I attended last night’s game between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays with my digital camera fully charged hoping to preserve Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit for posterity. I can’t blame Jeter for trying to do the same although I am pretty surprised by his willingness to document his journey.
The news that HBO is filming a documentary about Jeter's pursuit of the milestone doesn't surprise me. Jeter is baseball's best ambassador and an iconic member of the Yankees who is good for television ratings, even if he is dull beyond belief when it comes to the media. But the fact that Jeter would let cameras into his new castle was truly shocking, only surpassed by the fact that he allowed girlfriend Minka Kelly to be interviewed. We've never heard anything from Jeter's previous girlfriends so this should be interesting, even if she sticks to the script and talks only about baseball. Of course, Jeter made sure he retains veto power over anything recorded in his home so we won't see anything unflattering.
I guess Jeter, like the rest of us, wants to preserve the memory of this moment. Jeter is not one who cares much for personal milestones. By his own admission, the negativity of the New York press about his place in the Yankees lineup has dulled his enthusiasm about his pursuit of this historic feat. But perhaps a long time from now, when he is no longer playing baseball for a living, he can watch the documentary and be proud of what he accomplished.
I was fortunate enough to purchase my ticket for yesterday’s game months ago when Jeter’s pursuit of the milestone was expected to be a distant memory. I was thinking about going to tonight’s game, but the weather forecasts do not sound promising for game action. I definitely will not attend Saturday’s game because of a previously scheduled family outing so I may miss the historic event. But if I miss it, I can always tune into HBO for what will hopefully be a nice special, even if Jeter vetoes the really good stuff.
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