While the score read 11-0 on March 18, 2008 in favor of the New York Yankees over Virginia Tech, it was really an inconsequential result. A little less than a year earlier, Virginia Tech was the scene of one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history when a gunman killed 33 people and injured 23 others at the Blacksburg, Virginia campus. The New York Yankees decided shortly after this horrific event to help the school, by playing a spring training game on the campus of Virginia Tech at English Field. While the game was almost a year from the incident, the wounds from the hurt campus were still fresh.

The Yankees arrived on campus via buses from the Roanoke airport. Derek Jeter was the first player off the bus after stopping at Drill Field, which was the memorial site for the 33 victims. Jeter and the Yankees took pictures with students and when the Yankees were in uniform on English Field, Virginia Tech players congregated around the Yankees during batting practice.

Offered here is a special hat that was worn by Derek Jeter during the March 18th, 2008 exhibition game at Virginia Tech. To honor the school, the Yankees donned maroon-colored caps with the traditional interlocking “NY” in orange with white borders. This size 7 ¼ cap also has “VT” embroidered in orange and white on the left side and the six airholes have orange openings and the top has an orange cap. This cap displays excellent wear and Jeter’s number “2” is handwritten in silver marker on the maroon underside brim. A very special Derek Jeter game used item honoring a community that suffered an unimaginable loss. This comes with a LOA from J.T. Sports (1014) for the game use and a letter of provenance from Rich Monteleone, who pitched for the Yankees from 1990-93 and was serving as a special pitching instructor in 2008, who states that this cap was given to him.

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