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Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was a baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first African-American major league baseball player of the modern era in 1947.[1] Although not the first African American professional baseball player in United States history, Robinson's Major League debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers ended approximately sixty years of baseball segregation, also known as the baseball color line, or color barrier. In the United States at this time, many white people believed that blacks and whites should be segregated or kept apart in many aspects of life, including sports. The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Robinson in 1962 and he played for six World Series teams. Robinson earned six consecutive All-Star Game nominations and won several awards during his career. In 1947, he won The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award and the first Rookie of the Year Award. Two years later, he won the National League MVP Award—the first black player to do so.[2] In addition to Robinson's accomplishments on the field, he supported the early Civil Rights Movement. In the 1960s, he helped to establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American owned and controlled entity based in Harlem, New York.[3] Robinson also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for several years that he used to support Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.[4] Robinson campaigned for several politicians, including the Democrat Hubert Humphrey and the Republican Richard Nixon. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[4] On April 15, 1997, the 50 year anniversary of his debut, Major League Baseball retired Robinson's jersey number 42 across all MLB teams in recognition of his accomplishments both on and off the field in a ceremony at Shea Stadium.[5] In 1950 Robinson played himself in the biographical film The Jackie Robinson Story.[6] He became a political activist in his post-playing days. In 1946, Robinson married Rachel Annetta Isum, and in 1973, after Robinson died, she founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation.

Musial was the first son born to Mary and Lukasz Musial, entering the world at the family's home on Sixth Street in Donora, Pennsylvania.[3] His father was a Polish immigrant who was born on a farm near Warsaw.[4] In 1910 Lukasz was employed by the American Steel and Wire Company, moving hundred-pound bales of wire around the company's shipping department. His mother Mary, herself the daughter of Czech immigrants, sorted nails at the factory, which was how she met Lukasz.[5] Musial grew up in the Pittsburgh-area industrial town, where he played ball on his high school team along with the father of future major leaguer Ken Griffey, Sr., in turn the father of Ken Griffey, Jr.[6] On his 19th birthday, he married Lillian Labash, and they have four children.[citation needed] [edit] Career Statue of Stan Musial outside Busch StadiumMusial started his career as a pitcher. but after a shoulder injury he moved to the outfield in 1940. Musial played 1,890 games in the outfield and 1,016 games at first base, but was primarily known for his consistent hitting. The left-hander led the National League in batting average seven times and in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and hits six times each. He won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1943, 1946, and 1948, and in 1957, received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. He is one of only two players to hit five home runs in one day—Musial did it in a doubleheader against the New York Giants in 1954 (Nate Colbert of the San Diego Padres accomplished the same feat in 1972). In addition to his three MVP awards (currently only nine players have won three or more), Musial also finished second in MVP voting four times, including three years in a row (from 1949-51), and finished among the top ten of NL MVP voting fourteen times between 1943 and 1962. Remarkably, Musial only struck out more than forty times in a season three times, two of them his final two years active, and only once (during his last active year) struck out more times than he walked. His 3,630 career hits made him the NL's all-time leader on that list at the time he retired, and second in the major leagues to Ty Cobb. He still ranks fourth all-time, behind Pete Rose, Cobb and Hank Aaron. Musial's 3,630th and final hit was a single beyond the reach of Rose, then a rookie second baseman. Musial's career was perhaps most notable for its consistency. His .331 career batting average ranks 30th; he batted .336 at home and .326 on the road. Amazingly, Musial had 1,815 hits at home, and 1,815 on the road. He batted .340 in day games and .320 at night. In his September 1941 debut, Musial had two hits; after he got two hits in his final game, 22 years later, a sportswriter jokingly wrote, "He hasn't improved at all." Musial once said, "I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider; then, I'd pick up the speed of the ball in the first thirty feet of its flight and knew how it would move once it had crossed the plate." Former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Carl Erskine once described his strategy of pitching to Musial: "I've had pretty good success with Stan by throwing him my best pitch and backing up third."