Almost everyone knows about Baseball Hall of Famer and New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter's iconic, walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series.
Jeter hit his fateful dinger after the clock struck midnight on November 1, making it the first time the Fall Classic spilled into the 11th month on the calendar. The clutch homer earned Jeter the nickname “Mr. November” and forever became a part of baseball lore.
The homer also forever changed the life of former Yankees vendor Neil Dunleavy, who caught the ball. He told his amazing story to ESPN's Jeff Passan in a story published on Friday.
Dunleavy's story includes one nugget that baseball fans may not know about. Jeter, rather than keep the ball for himself, autographed it and returned it to Dunleavy.
On the night of Game 4, nearing the end of his shift selling programs across Yankee Stadium, Dunleavy perfectly positioned himself in the right field corner, where he knew Jeter's inside-out swing tended to deposit balls. As Jeter connected on his swing in the bottom of the 10th inning, Dunleavey was busy organizing hundreds of dollar bills he had gotten from fans in exchange for programs throughout his shift, and had to sacrifice the currency to dive for the ball. Thankfully, a nearby security guard was able to recover the cash he had tossed aside for a bigger prize.
Once he retrieved it, he left the ballpark that night planning to give the ball to Jeter the next day. He met with a Yankees ballboy and, thinking it would be the last time he ever saw that infamous ball, handed it over. But the ballboy returned with the 'Mr. November' ball, which Jeter had signed, dated and added the No. 2, his jersey number with the Yankees.
"Had I known I was going to get it back," Dunleavy told Passan. "I would've given him a better pen."
Dunleavy went on to pursue a career in the medical field, but held onto the baseball. Now 43 years old, married and with three children, he has decided to sell the ball, believing he could find a better purpose for the memento.
After connecting with the auction house Goldin and authentication company JSA, Dunleavy now has the baseball on sale, with bidding set to close on June 14. The bidding is up to $120,000 and counting.
Not only did Jeter's classy gesture ensure that the baseball was authentic—thus providing Dunleavy and his family the chance for a large return in the souvenir's sale—but the Yankees legend also provided the now-orthopedic surgeon with memories and feelings he'll never forget.
And Dunleavy plans to pay it back to Jeter. He intends to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale to Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Derek Jeter Had Classy Gesture for Vendor Who Caught Six-Figure 'Mr. November' Ball.
