The LoHud Yankees Blog

Derek Jeter also stole his 300th base last night.

Here’s now many players have at least 2,700 hits, 1,500 runs, 220 homers, 300 steals and 1,000 RBI:

Craig Biggio
Barry Bonds
Rickey Henderson
Derek Jeter
Willie Mays
Paul Molitor

A lot of Hall of Fame voters are going to go in expecting not to vote for Biggio then realize they might not have a choice. He put up some serious numbers.

Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for the most hits in franchise history last night. This raises an interesting question: Where does Jeter rank on the list of greatest Yankees?

Here is my top 10:

1. Babe Ruth
2. Lou Gehrig
3. Joe DiMaggio
4. Mickey Mantle
5. Yogi Berra
6. Derek Jeter
7. Whitey Ford
8. Mariano Rivera
9. Bill Dickey
10. Lefty Gomez

I did 1-9 easy. The last spot is a tough call. You could say Bernie Williams based on where he stands on the career lists. Maybe Don Mattingly or even Andy Pettitte.

My criteria was years spent with the team, championships won and where the player stood in terms of the competition at the time. Reggie Jackson was a Yankee for five years, A-Rod for six. That’s not enough tenure in my book. A-Rod could get there, obviously.

So what’s your list?

UPDATE, 1:21 p.m.: Some great discussions on the blog about the topic, make sure to check them out. People are reasonably discussing baseball on the internet. It’s a miracle.

Back later on.

This might be the greatest walk-off celebration ever.

Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig on the career hits list night and, by the way, the Yankees beat the Rays.

Sam Borden writes that Jeter has always been about winning.

Chien-Ming Wang is optimistic about 2010. But do the Yankees feel the same way? This notebook also has an update on Joba Chamberlain.

A few weeks ago, I would wager that very few people knew Lou Gehrig was the franchise hits leader of the Yankees. Breaking that record was not something Derek Jeter had on his radar until he heard about it from the media.

But what this record has done is give everybody — fans, teammates and even the media — a chance to celebrate Jeter the individual.

Jeter has never won an MVP. He has never led the league in hitting or had the most RBI. He scored the most runs once, but that was back in 1998. He is a player defined by team accomplishments and his own consistency of effort and performance. What speaks better to that than having the most hits?

Sure, Jeter has more at-bats than Gehrig. But that record had stood since 1939. It took somebody special to come along and break it and Jeter was that person.

You know what stuck with me from tonight? Seeing the Rays on the stop step of the dugout applauding.

“I’m very happy for him,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “He carries himself in a manner that’s worthy of passing Gehrig.”

Maddon speaks for everybody in baseball when he says that.

It also was fitting that Derek’s buddy Jorge Posada won the game with a home run. That enabled Derek to really enjoy the night. One would think that the Stadium would be packed on Friday night and wouldn’t it be just like Jeter to poke a single into right field in the first inning?

Here is Jeter talking about his big night:

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The Yankees are off on Thursday and so am I. There will be a few posts but nothing too elaborate.

Back in a bit with reaction from Jeter. The Yankees are 40-13 since the break. Unreal.

YANKEES (90-50)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher RH
Cano 2B
Gardner CF
Molina C

Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (8-5, 4.41).

RAYS (72-67)
Bartlett SS
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Zobrist 2B
Burrell DH
Richard 1B
Gross RF
Navarro C
Upton CF

Pitching: RHP Jeff Niemann (12-5, 3.67).

TIME/TV: 7:05, YES/ESPN.

STATE OF THE ‘STRIPES: The Yankees will be trying for a four-game series sweep tonight. They have won 12 of 15 overall and have the best record in baseball.

RAYS IN A DAZE: Tampa Bay has lost a season-high seven straight games. They have fallen to 17.5 games out of first and 8.5 games out in the wild card.

PAGING JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, PLEASE PICK UP THE WHITE COURTESY PHONE. YOUR TEAM IS LOOKING FOR YOU: Joba Chamberlain has a 7.96 ERA in his last six games with opponents hitting .330 against him. In 26 innings he has allowed 37 hits and walked 17.

THE JETER METER: So it turns out that Derek Jeter needs three hits to tie Lou Gehrig for the team record. This is being covered like the Apollo moon landings, which is a bit much. The Captain is in an ill-tlmed 0-for-12 skid that nobody would notice otherwise if not for the record.

THAT’S SOME HIGH WATER: The Yankees will be looking to go 41 games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 30, 2004 when they were 100-59.

A-ROD’s THE MAN: Alex Rodriguez 11 of his last 24 with nine RBI.

PITCHING POWER: The Yankees have allowed four runs on 17 hits and struck out 30 over 27 innings in this series.

MAGNIFICENT MO: The Sandman has allowed one run in his last 31 innings.

SIX-PACK: The Yankees are 61-1 when leading after six innings.

HOME COOKING: The Yankees are 48-20 at home, winning 22 of the last 26.

POINT BREAK: The Yankees are 39-13 since the All-Star break. That’s their best record since the 1938 team was 40-12.

ON THE iPOD RIGHT NOW: Clampdown by The Clash.

Back with more later.

UPDATE, 4:59 p.m.: Chien-Ming Wang got out of a sling three days ago and yesterday watched a game from the dugout for the first time since he had surgery. Wang hopes to be playing catch again by October and November.

Wang said he hopes to be able to work out a contract to stay with the Yankees.

UPDATE, 5:00 p.m.: If you’re coming to the Stadium today and you’re a male over the age of 40, go to the main level behind the plate and get a blood test for prostate cancer. It’s free and, frankly, you’re crazy not to.

