Derek Jeter: the man, the myth, the legend. Mr. November.
Back in the fall of 2001, America needed a distraction. The events of September 11 were still very fresh in everyone’s hearts and minds. New York City was struggling and in dire need of something to take their minds away from that horrible tragedy. New Yorkers needed a hero.
Enter Derek Jeter and the 2001 World Series.
It was Halloween night and the Arizona Diamondbacks were facing the New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks had a 2-1 series lead and led 3-1 in the ninth inning. With two outs and one runner on, Tino Martinez hit a game-tying two-run homer to force the game into extra innings. Yankee Stadium erupted into chaos, but that was only the beginning.
Fast forward to the 10th inning. The clock struck midnight and the calendar turned to November 1 as Derek Jeter stepped to the plate in a tie-ball game. The rest is history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6jWXg6orGQ
That home run still gives me chills to this day. Whether you like the Yankees or hate their guts, you can’t deny the fact that New York needed the Bronx Bombers in 2001. It’s an absolute travesty that they ended up losing the series in seven games, but for those three nights in the Bronx, New Yorkers rallied around a baseball team, despite the recent events of 9/11. It’s just another example of how the power of sports can unite people in times of tragedy.
Derek Jeter became Mr. November that night, but more importantly, he became a hero to the city of New York.
