become the first player to get 3,000 hits as a New York Yankee has hit a snag. Jeter left Monday’s game against the Cleveland Indians in the fifth inning with a sore right calf.

No word from the Yankees yet as to the severity of Jeter’s injury. The hope has been that Jeter, now six hits shy of the 3,000-hit plateau, would be able to reach the milestone during the current home stand. The Yankees play the Texas Rangers in a three-game series before heading to Chicago to face the Cubs in interleague play.

Jeter was 1-for-3 Monday night before exiting the game. He is now batting .260 on the season. He led off the game with a single, grounded into a fielder’s choice in the second inning and flied out in the fifth.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: At 2,993, Can He Reach Mark At Yankee Stadium?

Barring something catastrophic, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will soon become the 28th player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 3,000-hit plateau. The question is, can he collect the seven hits he still needs in the next four games, which would allow him to reach the milestone in front of the home fans at Yankee Stadium?

Jeter went 2-for-5 with two RBI during Sunday’s 9-1 victory over Cleveland. He now has 2,993 career hits. Other players have reached the 3,000-hit mark while playing for the Yankees. None, however, have amassed all of their hits while wearing a Yankee uniform.

Thus, reaching the mark at home would be an an achievement sure to set off a celebration in the Bronx, and would be more memorable than if Jeter accomplishes the feat on the road. Especially since the next round of inter-league play begins after the Yankees finish their current homestand against Cleveland and Texas.

Somehow, reaching the mark at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs or at Great American Ball Park Against the Cincinnati Reds just doesn’t seem quite right.

So, here’s to hoping Jeter — hitting just .259 right now — can find a little magic the next few days and get to 3,000 at Yankee Stadium.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Captain Needs Nine More

Derek Jeter moved within nine hits of 3,000 Friday night with a seventh-inning double off Chad Durbin of the Cleveland Indians. The New York Yankee Captain has 2,991 career hits as he seeks to become the first player to amass 3,000 hits for the Yankee franchise.

There are six games left in the current Yankee homestand, so Jeter needs to have hot streak if he is going to reach the milestone while the team is at Yankee Stadium.

One of the most recent players to join the 3,000-hit club, Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn, warned that the last 10 hits en route to 3,000 are the most difficult.

Getting to 2,990 was simple," Gwynn said this week as the Yankees captain and shortstop closed in on the magic number. "Those last 10 are hard to get, because your thinking changes. All along you're just grinding it out, trying to hit the ball hard, trying to do things right. But as you get closer to it you try to cheat to get hits. People are coming to see you get hits, so it gets a little bit tougher. ...

"I keep talking about that pressure. It just starts to mount as you get closer. And you put pressure on yourself because you want to do it at home, but I fell short. It's funny how things work out, but it did. And it was pretty cool. I wouldn't change a thing."

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Single Puts Him At 2,990

Derek Jeter went 1-for-4 Thursday night, pushing his hit total to 2,990. He is now 10 hits away from becoming the first player in the history of the New York Yankees to get 3,000 hits. The Yankees have seven games left on their current homestand, four with the Cleveland Indians and three with the Texas Rangers.

If you have read Ian O'Connor's book about Jeter, titled 'The Captain,' you may know much of the back story behind how Jeter was scouted and how he fell to the Yankees. If you haven't you can get a little bit of the flavor of it by reading MLB.com's interview with Dick Groch, who scouted Jeter before the Yankees drafting him sixth overall in 1992.

Groch recognized an aura of leadership in the prospect.

"It's the difference between going to the Kentucky Derby and the state fair," Groch said. "When you see Secretariat, it takes your breath away. It's the same intangibles ... the relaxation, the fact that he believes in himself, that he doesn't understand there's such a thing as failure. It doesn't exist."

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Jeter Now 11 Hits Away

Derek Jeter went 1-for-5 against the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night, an RBI double pushing his career hit total to 2,989. Jeter is just 11 hits away from becoming the first player to get 3,000 hits as a New York Yankee.

Jeter’s double came off Boston starter Tim Wakefield during a three-run Yankee fifth inning. The Yankee Captain had an opportunity in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and the Yankees trailing, 8-5, but banged into a double play.

Jeter has eight games left on the current Yankee homestand to get those 11 hits if he is to reach the 3,000-hit plateau at Yankee Stadium. At his current pace he would fall two hits short of 3,000 during the homestand.

The Yankees face Boston’s Josh Beckett tonight in the finale of their three-game series. After that the Cleveland Indians come to New York for four games and the Texas Rangers for three.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Pair Of Singles Brings Him To 2,988

Derek Jeter has said he would “love” to reach the 3,000-hit plateau during the New York Yankees’ current homestand. Jeter got that effort off to a good start Tuesday night, going 2-for-5 in a 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox to bring his hit total to 2,988.

Jeter got an infield single and a line drive single to center field. Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia also took a hit away from him with a nice back-hand play on a one-hope line drive.

The game marked the first of a 10-game homestand for New York. Jeter now needs 12 hits in his next nine games to reach the 3,000-hit mark. He would become the first player in baseball history to get 3,000 hits as a a New York Yankee.

Jeter is hitting .263 this season and has 62 hits in 56 games played. At his current pace the 36-year-old shorstop would finish the current homestand with 2,998 hits, two short of the milestone. So, he is going to have to pick up the pace a bit.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: At 2,986, Can He Reach Milestone At Yankee Stadium?

Derek Jeter went 1-for-5 Sunday, bringing his career hit total to 2,986 as the New York Yankees ended a nine-game West Coast trip with a 5-3 victory over the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim.

