In his two decades of relentless excellence on the diamond, Derek Jeter racked up more than his share of milestone moments. Strictly speaking from a Yankees perspective, the name “Jeter” is found at the top of the team’s all-time lists for most hits, doubles, games, stolen basses, at-bats, and plate appearances. His 3,465 hits make him the best hitting shortstop in Major League history and he is just the 28th player to join the 3,000 Hit Club. As Jeter reached the climax of his 20-year career in 2014, The Captain climbed from number 9 on the All-Time Career Hits list to number 6, each step up becoming a celebrated milestone for the Yankee great.

This bat was used by Jeter to reach and surpass one of those milestones – the number 8 spot on the all-time career hits list. In addition to hit numbers 3,319 and 3,320 which matched and surpassed Paul Molitor’s mark, Jeter used this stick in 10 other regular season games, including Opening Day of the 2014 season. From April 1 through April 16, Jeter banged out 11 hits including two doubles as he began the season with a .275 average. In that stretch The Captain faced the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, with his record tying and breaking hits coming in the April 6 game. The tying hit came in the top of the 3rd. Leading off, the Captain took a strike from Jays starter Drew Hutchison before lining a single into short right field. Now he and Paul Molitor were sharing the number 8 slot, but this would only last for one inning. In the top of the 4th, Jeter worked the count to 2 and 1 before hitting another single to right off Hutchison, recording hit number 3,320 and taking sole possession of the number 8 spot on the all-time hit list. The experts at Resolution Photomatching have definitively photo documented this.

Jeter recorded those two milestone hits as well as its use in 10 additional games–April 1-3, 5-11 and 16 (Game 2 of a doubleheader).  As one would expect of a bat used for 9 base hits and a pair of doubles, this Jeter Louisville Slugger P72 gamer shows awesome use with a handle crack. The barrel is covered with ball marks and scuffs alongside stitch impressions and abrasions. There are cleat marks found throughout and several ink transfers can be seen. The handle has been given a heavy coat of pine tar to enhance Jeter’s grip and both ends show abrasions and scuffs from contact with the ground. The model number and date of manufacture is stamped into the knob end and a Steiner hologram is affixed to the barrel. You cannot ask for a bat that not only demonstrates the drive and determination that marked Derek Jeter’s two decades of flawless play but was also used for a significant milestone in his Hall of Fame career. This bat comes with a COA from Steiner Sports and an LOA from Resolution Photomatching, who have photo matched this bat to 11 games. Additionally, the seven photographs presented in this lot are a mixture of 16" x 20" and 20" x 24" high resolution photographs and will accompany the bat.

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