Yankee and baseball fan alike will forever remember the day of July 9, 2011. It was a day where Derek Jeter who has been face of the New York Yankee baseball since mid-90s got his 3000th hit. This is a shortstop who has given this team five World Series rings but has had a tough season as age and father time are slowly enveloping the man once called The Boy Wonder.
Derek Jeter got his 3000th hit to the delight of the Yankees faithful with a home run off Tampa Bay pitcher David Price in his second at bat after getting a single in the 1st inning. It was a joy to watch as he was drenched in applause not just by the faithful and his teammates (especially Jorge Posada who was the first to mob him at home plate) but the respect he received from the Tampa Bay Rays.
It was a moment validating the class, poise and leadership Jeter has shown in his tenure with a team that has had 27 Championships and past greats (Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Goose Gossage, Reggie Jackson, Thurmon Munson, Catfish Hunter, Dave Winfield and before Jeter, Don Mattingly) play for them. Yet, the Captain was not done as he got three more hits during the game. Amazingly, he finished with a 5 for 5 game. You can't write a script like a script for a moment like that. In addition, his final hit drove in what proved to be the go ahead run and his 3003rd hit.
New York won 5-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays in front of a sold out crowd. Jeter is now the 28th ballplayer to reach 3000 hits. He is also the 4th youngest to reach this feat which features many notable names such as Ty Cobb and Pete Rose. Not only that, but he is the first Yankee to have 3000 hits, which is amazing considering the great hitters that have played for one of baseball's storied franchise in nearly a century.
In another note, the fan who caught the ball gave it back to Jeter and got some nice perks to boot as he describes his actions down below:
For the at-bat that led to the 3000th hit and home run it can be seen here:
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Farewell to Yao Ming
After nine injury plagued seasons, Yao Ming has called it quits. It's sad to see such a nice human being who was not only a good NBA player when healthy but an ambassador to the game of basketball. He was literally larger than life at 7 feet and 6 inches tall and put up decent stats. Unfortunately, genetics due to his massive height proved to be his undoing.
Much like giants like Ralph Sampson, Bill Walton and Arvydas Sabonis, their height and the punishment they received over the years broke them down. It's a shame because if healthy he would have been not just an ambassador but someone who would have given Dwight Howard a run for his money for the best center of the game.
He will be sorely missed but he gave some good memories early on especially when he stood tall against Shaq in their first encounter. It was a big thing heading into the 2002-03 season. The first meeting was further hyped by Shaq's insensitive comments towards Yao in the Summer before. As you can see in this video below:
Yao was instrumental in opening the game to over a billion people from the Middle Kingdom. It allowed the game of basketball to be seen and played in what many businesses have been trying to tap for over 30 years. In fact, if you go to China, you'll see a lot of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or even Kevin Durant jerseys. Amazing, considering that this was not the case ten or even twenty years ago when a certain player named MJ ruled the NBA. He even starred in some very funny commercials as evidenced below:
In addition, this commercial that was also hysterically funny when you consider the recent events of the last few years.
In addition, Yao was a symbol for the Chinese Gov't to show to the world every single night. His popularity in China alone helped him get voted to the All Star Game. For example, the 2011 NBA All Star Game in Los Angeles. He was out for the season because of a hairline fracture from his ankle that came from an old injury despite the Rockets best efforts to save his career going forward. Alas, the damage had been done.
At the very least, he left on his own terms rather than playing for a couple more years that would have aggravated his injuries even further. For that, I respect him for leaving before it would have debilitated him for life much like it has done for others.
Much like giants like Ralph Sampson, Bill Walton and Arvydas Sabonis, their height and the punishment they received over the years broke them down. It's a shame because if healthy he would have been not just an ambassador but someone who would have given Dwight Howard a run for his money for the best center of the game.
He will be sorely missed but he gave some good memories early on especially when he stood tall against Shaq in their first encounter. It was a big thing heading into the 2002-03 season. The first meeting was further hyped by Shaq's insensitive comments towards Yao in the Summer before. As you can see in this video below:
Yao was instrumental in opening the game to over a billion people from the Middle Kingdom. It allowed the game of basketball to be seen and played in what many businesses have been trying to tap for over 30 years. In fact, if you go to China, you'll see a lot of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or even Kevin Durant jerseys. Amazing, considering that this was not the case ten or even twenty years ago when a certain player named MJ ruled the NBA. He even starred in some very funny commercials as evidenced below:
In addition, this commercial that was also hysterically funny when you consider the recent events of the last few years.
In addition, Yao was a symbol for the Chinese Gov't to show to the world every single night. His popularity in China alone helped him get voted to the All Star Game. For example, the 2011 NBA All Star Game in Los Angeles. He was out for the season because of a hairline fracture from his ankle that came from an old injury despite the Rockets best efforts to save his career going forward. Alas, the damage had been done.
At the very least, he left on his own terms rather than playing for a couple more years that would have aggravated his injuries even further. For that, I respect him for leaving before it would have debilitated him for life much like it has done for others.
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