[7] Erskine's teammate, Preacher Roe, shared a similar sentiment. He summarized his strategy of pitching to Musial as "I throw him four wide ones and try to pick him off at first."[7] "Once Musial timed your fastball," observed Warren Spahn, "your infielders were in jeopardy." In another story, Willie Mays, then playing for the New York Giants, was receiving instruction from his manager Leo Durocher about how he should prepare defensively in center field for each of the hitters in the Cardinals' lineup. He described the weaknesses and tendencies of the first two hitters, then moved on to the cleanup (fourth) hitter. Mays interrupted to ask about the man in the third slot. Durocher replied, "The third hitter is Stan Musial. There is no advice I can give you about him." It was fans of the Dodgers who gave him his nickname. Musial loved to hit in Ebbets Field and after several amazing hitting performances there, Brooklyn fans would see him come to bat, and say, "Uh-oh, here comes the man again. The man is back!" St. Louis sportswriter Bob Broeg picked up on this and said to the fans, "You mean THAT man?" and they said, "No, THE Man." Musial was "Stan the Man" from that point on. Typically, respectful Brooklyn fans did not boo him at Ebbets Field. Like many American baseball players of his era, Musial spent part of his career serving in World War II, missing the 1945 season to serve as a seaman first class in the United States Navy from January 1945 to March 1946. Musial played in 24 All-Star games[8] tying him with Henry Aaron for most all-time. The Cardinals retired his uniform number '6' at the end of the 1963 season. He was a fan favorite for his reputation, both on the field and off, as a gentleman. In Musial's 3,026 ML games, he was never once ejected from a game. Umpire Tom Gorman said, "The bigger the guy, the less he argues. You never heard a word out of Stan Musial...." At the time of his retirement, Musial was among the all-time leaders in many offensive categories—first in Total Bases and Extra-Base Hits, second in Hits, Doubles, Runs Created, Games Played and At Bats, fourth in Runs and Runs Batted In, fifth in Walks, sixth in Home Runs, and eighth in Slugging Percentage and On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage (OPS). The rise of Bill James and the extensive use of sabermetrics has enhanced Musial's credentials as not only one of the greatest of his generation, but of all baseball history. At Baseball-Reference.com, Musial is consistent among the various test leaders: He ranks fifth all-time among hitters according to the Black Ink Test (behind Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Ted Williams), third all-time on the Gray Ink Test (behind Cobb and Hank Aaron), tied with Barry Bonds for second in the Hall of Fame Career Standards Test, behind only Ruth, and ranks first among all hitters and pitchers on the Hall of Fame Monitor Test. Surprisingly, despite his towering reputation with statistic-based aficionados of the game, many common fans are unaware of his achievements, leading ESPN and other organizations to list him as the most underrated athlete of all-time.[9] [edit] Retirement Stan Musial's number 6 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963 At the time of his retirement in 1963, Musial held 17 major league, 29 National League, and 9 All-Star game records. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1969. A statue of Musial was erected outside of Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri in 1968, and was dedicated after a Sunday afternoon loss to the Cubs on August 4, 1968. The statue was moved from its original location outside the old Busch Stadium (1966–2005) to the front of the new Busch Stadium for the first season in 2006. The statue has always been a popular place to meet friends at the stadium, and a small tradition among fans has been to climb the statue after the Cards' World Series wins in 1982 and 2006. It is inscribed with a quote from former baseball commissioner Ford Frick: "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight." Musial also served one year as general manager of the Cardinals. After the 1966 season, Musial succeeded Bob Howsam as GM and the 1967 Cardinals promptly won 101 games, the NL pennant, and the 1967 World Series title. Musial then stepped down at the end of the season and was succeeded by Bing Devine. Following his retirement Musial has been a successful businessman and restaurateur, and remains a popular figure in the St. Louis area. When asked why he always seemed so happy, he remarked, "If you had a .331 lifetime batting average, you'd be happy all the