Once a week until Derek Jeter gets his 3,000th hit, we’ll take a quick and dirty look at which game we anticipate he’ll get it in, based on his 2011 numbers to that point. Obviously, buy tickets (or fly to some random city) at your own risk, especially since a lot can change in the coming weeks: Jeter could get hotter or colder, games could be rained out, he could get more frequent days off, or be dropped in the batting order, or get hurt, or whatever. But just for fun …
• Jeter has 49 hits through the Yankees’ first 47 games this year (which doesn’t include this afternoon’s game against Toronto), or 1.043 hits per team game.
• Jeter has 2,975 career hits, and needs 25 more to get to 3,000.
• At this rate, it’ll take 24 team games to get there.
• And so at this rate, he’ll get to 3,000 on June 20 in Cincinnati. In the seven games from last Wednesday to last night, Jeter went 9-for-35, batting an average of .257 — enough to move our projection up by three games. June 20th, by the way, is the day after Father’s Day. (The tabloid columns would pretty much write themselves if Jeter gets No. 3,000 on Father’s Day at Wrigley Field, with his parents in the house.) The Jeter connection, if you’re looking for one, to Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park? Back in 2003, that’s where the Yankees officially named him the team captain.
Previous projections:
5/4: June 28, vs. the Brewers
5/11: June 17, vs. the Cubs
5/18: June 24, vs. the Rockies