"He has plied his trade a continent away, and maybe that distance has dimmed our appreciation. But now that Derek Jeter has 3,000 hits, it gives us reason to say what needs to be said about this magnificent Yankee.

Wow. Well done. Impressive beyond words.

Also, thanks for being what you are and who you are.

In that magic early afternoon of July 9, with the memory and remains of old Yankee Stadium looming across the street, the seats filled in new Yankee Stadium, All-Star David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays on the mound and the count 3 and 2, Jeter went from legendary to mystical. He hit a home run for the 3,000th hit of his career. Not a Texas Leaguer that just cleared the shortstop's glove or a hard bounder off the pitcher's leg. A home run.

You may have seen the highlights. You certainly read about it. But like most of us with many years of following and caring about sports, it still may be hard to get your arms around it. The number reached was phenomenal. The manner done so was otherworldly. It was also, somehow, fitting for Jeter, who hadn't hit a home run in Yankee Stadium in more than a year.

The 3,000 hits is a milestone that means automatic entrance into baseball's Hall of Fame. The countdown to it, and the glow of the aftermath, produced all the attention needed to make sure voters see and act.

Jeter actually needed none of that. He was probably a Hall of Fame lock somewhere around hit No. 2,500. The 3,000 hits is a tangible. Most everything else good about Jeter is intangible — and positive."