NEW YORK (AP) - Derek Jeter donated to the Hall of Fame the helmet and batting gloves that he wore when he homered for his 3,000th hit.
Jeter made the presentation during a brief ceremony honoring him for becoming the 28th player and first in pinstripes to reach the milestone before the Yankees played the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
The Yankees presented Jeter with a Waterford crystal vase and gave the captain and his dad rings and his mom and sister pendants commemorating the feat. The rings Jeter and his father received have 50 diamonds each, 14 making the No. 2.
Jeter’s teammates gave him a 225-pound, mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture. It featured the No. 3,000, topped by a triple-layered bust of Jeter waving his helmet to the crowd.
“What a gift. The ring is outstanding,” Jeter said. “That statue from my teammates that’s something that really stands out so I really appreciated that.”
The sculpture was commissioned by teammates Jorge Posada and CC Sabathia. The inscription reads: “To our captain, leader and friend. Congratulations on a great achievement, from your teammates.”
“He said, ’Where am I going to put this?’ I said, ’You have plenty of room in that house in Tampa,’” Posada said of Jeter’s 30,000 square-foot mansion on the water.
Jeter got his 3,000th hit against the Rays on July 9.
Teammate Mariano Rivera was the only person who spoke during the ceremony. He said he was grateful for the chance to play with Jeter and see every one of his hits.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.