Derek Jeter’s 3,000th Hit Caught By 23-Year Old Yankees Fan (UPDATED)
Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit ended up being a home run, which is both incredibly unique and incredibly surprising. Jeter is the 28th player to reach the 3,000-hit club, but is only the second (Wade Boggs was the other) to do so on a home run. That means one New York Yankees fan sitting out in left field got very, very lucky. Here is a picture of that man, identified as 23-year old Christian Lopez of Highland Mills, New York.
According to Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record, Lopez got the tickets as a gift.
Christian Lopez, 23 of Highland Mills, N.Y., caught Jeter’s 3,000th hit/homer. Got tickets as a bd gift last month from his gf. Lopez, who was sitting in row 1 of section 236, with his girlfriend and father, was whisked away by security immediately after his catch.
This, of course, raises some complications for Major League Baseball if it wants to get that ball to Jeter. Had Jeter hit a single, double or triple, they probably could have taken the ball out of play and kept it for their own. But since Jeter ended up hitting a home run, the ball is in the possession of that fan. Estimates suggest that ball is worth as much as $250,000, so that fan has got to be feeling pretty good. Will Lopez sell the ball, or will he give it to Jeter? Time will tell.
UPDATE: Lopez decided to give it away, according to the YES Network broadcasters. He didn’t ask for anything, but the Yankees gave him four suite tickets for every home regular-season and playoff game this season, signed bats and balls and front-row tickets for Sunday’s game.
For more, visit the Derek Jeter 3,000-hit StoryStream and check out SB Nation New York and Pinstripe Alley.
(Photo via Darren Rovell).
See More:
