The flip play. 2001 ALDS. The Yankees, having lost the first two of a best of 5 series with the A's, were clinging to a 1 run lead in game 3, bottom of the 7th, 2 outs. In Oakland. Lose and go home. With the tying run chugging around third, Yankee right fielder Shane Spencer overthrows his cut-off man so bad, he even overthrew the cut-off man's backup. Somehow, Derek Jeter sees this, sprints over toward the first base line, grabs the ball, and does a wishbone-type option flip to Jorge Posada who tags out Jeremy Giambi just before his foot hits the plate. To me, this is the best and most clutch baseball play in baseball history. In that moment, Derek Jeter separated himself to the level of the Mickey Mantles and Babe Ruths in Yankee lore. He had already won some championships. But, this one. Damn. What a heads up play.
This play single handedly turned around the playoffs for the Yankees. They went on to win that series 3-2 and then beat Seattle 4-1 in the ALCS to make it to the World Series. Now, I don't know if any of you remember what happened in New York about a month before the flip play in 2001. But, as a small recap, about 30 or so fuck sticks thought it would be a good idea to fly planes into both of the twin towers, the Pentagon, and almost the White House if it weren't for some heroic moves by some of our fellow citizens in the Pennsylvania air space. Yea. I'm talking about 9/11. And here is Derek Jeter. The Yankee Captain. The face of the franchise. The face of baseball really single handedly saving this game and the post season for the Yankees in 2001. Now, I would love to tell you that this post season ended with another Yankee Championship. But, the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees on a walk-off improbable bullshit bloop fucker (no, not pissed at all) by Luis Gonzales against Mariano Rivera. (By the way, on the way to getting to a Game 7, Derek Jeter hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2).
This man has done things for the Yankees that you could never script. Diving into the stands against the red sox catching the ball and coming up bloody and woozy. In a regular season game too, I think. And, who would ever pen that he would become the all-time Yankee hit leader on the anniversary of 9/11 in 2009. A feat that, incidentally, didn't get quite the media coverage that it should have I must say. He did it on 9 freaking 11 people! Anyway, then there is today. Needing only two hits to reach 3,000 career hits coming into the game, Derek Jeter not only got there, he pounded his 3000th hit into the left field seats, went 5-5, was a triple away from the cycle, and hit the game winning RBI in the bottom of the 8th. Wow. Just wow.
Jaxon & I just watched the HBO Documentary Derek Jeter 3K. Amazing. Great behind the scenes stuff as Jeter worked his way toward 3,000 hits. Great interviews that showed us how utterly respected he is around the league and by the legends. You know, I've always wished I would have been alive when Mickey Mantle was playing. Dude was from Oklahoma and was arguably the best baseball player ever. Now, I find myself feeling fortunate to be experiencing Derek Jeter's last days along side my 5 year old son who is experiencing his first days as a baseball fan.
"Daddy, Derek Jeter is my favorite Yankee of all time," the little dude said to me tonight. Perfect.
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