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.