9/11/09: The Day Jeter Passed the Iron Horse for All-Time Hits

Eight years ago, New York City and the world stopped to watch the events that had taken place on the morning of 9/11. Humanity as a whole had been changed as thousands of lives and hundreds of towns had been turned upside forever.

On Friday night, the baseball world too stopped and watched as one of it's most prolific players snapped a 70-year-old team record and re-stamped  his ballot for the hall of fame. 

Amid mother nature's attempts to rain on his parade, literally, Derek Jeter needed just two at-bats to snap the tie between him and Lou Gehrig to bring his all-time hits to 2,722 one more than the man whose name is already in Cooperstown.

Jeter's third inning single which was very similar to the one which tied him with "Luckiest man on the face of the earth" brought out his teammates from the dugout to congratulate the man who will hold the record for quite some time if not forever. 

Almost a year after Jeter passed Gehrig for all-time hits at the old Yankee stadium. Among his illustrious career, Jeter's newest record will be his most heralded as he knocked off legend after legend to reach the top of the list which had not been touched for over seven decades.

It has been clear for years that the No. 2 will join the ghosts of monument park when he decides to retire. When people of our generation list off the Yankees we've seen  and learned about you can count on Derek Jeter's name to be there along with the Dimaggios, Mantles, Marises, Ruths, and of course Gehrigs. 

While some argue that Gehrig would have exceeded the number had it not been for the disease which now carries his name it's safe to say that the Yankees' first captain  would be proud that another captain now has the honor of having the most career hits in pinstripe history.