Derek Jeter is an old (old, old) pro, so maybe he just got caught up in going through the motions in his final season of baseball. Whatever the reason, in the fourth inning of last night’s game against the Mariners Jeter messed up.
Kyle Seager hit a ball near the foul line territory and after Brett Gardner made an unsuccessful dive for the ball, Jeter bobbled it before it hit the floor. Apparently thinking the ball was called foul, Jeter strolled over to pick it up while Seager sprinted around the bases like a mad man. By the time the Captain realized his mistake, Seager pretty much had the triple in the bag (and his smile afterwards is priceless).
Jeter’s sad face is also a kind of microcosm of his final season as well. His defense was never the best to begin with and he’s only hitting .267 on the season. Let’s just say that when Derek Jeter is given his final tribute video, this play won’t make the highlight reel.
