Reaction to Derek Jeter getting his 3,000th hit Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, becoming the first Yankees player and 28th overall to reach the milestone.
“Derek has always played with a relentless, team-first attitude. And that mindset has helped sustain this organization’s objective of fielding championship-caliber teams year after year. It’s only fitting that he reach 3,000 hits during a victory against one of our American League rivals.
“Today we celebrate a remarkable individual achievement by one of the game’s greatest ambassadors. On behalf of the entire New York Yankees family, we congratulate Derek on his historic accomplishment.” — Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.
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“I want to give him a big hug. It’s an absolute wonderful accomplishment.” — Yankees great Yogi Berra.
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“Long before joining the 3,000-hit club, Derek Jeter became another one of New York’s icons because he represents what is best in the spirit of our city: an unbreakable belief that with hard work and determination, anything can be accomplished. Perhaps above all else, Derek is someone who loves this city and who has a long history of giving back to the place and the people that helped make him the superstar he is. New York has a greater baseball tradition than any other city, but we’ve never had a player get all 3,000 hits in a New York uniform until today. Congratulations Derek — you’ve made all of New York City proud.” — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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“I saw the first one. I was in the dugout for the first one. I feel real old today. It’s typical Derek. He does it with a flare, a winning run and every one of them meant something.”
“One thing I did know is that he was going to be as good as he was capable of being. I spent some time around him, his Mom and Dad and his sister. He’s got a grip on reality. There’s a lot of things that are around this game that aren’t reality, the way you travel, the money you have. When they’re grounded like that, they’ve got a real head start.” — Buck Showalter, Jeter’s first manager and the Baltimore Orioles current skipper.
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“I’ve seen him since the Fall League when I think he was 19 years old. He’s still the same kid. A little different haircut, but always plays the game right. He always treats people right and he tries to beat your brains out. That’s a good way to go about things.” — Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona.
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“Congrats to Derek Jeter on 3,000 hits!” — tweet from Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz.
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“You knew it was going to happen. He’s too good of a player. He’s one of those guys that was going to get it fast. Unfortunately injuries sort of slowed it down, but he’s a phenomenal player.” — former teammate and Colorado Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi.
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“That’s Derek Jeter for you. He’s just a winner. … He’s a great Yankee, definitely the top tier.” — Rap mogul Jay-Z
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“It’s incredible, man, it seems like the day is befitting of who he is as a person and his character. It seems like this was deserving. Everything that I know about him, everything that you hear about him. He’s an incredible person, he’s been an amazing ambassador for our game, the face of our game for 10 years now, and it couldn’t have happened to a better person, you know? Seems like he’s one of the only guys who played through that era who hasn’t had a tainted image, one of the only guys who has been able to play his whole career in New York and not get in trouble or embarrass himself for the franchise or the game.” — Brewers LF Ryan Braun.
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Members of the 3,000-hit club:
“To have the most hits for the most prestigious franchise in all of sports is pretty special. If Derek stays healthy, he has a good chance to rack up a lot more hits.” — Paul Molitor.
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“Congratulations, first of all, to Derek Jeter on joining the 3,000-hit club. It is an exclusive honor, achieved by only a select group, that not many people can call their own. It is a monumental achievement.”
“I had the opportunity to play with Derek when he was a rookie in 1996, and I had no doubts that Derek would reach this milestone. He is a very consistent player and he never deviated from his game.” — former teammate Wade Boggs.
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“I love what I see of Derek Jeter. He is the complete package: a leader, clutch player, and lots of success on baseball’s biggest stage, New York. Being the complete package is something every player dreams of.” — Robin Yount.