The Yankees begin a 10-game homestand Tuesday night — three against the Boston Red Sox, four against the Cleveland Indians and finishing with three against the Texas Rangers. All eyes will be on Jeter to see if the Yankee shortstop can reach the milestone by the time the homestand ends on June 16 against Texas.

Jeter is currently hitting .260 and has 60 hits in 55 games. At his current pace Jeter would get 11 base hits during the homestand, leaving him at 2,997 hits, three shy of the milestone, when the Yankees head to Chicago to face the Cubs in inter-league play.

Somehow, it would seem like a travesty if Jeter were to become the first Yankee to reach the 3,000-hit plateau against a National League team he has only played six games against in his career and in a ballpark that is foreign to him.

To reach 3,000 hits at home Jeter will have to pick up the pace a bit. The Yankee Captain has nearly always risen to the occasion in the big moments of the playoffs and pennant races.

I have a feeling this will be no different. I will be surprised if he doesn’t reach the 3,000-hit mark during the June 14-16 series at Yankee Stadium against Texas.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit: Jeter Goes 1-For-4, Sits At 2,984

Derek Jeter did one of the things he has always done best Wednesday afternoon. He doubled in his first at-bat and came around to score later on a double by Alex Rodriguez to give the New York Yankees a 1-0 lead. The Yankees went on to win, 4-2.

That was Jeter’s only hit on the day as he went 1-for-4 and now has 2,984 career hits, 16 short of becoming the first player to ever reach 3,000 as a Yankee.

The Yankees are off Thursday before starting a three-game series in Anaheim against the Angels.

There are only a handful of players in baseball history with 3,000 hits for the same organization. Here is the list:

1) Ty Cobb – 3,900 hits with the Detroit Tigers.
2) Stan Musial – 3,630 hits with the St. Louis Cardinals.
3) Hank Aaron – 3,600 hits with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves.
4) Carl Yastrzemski – 3,419 hits with the Boston Red Sox.
5) Pete Rose – 3,358 hits with the Cincinnati Reds.
6) Willie Mays – 3,187 hits with the New York/San Francisco Giants.
7) Cal Ripken Jr. – 3,184 hits with the Baltimore Orioles.
8) George Brett – 3,154 hits with the Kansas City Royals.
9) Robin Yount – 3,142 hits with the Milwaukee Brewers.
10) Tony Gwynn – 3,141 hits with the San Diego Padres.
11) Craig Biggio – 3,060 hits with the Houston Astros.
12) Al Kaline – 3,007 hits with the Detroit Tigers.
13) Roberto Clemente – 3,000 hits with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3000th Hit: Jeter Now At 2,983

Derek Jeter went 2-for-4 Tuesday night against the Oakland Athletics with a pair of singles, and now has 2,983 base hits in his career. Jeter is 17 hits away from becoming the first player to record 3,000 hits as a New York Yankee.

Jeter is now hitting .264 this season. The Yankee shortstop also scored three runs Tuesday night, highlighting another aspect of his game that sometimes goes unnoticed. Jeter has scored more than 100 runs in 13 seasons, and his total of 1,718 runs scored is third on the franchise's all-time list behind Babe Ruth (1,959) and Lou Gehrig (1,888). So, this looks like another Yankee record within Jeter's reach before his career comes to a close.

Tuesday night was the 42nd game in which Jeter has been the Yankees leadoff hitter this season. He has reached base safely in his first at-bat 21 of those times this season.

"That’s giving your team an opportunity to score in the first inning, so I think he’s playing pretty well," manager Joe Girardi said.

Countdown To Derek Jeter's 3,000th Hit

Derek Jeter should make baseball history some time in the month of June, becoming the 28th player and -- more impressively -- the first member of the historic New York Yankees to reach the 3,000-hit plateau. Jeter has 2,981 hits -- 19 away from 3,000 -- as the Yankees prepare to face the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night (10:05 p.m. ET).

Follow SB Nation New York for the next few weeks as Jeter continues to climb toward the milestone. We will update his progress continually, and add features, links to Jeter stories or tributes found around the Inter-Google, some Jeter trivia. Pretty much anything Jeter-related we can come up with.

There are plenty of stories about Jeter's decline or his future with the Yankees. Or, what the future holds for him. We will touch on those, but mostly try to save them for another day and honor what he is on the precipice of achieving. Especially the fact that no other Yankee has ever done it.

Below is the list of all 27 players who currently have at least 3,000 base hits.

1. Pete Rose, 4,256
2. Ty Cobb, 4,191
3. Hank Aaron, 3,771
4. Stan Musial, 3,630
5. Tris Speaker, 3,514
6. Carl Yastrzemski, 3,419
7. Cap Anson, 3,418
8. Honus Wagner, 3,415
9. Paul Molitor, 3,319
10. Eddie Collins, 3,315
11. Willie Mays, 3,283
12. Eddie Murray, 3,255
13. Nap Lajoie, 3,242
14. Cal Ripken, Jr., 3,184
15. George Brett, 3,154
16. Paul Waner, 3,152
17. Robin Yount, 3,142
18. Tony Gwynn, 3,141
19. Dave Winfield, 3,110
20. Craig Biggio, 3,060
21. Rickey Henderson, 3,055
22. Rod Carew, 3,053
23. Lou Brock, 3,023
24. Rafael Palmeiro, 3,020
25. Wade Boggs, 3,010
26. Al Kaline, 3,007
27. Roberto Clemente, 3,000