time, too!" In 1985, he opened and operated Inn at Grand Glaize at the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. In 1989, he was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 1999, he ranked tenth on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. Some fans suggested that being placed so high on the list was a "hometown pick," as TSN is published in St. Louis. Musial did less well in fan voting for that year's Major League Baseball All-Century Team, but was added by a special committee along with Honus Wagner, one of only 30 players to be honored for his great success. The surprise at his high esteem among baseball critics and omission from fan-voted all-time teams are a reflection of his rather understated demeanor. Indeed, it was Musial's characteristic modesty, in addition to the fact that he played his entire career for a midwestern ballclub, that allowed his legacy to fall behind those of his contemporaries such as Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio. More recently, Musial threw out the first pitch in the 5th (and final) game of the 2006 World Series at Busch Stadium to the loud cheers of Cardinal fans. On May 18, 2008, Stan was honored with the "Stan the Man" day at Busch Stadium, with Mike Shannon acting as emcee, Stan was honored for his contributions to the St. Louis Cardinals. Included during the ceremony was a proclamation from the Mayor, a street renamed after him, and a standing ovation. [10]

Wagner was born to German immigrants Peter and Katheryn Wagner in the Chartiers neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which is now a part of the borough of Carnegie, Pennsylvania.[3] Wagner was one of nine children, although only five lived past childhood. As a child, he was called Hans by his mother, which would later evolve into Honus. "Hans" was also an alternate nickname during his major league career. Wagner dropped out of school at age 12 to help his father and brothers in the coal mines. In their free time, he and his brothers played sandlot baseball and developed their skills to such an extent that three of his brothers would go on to become professionals, as well.[citation needed] Wagner's older brother, Albert "Butts" Wagner, who had a brief major league career himself, is often credited for getting Honus his first tryout. Following after his brother, Honus trained to be a barber before becoming successful in baseball.[citation needed] In 1916, Wagner married Bessie Baine Smith, and the couple went on to have three daughters, Elva Katrina (born 1918), Betty Baine (born 1919), and Virginia Mae (born 1922).[citation needed] [edit] Professional career [edit] Career before Major League Baseball Honus' brother Albert "Butts" Wagner was considered the ballplayer of the family. Albert suggested Honus in 1895 when his Inter-State League team was in need of help. In his first year, Honus played for five teams. Edward Barrow of the Atlantic League liked what he saw in Wagner, and, in 1896, he signed him. In 1896, Wagner hit .313. The next year, Honus hit .375 in 74 games played. Edward Barrow would become Honus' bridge to the Major Leagues. [edit] Louisville Colonels Recognizing his talent, Barrow recommended Wagner to the Louisville Colonels. After some hesitation about his awkward figure, Wagner was signed by the Colonels, where he hit .338 in 61 games. By his second season, Wagner was already one of the best hitters in the National League although he would come up short a percentage point from finishing the season at .300. After the 1899 season, the NL contracted from twelve to eight teams, with the Colonels one of four teams eliminated. Along with Wagner, owner Barney Dreyfuss took many of his other top players with him to Pittsburgh. [edit] Pittsburgh Pirates The move to the Pittsburgh Pirates would signify Wagner's emergence as a hitter. In 1900, Wagner won his first batting championship with a .381 mark and also led the league in doubles (45), triples (22), and slugging percentage (.573), all of which were career highs. For the next couple of seasons, Wagner's average did not fall below .330. Honus Wagner in 1911In 1901, the American League began to sign National League players, creating a bidding war, decimating the league. Wagner was offered a $20,000 contract by the Chicago White Sox, but instead turned it down and continued to play with the Pirates. In 1903, the Pirates played the Boston Americans in Major League Baseball's inaugural World Series. Wagner, by this point, was an established star and much was expected of him, especially since the Pirates' starting rotation was decimated by injury. Wagner himself was not at full strength and hit only .222 for the series. The Americans, meanwhile, had some particularly rowdy fans, called the "Royal Rooters" who, whenever Wagner came to bat, would sing "Honus, Honus, why do you hit so badly?" to the tune of "Tessie," a popular song of the day. The Rooters, led by Boston bartender Michael "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, even travelled to Pittsburgh to continue their heckling. Pittsburgh lost in the best-of-nine series, five games to three, to a team led by pitchers Cy Young and Bill Dinneen and third baseman-manager Jimmy Collins. Christy Mathewson, in his book "Pitching in a Pinch" wrote: "For some time after "Hans" Wagner's poor showing in the world's series of 1903... it was reported that he was "yellow" (poor in the clutch). This grieved the Dutchman deeply, for I don't know a ball player in either league who would assay less quit to the ton than Wagner... This was the real tragedy in Wagner's career. Notwithstanding his stolid appearance, he is a sensitive player, and this has hurt him more than anything else in his life ever has."