Watch: Derek Jeter smashes MLB career's first grand slam against the Chicago Cubs
Derek Jeter is synonymous with many things. Namely, the face of the New York Yankees, Mr. November, and more than 3,000 bas hits in his career. However, there is one thing that Captain Fantastic isn't often associated with: home runs. Jeter didn't make a name for himself as a premier slugger like teammates Alex Rodriguez and Bernie Williams.
Jeter has only 260 homers throughout his career. It's no small feat, but that's like an average of 15 homers a year. With that in mind, let's take a look and analyze Derek Jeter's first and only grandslam of his 20-year MLB career.
Derek Jeter's first (and only) career grandslam
June 18, 2005, the historic Yankee Stadium (the original one), Bronx, New York. The New York Yankees welcomed the Chicago Cubs for interleague play. It was the first time that the Cubs have traveled to Yankee Stadium since the 1938 World Series. The event in of itself, had historical gravity already.
With the score at 4-1 in favor of the Bronx Bombers, Captain Fantastic uncorked a bomb to left center field off Chicago Cubs pitcher Joe Browski that drove in Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, and Robinson Cano. It was Jeter's first grand slam of his professional career. The 55,284 strong Yankee faithful erupted and blew the proverbial top off Yankee Stadium.
It took ten years and 155 plate appearances with the bases loaded before Jeter finally accomplished a feat that has yet to be done in his storied career. He was quoted after the game and said:
"I thought I'd never hit one."
Keep in mind, however, that Jeter is one of the most prolific batters with the bases loaded averaging .338 with 106 RBI at this stage of his career. It's just that he cannot seem to get the knockout blow until this game happened.
Riding the momentum of his first grandslam, Jeter hit another homer in the bottom of the eighth. This one was a solo shot off Cliff Bartosh that gave him a career-best five RBIs in one game. The Yankees will win the game against the Cubs on that historic day, 3-1.
Chien-Ming Wang picked up the victory after a stellar display. He worked eight innings and gave up just five hits, an earned run, a walk, and fanned five Chicago Cubs batters. Lefty Glendon Rusch took the loss for the Cubs after giving up nine hits and four earned runs in five innings of work.