Derek Jeter became the New York Yankees' all-time hits leader on September 11, 2009, when he singled to right field off Baltimore rookie Chris Tillman in the third inning at Yankee Stadium. It was hit No. 2,722, one more than Lou Gehrig, who'd owned the franchise record for more than 70 years.
The Orioles won the game 10-4. Nobody remembers that part, and honestly, nobody should.
The Slump Before the Record
Here's the funny thing about the chase: it started with Jeter looking like a guy who'd forgotten how to hit. He walked into the Stadium on Wednesday, September 9, stuck in an 0-for-12 skid -- his worst slump of the season, in a year when he'd finish at .334. (Only Jeter could turn a 12-at-bat cold spell into a national storyline.)
Then he went 3-for-4 against Tampa Bay. He stole second in the first inning, too -- his 300th career steal, which put him behind only Rickey Henderson (326) on the franchise list. A double came later. And in the seventh, he lined a single into right field off Jeff Niemann for No. 2,721.
Tied with Gehrig.
The night got better from there. Jorge Posada pinch-hit in the eighth and crushed a three-run homer off Grant Balfour to flip a deficit into a 4-2 win. Jeter stepped in right after with a shot at the record, and Balfour walked him. The crowd booed. I'd have booed too (although I'm still not sure what anybody wanted the poor guy to do -- groove one?).
It's just kind of mind-boggling to know my name is next to his.
Rain, Then History
Two days later, the Orioles came to town and the sky opened up. Heavy rain pushed the first pitch back 87 minutes, and a soaked crowd of 46,771 sat through it in ponchos, because nobody was leaving before No. 2,722.
The rain had eased by the third inning. Jeter stepped in against Tillman, a 21-year-old right-hander who'd made his big-league debut about six weeks earlier, and ripped a sharp grounder past first base into right field. Almost the exact same hit that tied the record on Wednesday. (The man had a type.)
His teammates didn't wait. They poured out of the dugout and swarmed him at first base, and the ovation ran about three minutes while the crowd chanted his name. The ball came out of play as a keepsake, which, given the weather, probably saved it from drowning.
One catch: the hit only counted if the game went five innings, and nobody in the building trusted that sky. It became official when the Orioles made their last out in the top of the fifth. Jeter had already added No. 2,723 by then -- an RBI single in the fourth that made it 4-1. Then Baltimore scored the game's last nine runs. Whatever.
| Record Hit | No. 2,722 (passing Gehrig's 2,721) |
| Date | Friday, September 11, 2009 |
| Opponent / Pitcher | Baltimore Orioles / Chris Tillman |
| The Hit | Third-inning single to right field |
| Rain Delay | 87 minutes before first pitch |
| Attendance | 46,771 |
| Final Score | Orioles 10, Yankees 4 |
| Tying Hit (No. 2,721) | Sept. 9 vs. Tampa Bay, 7th-inning single off Jeff Niemann |
| Jeter's 2009 Season | .334, 212 hits, 18 HR, 66 RBI, 30 SB |
Why Gehrig Mattered to Him
Jeter didn't usually get sentimental about numbers. This one was different, and he said so.
I can't think of anything else that stands out more so, and I say that because of the person that I was able to pass. Lou Gehrig, being a former captain and what he stood for, you mention his name to any baseball fan around the country, it means a lot.
The parallels are a little eerie. Gehrig was 35 and the Yankees' captain when ALS took his career from him. He played his final game on April 30, 1939, and the streak ended days later, with 2,721 hits and a .340 average on his ledger. Jeter was 35 and wearing the captain's title when he passed him, in the first season of the new Stadium across the street from where Gehrig played.
Gehrig didn't stop at 2,721 because he got old. He stopped because ALS stopped him. That's worth keeping in mind whenever someone brings up the record as a pure numbers contest.
What Came After
The Orioles win didn't cost the club anything. The 2009 Yankees won 103 games and then beat the Phillies in six for ring No. 27, with Jeter finishing third in the AL MVP vote behind Joe Mauer and teammate Mark Teixeira.
Two years later he homered off David Price for No. 3,000. He finished in 2014, a few days after he walked off in his final home game, with 3,465 hits, all of them in pinstripes.
That's 744 hits past the mark Gehrig held for seven decades. I'm not saying nobody will ever catch Jeter. I'm saying I'd like to meet the shortstop who plans on playing 20 years in the Bronx without leaving.
Gehrig's Final Game
Gehrig goes hitless in a 3-2 loss to Washington, his last game. His career total of 2,721 hits stands as the franchise record.
Tied at 2,721
Jeter snaps an 0-for-12 slump with three hits against Tampa Bay, including a seventh-inning single off Jeff Niemann. Posada's pinch-hit homer wins it 4-2.
No. 2,722
After an 87-minute rain delay, Jeter singles to right off Chris Tillman in the third. Teammates mob him at first base. Baltimore wins 10-4.
Ring No. 27
The Yankees beat Philadelphia in Game 6 to win the World Series in the first season at the new Stadium.
No. 3,000
Jeter homers off David Price for his 3,000th hit and goes 5-for-5.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Derek Jeter pass Lou Gehrig for the Yankees hits record?
On Friday, September 11, 2009, at Yankee Stadium. Jeter singled to right field off Baltimore's Chris Tillman in the third inning for his 2,722nd hit, one more than Gehrig. He'd tied Gehrig two nights earlier against Tampa Bay.
How many hits did Lou Gehrig have as a Yankee?
Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits, all with the Yankees, from 1923 through his final game on April 30, 1939. That stood as the franchise record for more than 70 years until Jeter passed it.
Who gave up Derek Jeter's record-breaking 2,722nd hit?
Chris Tillman, a 21-year-old Orioles rookie who'd made his major league debut in late July 2009. The tying hit, No. 2,721, came off Tampa Bay's Jeff Niemann on September 9.
Did the Yankees win the game when Jeter broke Gehrig's record?
No. Baltimore won 10-4 in a game that started after an 87-minute rain delay. Jeter went on to add an RBI single in the fourth inning, and the hit became official once the game reached five innings.
Gehrig held the record for seven decades. Jeter kept adding to it for five more. Neither one of them ever had to pack a bag.