[4] In 1904, a major change occurred in Wagner's life. That season would be the first in which he primarily played shortstop. In prior years, Wagner had played several positions, never really having a permanent home. After the 1907 season, Wagner retired. Starting to panic, Barney Dreyfuss offered him 10,000 dollars, making him the highest paid players for many years. It is debatable whether Wagner actually meant to retire, or if he just wanted a raise in salary. Honus Wagner's locker on display at the Hall of FameWagner and the Pirates were given a chance to prove that they were not "yellow" in 1909. The Pirates faced off against Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers, which would be the only meeting of the two superior batsmen of the day. Wagner was by this time 35 years old, while Cobb a mere 22. This time Wagner would not be stiffled as he would outhit Cobb, .333 to .231, and stole six bases, which established a new Series record. The speed demon Cobb only managed two steals, one of which Cobb himself admitted was a botched call. Wagner recounted: "We had him out at second. We put up a squawk, but Silk O'Loughlin, the umpire, overruled it. We kept the squawk going for a minute or so, making no headway of course, and then Cobb spoke up. He turned to O'Loughlin, an American League umpire, by the way, and said, 'Of course I was out. They had me by a foot. You just booted the play, so come on, let's play ball.' ."[5] There was also a story that was widely circulated over the years, that at one point Cobb was on first; he bragged to Wagner that he was going to steal second; Wagner placed an especially rough tag to Cobb's mouth; and the two exchanged choice words. Cobb denied it in his autobiography, and the play-by-play of the 1909 World Series confirms that the event could not have happened as stated: Cobb was never tagged out by Wagner in a caught-stealing. The Pirates won the series 4 games to 3 behind the pitching of Babe Adams, thereby vindicating Wagner and the Pittsburgh team. The following year, however, would not be as great as 1909. Honus' average fell to .320, his lowest average since 1898. On June 14th, 1914, at age 40, Wagner recorded his 3,000th hit. Besides that highlight, Wagner and Pirates were on a decline. Wagner only hit .252 in 1914. It proved to be Wagner's lowest batting average for a season. In 1917, Wagner returned for his final season. He hit .265, and was given the role of interim manager, but after going 1–4, Wagner told Dreyfuss the job wasn't for him. Wagner has been considered one of the very best all-around players to ever play baseball since the day he retired in 1917. Famed "sabermatician" Bill James rates him as the second best player of all-time, right behind Babe Ruth.[6] Statisticians John Thorn and Pete Palmer rate Wagner as ninth all-time in their "Total Player Ranking".[7] Many of the greats who played or managed against Wagner, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Walter Johnson, list him at shortstop on their All-Time teams.[8] [edit] Life after baseball Wagner served as the Pirates' manager briefly in 1917, but resigned the position after only 5 games. He returned to the Pirates as a coach, most notably as a hitting instructor from 1933 to 1952. Arky Vaughan, Kiki Cuyler, Ralph Kiner, and player-manager from 1934–1939 Pie Traynor, all future Hall of Famers, were notable "pupils" of Wagner. During this time, he wore uniform number 14, but later changed it to his more famous 33, which was later retired for him. His entire playing career was in the days before uniform numbers were worn. His appearances at National League stadiums during his coaching years were always well received and Hans remained a beloved ambassador of baseball. Wagner also coached baseball and basketball at what is now Carnegie Mellon University. In 1928, Wagner ran for sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania but lost. He was made deputy county sheriff in 1942. He also ran a well-known sporting goods company. In fact, a sporting goods store bearing the name "Honus Wagner" still operates in downtown Pittsburgh. Wagner lived out the remainder of his life in Pittsburgh, where he was well-known as a friendly figure around town. He died on December 6, 1955 at the age of 81, and he is buried at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh.

