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Two Iconic Sporting Records Set by Derek Jeter and Michael Phelps Share an Uncanny Coincidence That Very Few Know About

Published 10/31/2022, 11:00 AM EDT

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Derek Jeter and Michael Phelps mastered their respective playing arenas. They dominated two different sports with no ties to each other. However, they connect through their success and their exemplary rise to stardom. Moreover, Jeter and Phelps achieved milestones on the same date set apart by two years. 

Both Jeter and Phelps are the types of athletes whose names alone define their reputations. Jeter became one of the most successful shortstops in baseball history, through his exhilarating batting and fielding displays. Likewise, Phelps is a global hero for his extraordinary performances as a prolific swimmer. Notably, as per popular knowledge, Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever. 

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July 9th is a significant date in sporting history for the two legendary athletes, as they both achieved landmarks. 

Derek Jeter and Michael Phelps shared a shiny day separated by two years 

It was on July 9th, 2011, that Derek Jeter collected the 3000th hit of his career. He achieved the milestone in front of an enormous crowd at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees were playing against the Tampa Bay Rays. Jeter smashed a gigantic 400-foot home run into the left field stands against the Rays’ pitcher David Price

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Interestingly, Jeter was the first ever Yankees player to achieve that outstanding feat. He also went five-for-five in the game after his single at the bottom of the eighth inning. The Yankees won the game defeating the Rays by a 5-4 margin. Speaking after the game, Jeter said, “If you wrote this as a script, even I wouldn’t have bought it.” 

Derek Jeter Was Once Ridiculed by MLB Legend Who Dwarfed His 5 World Series Rings: “Come Over My House and Count”

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Two years prior to Jeter’s heroics, Michael Phelps achieved his marvelous milestone on the same day. On July 9th, 2009, Phelps broke a previous swimming World Record at the US National Championships. He swam the two-lap final in a remarkable 50.22 seconds. This happened just two months after he had returned from his suspension due to marijuana use. 

A note on Jeter and Michael Phelps’ careers 

Jeter played his entire MLB career for the Yankees. He is a 14-time All-Star who won five World Series championships. Jeter had his jersey retired by the Yankees administration post-retirement and is also a Hall Of Fame inductee. 

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Watch This Story – From Babe Ruth To Derek Jeter: New York Yankees Icons Whose Jersey Number Has Been Retired 

On the other hand, Phelps is the most honored Olympian of all time. He has a career tally of 28 medals, including 23 golds. He won eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Games alone. 

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Written by:

Madhurjya Bhuyan

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Madhurjya Bhuyan is an MLB author at EssentiallySports. He has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in English Literature from Gauhati University and IGNOU, respectively, and also possesses prior professional experience as a content developer. Being a performance artist since childhood, Madhurjya has always aimed to contribute towards creativity in any possible manner, and writing only boosts that desire.
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Edited by:

Rupak Kumar Jha