JETER TIES GEHRIG, LEADS YANKS TO 91ST VICTORY

Tonite Derek Jeter broke an 0 for 12 mini-slump with 3 hits (including a bunt base hit) in the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Rays to tie Lou Gehrig as the all-time Yankees hits leader.  Jeter had an opportunity for yet another hit in the bottom of the 8^th to overtake Gehrig, but drew a walk on a low-and-outside pitch after working the count full. 

The temporary postponement of Derek’s ascension to the Yankees hitting throne notwithstanding, tonite’s game is no doubt destined to be seen again on Yankees Classics.  The Yankees trailed 2-0 as late as the 8^th inning, at which point the sinking Rays seemed intent on giving the game away, when their first baseman threw what might have been a double play-starting throw into left field.  But the Yankees didn’t need any help.  After Cano struck out (more on him later), Jorge Posada launched a monster 3-run homer into the right field stands to take a 4-2 lead and cement the Yanks’ 91^st win, their 45^th come-from-behind victory of the year. 

While none of Jeter’s hits contributed directly to the 4-run 8^th inning, he was, for my money, the cause of tonite’s victory. 

You will note that Jeter is hailed for what is referred to as “his intangibles.”  Tonite his intangibles included the excitement he generated with each base hit.  While the Yanks were unable to pull the trigger offensively for most of the night, you never would have noticed this.  The crowd was never discouraged; and, indeed, the excitement in the stadium only became more intense with each passing inning – so much so that the collapse of the Rays’ lead became inevitable.  The butterfly feeling I (and doubtless many other Yankee fans) had in the pit of my stomach as the excitement built, just knowing that the Yankees were going to pull this one out – that the night was too special for them not to do so – was wonderful to feel again.  I don’t recall having that feeling of inevitable Yankee triumph since the inspired days of Brosius-O’Neill-Cone-Bernie-Rivera-Jeter. 

A colleague of mine pointed out today that the Yankees are currently on pace to win 105 games.  While a number of teams have won 100 games throughout the years, very few teams win 105 or more games, which makes 105 victories a bit of a threshold for being a “great” team – assuming, of course, that the team goes on to win the World Series.  In light of the flaws and inconsistencies in the Yankees’ pitching, the injuries, etc., I’m still far from convinced that this year’s Yankees team will ultimately qualify as one of those “great” teams (I think they will need an awesome post-season to make a run for that claim).  That having been said, when I see the Yanks rally around their Captain tonite, and when I see them once again literally will a victory away from another team, it’s hard not to feel their energy – their intangibles at work.  Maybe this is a great team in the making.  Maybe Jeter will finally be named league MVP.  We shall see.

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