Derek Jeter was born in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, at Chilton Hospital, to an African-American father, Dr. Sanderson Charles Jeter; his mother Dorothy is of Irish/German descent. The family lived in North Arlington, New Jersey, before moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was 4. He also has a sister named Sharlee.As a child Derek's grandmother made him a passionate fan of his future team, the New York Yankees[2] High school Jeter was inspired to play baseball by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield.[3] In high school, Jeter was a star baseball player at Kalamazoo Central High School, where he also played basketball, earning an All-State honorable mention. After batting .557 as a sophomore, Jeter hit .508 (30-59) with 7 HR, 23 RBIs 21 BB, and 1 strikeout his junior year. His on base percentage was .637. Jeter collected many awards at season's end, including the Kalamazoo Area B'nai B'rith Award for Scholar Athlete, the 1992 High School Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, the 1992 Gatorade High School Player of the year award, and USA Today's High School Player of the Year. In December 2007, Jeter was inducted into the Kalamazoo Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Draft Although Jeter received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Michigan, he was drafted by the New York Yankees with the 6th overall pick of the 1992 amateur draft and chose to go pro. Jeter has said, however, that he will eventually go back to college and earn a degree.[2] Minor league career Jeter spent four years in the minor leagues, beginning in the Rookie League before advancing to Class A. He spent 2 years there, collecting various awards, including Most Outstanding Major League Prospect of the South Atlantic League in 1993.[4] In 1994 he was honored with the Minor League Player of the Year Award by Baseball America, The Sporting News, USA Today, and Topps/NAPBL after hitting .344 with five home runs, 68 RBIs and 50 stolen bases combined at Triple-A Columbus, Double-A Albany, and Class-A Tampa. He was also named the MVP of the Florida State League. Major League career Jeter connects for a hit against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Early Years (1995–1998) On May 29, 1995, Jeter made his debut in the Major Leagues against the Seattle Mariners in the Kingdome. He got his first major league hit the following day off veteran pitcher Tim Belcher, and started 13 games before being sent back down to the minors. He returned on Opening Day of the 1996 season as the starting shortstop (the first Yankee rookie since Tom Tresh in 1962 to do so) and hit his first major-league home run on that day. Jeter played his way to a successful rookie season, hitting for a .314 batting average, 10 home runs, and 78 runs batted in and subsequently earning Rookie of the Year honors.[5] During the 1996 American League Championship Series, Jeter was involved in what has become a memorable moment in postseason history. During game one, with the Yankees trailing the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 in the 8th inning, Jeter hit a fly ball to right field. As right fielder Tony Tarasco moved to make a play on the ball near the fence, appearing to have a chance to catch the ball, 12 year old Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall and caught the ball, pulling it back into the stands. Despite Tarasco's protest, the umpires convened and ruled the ball a home run. Replays conclusively showed that had Maier not interfered, the ball would have fallen in front of the fence and potentially into Tarasco's glove for an out. The Yankees would go on to win in 11 innings, and eventually the series, 4 games to 1. The ruling made for the first home run of Jeter's postseason career.[6] Jeter making one of his trademark plays against the Tampa Bay Rays. 100 Runs Batted In and Mr. November (1999–2003) In the year 1999 Jeter led the AL in hits (219), and was 2nd in the league in batting average (.349) and runs (134). Jeter (who batted 3rd in the lineup part of the year) also drove in 102 runs, becoming only the 2nd Yankee shortstop ever to do so (Lyn Lary had driven in 107 runs in 1931).[5] In 2000, Jeter became the first player ever to win the All-Star Game MVP award and the World Series MVP Award in the same year. Jeter became the first Yankee since Yogi Berra, in 1959, to hit a home run in the All Star Game (Alfonso Soriano then hit one in 2001).