Derek Jeter Scores 3000th Hit, Fan Returns Ball [VIDEO]
Playing in front of a sold-out hometown crowd on Saturday, Derek Jeter sent his record-setting 3,000th hit deep into left-field, making him the 28th major leaguer and first New York Yankees player to reach the hitting milestone.
And who caught the potentially money-making ball? Christian Lopez, a 23-year-old fan whose girlfriend gave him tickets to the game as a birthday present.
Surrounded by security and hustled away to the Steinbrenner family luxury box, Lopez was asked what he wanted in exchange for the ball. His only requests were season tickets, some signed swag, and the chance to present the ball to Jeter himself - all of which were accommodated.
"It wasn't about the money," Lopez said. "It was about a milestone and I wasn't going to take that away from [Jeter]. Money's cool and all, but I'm only 23 years old. I have a lot of time to make that."
[AP]