Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees: The Real Dirt on His 3,000th Hit

Harold FriendJun 23, 2011

The last player to achieve at least 3,000 hits was Craig Biggio on June 28, 2007.

He entered the game needing three hits to reach 3,000, and he ended up singling in the third and fifth innings.

Each time Biggio batted, the sellout crowd at Minute Maid Park chanted his name. There were signs all over the stands that read "Mr. 3,000" and "Biggio's Hit Parade."

When the last player to get 3,000 hits singled to center field in the seventh inning, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Fireworks went off, and a giant banner with Biggio's picture and the number 3,000 was unveiled.

That was it.

Craig Biggio memorabilia included autographed baseballs, jerseys, bats, pictures and baseball cards.

But this is not about Craig Biggio. This is about how New York's other team, the New York Yankees, are going to ritualize Derek Jeter's 3.000 hit a mere four years after the last player joined the 3,000 hit club.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times wrote that "Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit will be a cause for celebration, marketing and — not least of all — digging up dirt."

The Yankees are known, as the great Billy Joel used to sing, for going to extremes. They are attempting to outdo themselves this time and will have little trouble succeeding.

Regardless of the park, five gallons of dirt from the batter's box and shortstop area will be collected. Tablespoons of the hallowed dirt will be placed into capsules which can be attached to key chains, used as part of framed photographs of the hit, or glued to Jeter bats.

The company that has the rights to the dirt correctly told Mr. Sandomir that the dirt will go a long way. It certainly will, and the company president was not referring to distance.

The marketing of Jeter's 3,000 has its own campaign named "DJ3K." T-shirts, caps, jerseys, bobble heads, decals, cellphone skins, wall murals, patches, bats, balls, license plates and necklaces will be available for purchase.

Majestic spokesperson Michael Johnson believes the hit will be a major economic event while John Killen of Wincraft has booked substantial business for Jeter flags, lanyards, pennants, mugs, pins, and magnets.

Jeter will share in the profits. He will control the sales of his cleats, wristbands, bats, and batting gloves. The Yankees will control Jeter's uniform, warm-up jackets, caps, the dirt, bases and pitching rubber.

It has been speculated that Derek will probably keep the 3,000th hit baseball. It would be an insult to Jeter's image to state that everything has a price.

Ever since he joined the Yankees in 1995, everyone, and that included opponents, generally agrees that Derek Jeter is a class act and a gentleman, because he is.

When Jeter became the first Yankee to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 2009, Terry McDonell, SI's group editor, stated

"Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class, he does numerous good work for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation. Derek Jeter is extremely generous not just with him money but his time, which in many cases is more valuable."

No one in her right mind can blame Jeter for what will occur. He will join an exclusive club that includes the greatest players in the history of the game and has been offered the chance to be amply rewarded financially.

Some might think that selling five gallons of dirt from the ballpark in which Jeter gets his 3,000 hit is crass. They are right, but it is the Yankees who are once again showing a tremendous lack of class. Still, they deserve an A plus for creativity.

Achieving 3,000 hits is a great baseball milestone. The emphasize should be on Jeter's great achievement. Instead, it will be on the celebration and the monetizing of the event.

As people have often said, even too much whipped cream can make you sick.