[5] Jeter has made a series of plays both in the field, especially in the 2001 postseason. Perhaps the most memorable took place in Game 3 of the 2001 American League Division Series vs. the Oakland Athletics. With Jeremy Giambi on first base, Oakland right fielder Terrence Long hit a double off Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina into the right-field corner. As Giambi rounded third and headed for home, Yankees right fielder Shane Spencer retrieved the ball and made a wild throw intended for Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. Instead, the errant throw missed cutoff man Tino Martinez and dribbled up the first base line. Jeter came out of nowhere to grab the ball and flip it to Posada, who tagged Giambi on the leg just before he crossed home plate for the out. Facing elimination, the Yankees went on to win the game, as well as the series. FOX announcer Thom Brennaman's call of the play is as follows: "That is fair, down the right field line. Giambi on his way to third, and they're gonna wave him around! The throw misses the cutoff man—shovel to the plate! Out at the plate! Derek Jeter with one of the most unbelievable plays you will ever see by a shortstop![7] The play was later voted #7 in Baseball Weekly's 10 Most Amazing Plays of all time.[8] After the September 11th terrorist attacks, the baseball season was put on hold. Because of this, the playoffs started later, and Game 4 of the 2001 World Series was played on October 31. The game went into the tenth inning tied at 3–3. At midnight, the scoreboard in center field read "Attention Fans, Welcome to NOVEMBER BASEBALL." This was the first time that any non-exhibition baseball game had been played in the month of November.[9] Moments after this message was displayed on the board, Jeter sent a 3–2 pitch from Byung-Hyun Kim over the right field stands. A fan in the stands held up a sign with the words "Mr. November." Michael Kay, who called the walkoff home run, called Jeter by this name, referencing the sign. Despite the nickname, Jeter was 3 for 12 (.250) in November baseball that season, as the Yankees lost the World Series in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Captain of the Yankees (2003–present) In 2003, Jeter started the season by dislocating his left shoulder on opening day at the SkyDome in Toronto. With Jeter on first base and Jason Giambi at bat, Toronto used an extreme shift that left third base uncovered. Giambi hit a soft grounder to the pitcher, Roy Halladay, who threw to first baseman Carlos Delgado for an out. Jeter, seeing Toronto out of position, rounded second and ran to third. Toronto catcher Ken Huckaby ran up the line to cover third and fielded Delgado's throw. Jeter dived headfirst into the bag, while Huckaby attempted to catch the baseball and block Jeter from reaching third. In doing so, Huckaby fell onto Jeter, his shin guard driving into his shoulder.[10] Jeter's shoulder popped out the front of the socket, and Yankee trainers and Blue Jay doctors tried to pop it back. After unsuccessfully attempting to reset his shoulder in the socket, Jeter was taken to the Yankees' clubhouse, where his shoulder was put back in place. Jeter, who had never played fewer than 148 games in the prior seven full seasons, was subsequently on the disabled list for six weeks, missing 36 games.[11] However, he still led the major leagues in batting average on balls in play that year (.380).[12] Reaction of Yankee players, including Jeter, were highly critical of Huckaby's play, believing that Huckaby, a marginal player, had foolishly jeopardized the All-star shortstop's season. Willie Randolph, who was the Yankees' third-base coach, called Huckaby's play "unnecessary," while Enrique Wilson described it as a "dirty play."[13] Jeter was unsupportive of Huckaby, demurring when asked whether the play was dirty by ambiguously saying, "I don't know, it's tough." Jeter's perception of Huckaby's play became clear when Huckaby reported that Jeter was unresponsive to his apology. "He stonefaced me," Huckaby said. "He just stared at me. He didn't say one word."[14] On June 3 in Cincinnati, Jeter was named the 10th Captain in Yankees history.[15] Jeter waiting on deck in the 2008 season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1, 2008The New York Yankees named Jeter the 11th recognized captain in Yankees history on June 3, 2003, after 8 years without one (Dispute over the true count was noted in a lengthy article in the New York Times on March 25, 2007, by Vincent M. Mallozzi).