The Jeter Flip

With Derek Jeter getting his 3,000th hit recently and with the Moneyball due to come out soon, I find myself thinking about the glory days of the A's back in the early 2000s. They went to the playoffs four years in a row from 2000 to 2003 and lost in the Division Series 3-2 every time. That's heartbreaking. Perhaps the worst was in 2001. After taking the first two games against the Yankees in New York, they just had to win one more to advance. Instead they dropped three in a row.

This play is often cited as the momentum changer:


I still can't believe that:
1. I was at that game.
2. Jeremy Giambi didn't slide.
3. they lost the series.

Live and in person, I totally missed the amazing play Jeter made. It just happened. The main focus in the crowd was why the f didn't Giambi slide? Pulling this clip was the first time I ever took a close look at the footage. I don't think it would have mattered if he'd slid. He steps over Posada's glove and gets tagged on the back of leg. If he slides, he slides right into Posada's glove.