Behind Every Man: A Retrospective Of Derek Jeter’s 3,000 Hits, Women

My friend barely turned his head in my direction when he muttered, “I know you’re a Cardinals fan, but I thought that maybe you could at least appreciate Jeter’s accomplishment.” I wasn’t sure why he would say that, because as a St. Louis Cardinals fan, I’m generally viewed as the classiest and most intelligent of baseball fans. But regardless, of course I can appreciate Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit this past Saturday. How could anyone not appreciate it?

Jeter became the first player in his franchise’s storied history to record his 3,000th career hit, and he did it in perfect New York Yankee fashion – with a home run. He became just the 28th player in Major League Baseball history to accomplish the feat of 3,000 hits, and only the second to do it with a home run (Wade Boggs) and while going 5-for-5 at the plate during that game (Craig Biggio). And with all reasonable probability, he’ll be one of the last few to hit 3,000 for quite some time.

Currently, the list of active players trailing Jeter’s 3,004 career hits looks like the Who’s Who of “Really? He’s Still Playing?” Pudge Rodriguez ranks second with 2,842 hits, and I could see him trying to catch on another season or two to get his milestone, but even 158 hits is a stretch for him. Alex Rodriguez is already sitting at 2,762 so you can bet he’ll be the next to hit 3,000, but after that it’s a shallow pool. Albert Pujols will cross the 2,000-hit threshold this season, but even if he has one hell of another decade, will he even do it with the same team?

That’s why Jeter’s feat is so entirely remarkable, even enough to get the most fervent Yankees haters giving a half-assed slow clap out of respect for something we’re probably never going to see again. Jeter has done this all as a Yankee. Not Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Joe DiMaggio, or Lou Gehrig. Only Jeter wore the pinstripes while recording his 3,000th hit, not that those other losers ever even reached the milestone in any uniform.

But my fascination remains with the stigma of the Yankees uniform. We’ve witnessed players arrive for a number of teams with great cavalcades of hype, and we’ve laughed at the schadenfreude as they melted down and disappeared in a matter of seasons. But not Jeter. He did it right, and he did it in the Yankee spotlight. His career began in the middle of the 1995 season, and with it he became a star. And he handled it all with dignity, class, and some of the hottest girls in the world hanging from his arm.

1995-1997: A New Hope

Jeter’s start was rocky, as an injury delayed his magnificent debut in 1995 and he didn’t look too hot when his May call-up eventually arrived. But 1995 was a wash and 1996 was the real coming out party that started with a Jeter home run in the first game. What began as his successful Rookie of the Year campaign, ended with the first Yankees World Series win in 18 years. Suddenly, Jeter was the name on every New Yorker’s mind, and his personal life mirrored that first game home run.

Arguably Jeter’s first tabloid moment came when he was spotted courtside at a New York Knicks game with actress and model Tyra Banks and singer Brandy. Rumors began swirling that Jeter and Banks were an item, which is a tremendous feat for him because this was when Banks was at her celebrity peak (think Fresh Prince of Bel Air in 1993 and Higher Learning in 1995) compared to now:

And you know that for good measure he probably dated Brandy, too. But those details are a little foggy because of his real arrival.

1998: The Beginning of the Jeter Dynasty

By 1998, Jeter was a full-fledged star in New York and with that came an even bigger impact statement than restoring victory to the Bronx. He was dating Mariah Carey. She divorced her grandfather Tommy Mottola and was suddenly a fixture at Yankees games to cheer on her new man, as well as A-list parties in New York City with Jeter by her side. This relationship was bigger than the World Series the Yankees would win later that year.

While they only lasted a year, this was a testament to the vision that Jeter possessed for himself. He was going to occupy the spotlight, embrace the celebrity, and he was going to make a nation of men want to be him, because every woman wanted to be with him. It probably didn’t even matter how he performed on the field at that point. He had Mariah Carey in her prime, unlike Nick Cannon who is up all night changing diapers in between America’s Got Talent hosting duties, before coming home to Mariah Carey… in her 40s.

1999-2000: Behold the Power

In 1999, Jeter had his most prolific season to date, setting highs in home runs and RBI, and posting the highest batting average of his career. He was providing the perfect parallel between his baseball and personal lives. He performed on the field, took what he wanted off the field, and nobody questioned him for it. He had become bigger than man.

In 2000, after leading the Yankees to their third World Series title in four years, and prior to winning their third in a row later that year, Jeter appeared on Regis & Kathy Lee. In a harmless moment of displaying his charming personality, Jeter admitted that he had a thing for Miss Universe Lara Dutta. Within a week, the two were on a date together. He snaps his fingers and he gets what he wants.

2001: When a Tiger Attacks

Jeter and Dutta dated for more than a year, and during that time Jeter’s friend, Tiger Woods, was quickly becoming the greatest golfer in the history of the game. He even gave tabloids a glimpse of the man he would eventually become when allegedly asked Dutta to join him at his charity event. If it happened, she denied, and Woods and Jeter remained friends, at least in front of the camera, but there was a minor blemish and that didn’t match Jeter’s plan. Exit Dutta, enter Joy Enriquez.

The Yankee great and the 7th Heaven actress may have already known each other from her time as a backup singer for Mariah Carey, but there’s a better chance that Jeter knew her as Alex Rodriguez’s girlfriend. A-Rod had the biggest contract in MLB history with the Texas Rangers that year. But Jeter had his girl.