I just did and it took no more than five minutes. Lonn Trost was there, too. The folks there were real nice.

UPDATE, 5:12 p.m.: Here is Joe Girardi’s pre-game interview session:

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UPDATE, 7:08 p.m.: We are underway on another nice night in The Bronx. Enjoy the game, everybody.

UPDATE, 7:09 p.m.: Say this for Joba, he’s consistent.

Johnny’s leap missed the ball by only 30 feet.

UPDATE, 7:15 p.m.: This is kind of funny. The Yankees just handed out a press release saying that Mo and Robbie Cano would be appearing at a hospital tomorrow. The reason for the event is that the hospital is being renamed.

It used to be New York-Presbyterian Hospital/The Allen Pavilion.

Now it will be New York-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital.

That would be like me renaming this blog the Yankees LoHud Blog.

UPDATE, 7:19 p.m.: Joba looks silly at this point. He lacks command, velocity and now he’s shaking off Jose Molina.

Too bad they can’t send him back to the minors. That’s what he needs.

UPDATE, 7:21 p.m.: Hey, he struck out the 35-year-old AAA player. Nice work.

UPDATE, 7:27 p.m.: Jeter just bunted for a hit. The crowd went wild. Two hits away from tying Gehrig.

I wonder how many people here knew on Aug. 1 who had the most hits in Yankees history? I’d bet very few.

UPDATE, 7:45 p.m.: Much better inning for Joba there, obviously. He really struggles in the first inning for whatever reason.

UPDATE, 7:52 p.m.: Who didn’t think B.J. Upton was going to be star after watching the playoffs last season? What a terrible season for him. An error like that is just inexcusable. He tried to Cadillac it and ended up nearly costing his team a run.

UPDATE, 7:59 p.m.: Jerry Ferrara and Jamie-Lynn Sigler from Entourage are here in the Legends seats.

UPDATE, 8:00 p.m.: Joba has retired eight straight batters.

UPDATE, 8:11 p.m.: And that’s it for Joba, another three-inning “start” for him. He has thrown 13 innings in his last four games.

UPDATE, 8:47 p.m.: Jeter doubles to center as B.J. Uptopn basically gave up on the ball and jogged after the ball. Joe Maddon should yank him out of the game. He’s been doggin’ it all night.

One to tie and two to break for Jeter.

UPDATE, 8:53 p.m.: What a job by Alfredo Aceves: 3 0 0 0 1 2.

UPDATE, 8:55 p.m.: Maddon took Upton out. Good for him.

UPDATE, 9:11 p.m.: The Yankees have retired 20 of the last 21 Tampa Bay batters and have a three-hitter working. But they trail 2-0.

UPDATE, 9:18 p.m.: Move over, Iron Horse.

UPDATE, 9:22 p.m.: Nice moment here. The Yankees piled out of the dugout to applaud their Captain while the Rays applauded from the top step. Jeter waved his helmet twice to the adoring crowd,.

What a weird world he inhabits. They won three games but he was hitless and people were disappointed Now he has three hits, they’re losing and everybody is thrilled.

UPDATE, 9:34 p.m.: Joe Maddon pushing Niemann into the eighth inning. Interesting.

I’ll predict this proves to be a mistake.

UPDATE, 9:38 p.m.: Like I said. Yanks in business.

UPDATE, 9:41 p.m.: We’ve seen this movie before, right? Decorum dictates they win on a night Jeter ties a big record.

UPDATE, 9:42 p.m.: Just hit a homer, get Mo in the game and get this over with.

UPDATE, 9:56 p.m.: Like I said. This movie is a re-run. Yankees lead 4-2. Jeter will get up again.

UPDATE, 10:05 p.m.: No Mo, it’s Bruney with the heart of Tampa’s order up.

This from the Yankees:

Beginning tonight and running through the remainder of the Yankees home games during the regular season, fans can bid online (yankees.auction.mlb.com) for the replica WWE wrestling belt that was passed around the clubhouse and awarded by the Yankees players to that day’s player of the game.

Proceeds from the auction will be donated to HOPE Week participants Camp Sundown, a year-round camp in upstate New York for children suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a rare genetic disease which causes the body to be unable to repair cells damaged by UV light.

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A.J. Burnett organized this effort. Here’s hoping the Yankees raise a pile of dough for a good cause. If you’re at the game, go take a look at the belt. The guys really have had a lot of fun with that all season.

UPDATE, 6:07 p.m.: Here is the direct link to the auction.

Walked into the park around 2:45 p.m. and there on the field was Francisco Cervelli working on his release with Tony Pena.

Pena was standing about 10 feet away and Cisco was throwing balls to second base as Tony critiqued his technique. Cervelli does not lack for work ethic and for a young catcher, that is half the battle.

Tony also was working with his son, Mets prospect Francisco Pena. Tony’s son is 6-2, 230 and played in the Florida State League this season. He turns 20 next month.

This is tremendous news. Just tremendous.

Todd Drew’s essay on the old Yankee Stadium has been selected for the Best American Sports Writing compilation that comes out every year. It’s a big honor among sports writers.

Todd, who passed away in January, was one of the first readers (and commenters) of this blog back in 2006 and contributed to our Pinch Hitter series. Todd started his own blog as a result and eventually joined forces with Alex Belth and the crew at Bronx Banter.

Back in 2006, when I think only my boss and my dad were reading this, Todd would send along encouraging e-mails two or three times a week and we got to be friends. His death hit a lot of us in the Yankees blogging community hard. That Todd’s excellent writing will be forever preserved and remembered is a great feeling.

Raise a glass, one of our own did real well for himself.