[16] Jeter became the first official captain of the team since Don Mattingly retired in 1995. His contract, which has a total value of $189,000,000 is the 3rd largest contract in baseball history, behind two contracts of Alex Rodriguez. The beginning of the 2004 season saw Jeter mired in a slump; on May 25, he was hitting only .189. This included a personal career record 0-for-32 skid in April. In June, however, Jeter broke out of his slump. He hit nearly .400 for the month and set a personal best with 9 home runs. He finished the season with a .292 average and 23 home runs, the 2nd most of his career, as well as 44 doubles.[5] During a July 1, 2004, game against the rival Boston Red Sox, Jeter made a play which has helped perpetuate the perception of him as a clutch player. In the top of the 12th inning, with the score tied at 3, the Red Sox had runners on second and third with 2 outs and right fielder Trot Nixon up at bat. Nixon hit a pop fly down the left field line. Jeter ran from his position at shortshop and made an over-the-shoulder catch. In dramatic fashion he launched himself over the third base side railing, landing three rows into the left field seats, and lacerating his chin and bruising his face in the process. Jeter was later taken out of the game. This catch ended the inning and later the Yankees went on to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning.[17] The "Dive" was awarded Play Of The Year in the This Year In Baseball awards competition, as voted on by fans at MLB.com. The play is also currently seen during the introduction of Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. The question surrounding this play is whether the ball would have landed in fair territory. If the ball was fair and not caught, Nixon would have driven in two runs to put the Red Sox up 5-3. If the ball had landed foul, it simply would have been a strike. Either way, the play ended the inning, and helped the Yankees win. The third base umpire, Fieldin Culbreth, called it a fair ball. Derek Jeter against the Colorado RockiesIn 2005 he was 2nd in the AL in runs (122) and batting average on balls in play (.394),[18] and 3rd in the league in at bats (654) and hits (202). In 2006 Jeter led the major leagues in highest groundball/flyball ratio (3.23; 313/97) and batting average on balls in play (.394),[19] and tied for the American League lead in steals of third base (12). He was 2nd in the league in batting average (.343) and runs scored (118), 3rd in hits (214), SB success % (87.2), and batting average with runners in scoring position (.381), and 5th in infield hits (26).[20] He finished 2nd in American League MVP voting to Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins (320 points to 306 points). Jeter has finished in the top 10 in the MVP balloting 6 times in his 11 full seasons through 2006 (including also a 3rd place finish in 1998). As of August 25, 2007, Derek was named the Face of the Yankees by staff and fan voters on ESPN.com. One day before the Yankees completed what was thought of as an improbable comeback by winning a playoff spot on September 26, Jeter reached 200 hits for the 6th season, and the third consecutive, tying former Yankee great Lou Gehrig. In 2007, Jeter was 3rd in the AL in hits (203), 4th in at bats (639) and plate appearances (714), 6th in times on base (276), 7th in hit by pitch (14), and 9th in batting average (.322).[5] He also was involved in a career-high 104 double plays, and his 4.02 range factor was the lowest of all AL shortstops, and his .765 zone rating was the lowest among all major league shortstops. 2008 was a sub-par offensive year for Jeter. His slugging percentage was .410, his lowest since 1997. Some theorized that one possible cause for the slump was a May 20 game that saw Jeter get hit by a pitch on his wrist.[21] Before the injury, Jeter was hitting .324 with a .774 OPS. After the injury, his batting average dipped as low as .269 by the end of the month. His offense took an upward turn after May as he hit .322 with a .824 OPS after June 1. Jeter was elected to his ninth All-Star game as the starting shortstop, batting in the 2-hole and going 1-for-3. Derek tied the "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig for the most hits at Yankee Stadium (1,269) with a home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price on September 14, 2008. On September 16 he went on to break the record off of the Chicago White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd.