He caught the ball in fair territory and just kind of trip-jumped over the wall, guys.
Derek Jeter is an all-time great player and a fun guy to have around in the baseball world. We sports wiseacres tend to roll our eyes at the hyperbole over his leadership, "class," etc., but hey, may that we were all so good at our jobs and enjoyed them as much as he seems to.
In this week after July 4th, the day of Jeter's return to the Yankees' lineup after an ankle injury, though, there's something we, as baseball fans, as AMERICANS, need to talk about.
And that is Derek Jeter's dive into the Yankee Stadium stands during extra innings of a July 1, 2004 game against the Red Sox, which left him with bruises and a bloodied face.
You will hear the above described as a great diving catch, an iconic moment, a defining play in Yankee Stadium history, an example of tremendous physical courage. Read this fine breakdown of the play's history if you want more such examples.
But as that article points out, the catch was made in fair territory. The dive came two steps after the catch. It was a nice run for a pop fly, but not a historic highlight.
To take it even further, I would argue that the famous part of the play — the part where Jeter ends up in the stands — is actually an example of a lack of grace. Let's look at the key moment. Here, he has taken three steps after the catch.
