Perhaps the baseball gods have intervened. Perhaps he did it on purpose. Perhaps I’m making too big a deal out of this.
Derek Jeter has not scored a run in six straight games, which, for a guy who scores constantly, and did score a run in eight straight games earlier this season, is probably one of the longest stretches of his career.
However, the New York Yankees shortstop and leadoff man has been hitting the ball — over the last 11 games he has 15 hits in 51 at-bats, including a 3-for-5 effort against the New York Mets Sunday night. It was Jeter’s second 3-for-5 in four games. Since he last scored a run, Jeter has nine hits.
So, what’s the point of all this?
With nine hits since his last run scored, Derek Jeter now has exactly 2,800 hits, and exactly 1,600 runs, which is an awfully pretty pair of stats (hurry, and check it out at BaseballReference.com today before he ruins it by getting another hit and/or run).
Not that the Baseball World needs another reminder of Jeter’s greatness — and not that I am in the habit of heaping praise upon Jeter — but check out the list of guys in the “1,600 Runs/2,800 Hits” Club:
| Pete Rose: 4,256/2,165 | Dave Winfield: 3,110/1,669 |
| Ty Cobb: 4,189/2,246 | Craig Biggio: 3,060/1,844 |
| Hank Aaron: 3,771/2,174 | Rickey Henderson: 3,055/2,295 |
| Stan Musial: 3,630/1,949 | Lou Brock: 3,023/1,610 |
| Tris Speaker: 3,514/1,882 | Rafael Palmeiro: 30,20/1,663 |
| Carl Yastrzemski: 3,419/1,816 | Al Kaline: 3,007/1,622 |
| Paul Molitor: 3,319/1,782 | Frank Robinson: 2,943/1,829 |
| Eddie Collins: 3,315/1,821 | Barry Bonds: 2,935/2,227 |
| Willie Mays: 3,283/2,062 | Mel Ott: 2,876/1,859 |
| Eddie Murray: 3,255/1,627 | Babe Ruth: 2,873/2,174 |
| Cal Ripken: 3,184/1,647 | Charlie Gehringer: 2,839/1,774 |
| Paul Waner: 3,152/1,627 |
Derek Jeter: 2,800/1,600 |
| Robin Yount: 3,142/1,632 |
The worst player on this list is Lou Brock, and he was pretty great. So Jeter really is starting to enter some rarified air.
Frankly, as a Jeter Hater, it is really starting to bother me that I am starting to accept that he is really is quite great.
What would be really great would be if Jeter could score exactly 100 more runs in the time it takes him to get exactly 200 more hits, so we could see 3,000/1,700.
Perhaps we can convince the baseball gods to allow it.
Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is the co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .
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