Against the Odds

The temperature was in the upper-40s, the winds were gusting (maybe cross-field left to right), and my friend Jen and I were huddled under extra layers of clothing and a thick blanket. But the Yankees rewarded the fans who showed up with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers--the team's fourth win in five games, or 14th in its last 16. And the rain held off, amazingly, until 11 pm. Just after the game ended.
The highlight of the game--besides the warm pretzels and cold beers our husbands bought for us--was an amazing backhanded catch by shortstop Derek Jeter in the Detroit seventh. With two runners on, one run in, and only one out, Jeter chased a pop fly to center field, trampling over Robinson Cano, the rookie second baseman, while making the catch with his back to the infield. Both players lost their caps and went tumbling to the ground. And for a minute, the crowd thought Detroit had a hit. But Jeter somehow managed to hold onto the ball. The entire crowd started chanting his name and cheering. The Togers got one run that inning, but that's all they'd get.
What about Cano--who missed out on the big catch, and got trampled instead? The collision left him with a cut above the right ankle and a broken spike. But he stayed in the game. "I think I stepped on him," Jeter told the NY Times. "He's young. He's O.K. He's a kid."
He'll bounce back. Just like his team has.