2002-2003: The Younger the Better

By this point, Jeter’s process had become pretty routine – meet a girl, date for a year. At least that’s what the evidence suggested. His 2002 leading lady became actress Jordana Brewster, but she hardly fit the mold and his numbers showed that she was a plague on his talent. In 2002, Jeter struck out 114 times, a regression from his previous two seasons, and while their relationship seemed to have simply fizzled on its own, I believe she was removed for the better of the team.

In 2003, Brewster was a forgotten memory and if you were worried about Jeter, then you were a fool. Standing out from a stable of perfect Victoria’s Secret Angels, Adriana Lima caught Jeter’s eye and the two were seen dining together. You could assume that they just grabbed a bite to eat and parted ways, that nothing sexual happened. But at this point you have to assume that’s wrong and just cheer the guy on.

Jeter eventually settled down with Total Request Live hostess Vanessa Minnillo, after a few extra sightings at Scores, of course. While Jeter missed 43 games during the 2003 season, his average was back above .300 and his pop appeared to be back. Minnillo ended up sticking around, too, but she wouldn’t be alone.

2004-2006: Hitting His Stride

Approaching his 10th year with the Yankees, young Jeter had been surprisingly mature and poised. He had developed a world-famous reputation as a playboy, but he was doing everything right. He was never caught cheating and everything always seemed to end positively. There wasn’t a blemish on his record. But as always, things change. Seemingly content and monogamous with Minnillo, Jeter was suddenly linked to Jessica Alba in 2004. While they were never an official item, the tabloid rags believed it was on. Good for him, too, because there probably wasn’t a hotter girl on the planet at that time.

But it didn’t last long for Jeter and Alba, and the rumor mill spun him back around to Minnillo again. I could think of worse backup plans. In 2002, though, an aspiring model from New Jersey had been discovered by FHM and she quickly became a staple in rap and hip hop music videos for her… ample posterior. Vida Guerra was almost an overnight sensation for her portfolio of butt shots. In 2004, Jeter took notice, and the rumor mongers also took notice of the new couple. As was becoming a theme, the pair hardly lasted, if they were even a pair at all, and Jeter was once again linked to another hot, up-and-coming actress, Scarlet Johansson. Also that year, Jeter hit the second most home runs of his career. I’d argue he was already hitting the most.

Minnillo and Jeter gave it one more go in 2005, but the writing had been on the wall. They moved on, as she dated and eventually married Nick Lachey. Yikes. Jeter, on the other hand, closed out 2006 linked to model and actress Gabrielle Union. Unstoppable.

2006-2007: Jeter the God

In 2006, there was a fiery debate of Internet geeks about the status of Hottest Woman in the World. While there were probably a good dozen or so actresses and models headlining the argument, there are two that stand out above all else – Alba and Jessica Biel. Jeter already had the first, now he had the other. Biel and Jeter seemed like the complete couple, enough that you could call this relationship his peak. Or at least that’s what we would have thought at that time. Accordingly, Jeter hit .343 in 2006, and he had his second-highest single-season totals in hits, RBI and stolen bases. The peak had been reached and life was good.

2007-2008: Life After Biel

For every Hollywood story, there’s a conflict. Jeter’s conflict occurred here. On the field, Jeter’s numbers were still as solid as ever. But the Yankees weren’t winning championships and you could argue that Jeter’s title as the Most Admirable Man in the World ended here as well. After splitting with Biel and attracting the ire of every man who could shake a fist and scream, “How could you!” Jeter’s biggest romantic escapade of 2007 involved a threesome in his South Beach hotel suite with two random girls that he kicked out at sunrise. I know, that’s when I forgave him, too.

In 2008, Jeter was once again linked to another Tiger Woods love interest, as it was rumored that he was dating NYC party girl Rachel Uchitel, who would eventually go on to destroy Woods’ reputation as his primary mistress. At least Jeter might have got to her first. Still – gross, dude. Even worse, rumors circulated that Jeter had given Alba herpes years earlier, which led to the creation of the image above. The armor had been pierced, but Jeter was fine.

2009-Present: Damn This Guy is Good

Guys like George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio, they do it right. Become a star, make the money, date the women, but don’t get married and give it all away until you’re either ready to settle down or you know the light has faded. For an actor, maybe that day never comes. But for an athlete, that day usually comes in the mid-30s. In 2009, then-35-year-old Jeter stopped the personal life skid with skanks and skeezies by locking up Friday Night Lights actress Minka Kelly. They became engaged in 2010, and once again men around the world looked at Jeter and though, “My God, he has it made.”

As the 2011 MLB All-Star Game takes place tonight in Phoenix, league officials are upset with Jeter for not attending the festivities in the wake of his 3,000th hit. He claims it’s because he’s exhausted from the hype around his 3,000th hit. I claim it’s because he’s Derek Jeter. And he can do whatever the f*ck he wants.

*** DISCLAIMER: This timeline is not proposed to be completely accurate and has been pieced together from previous articles on sites like ESPN, Hotel Chatter, Famous Hookups, Who’s Dated Who, Jezebel, Coed Magazine and Think Squad. While some of these tales could be false, they still don’t change the fact that Jeter is the man.

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