Derek Jeter

How does one pick the single best Major League Baseball player at each position, of all-time? It is by no means a simple task. So many legends have graced the game with their incredible skills and equally impressive statistics.

But with the 2011 All-Star Game right around the corner, why not take a shot at naming each league's all-time All-Stars?

Derek Jeter deserves all the praise in the world today.

The New York Yankees captain, who has spent the past decade serving as the de facto face of Major League Baseball, joined the exclusive 3,000-hit club in thunderous fashion, with a solo home run to left field at Yankee Stadium off of Tampa Bay Rays All-Star David Price.

On Saturday, July 9th, 2011, Yankees star Derek Jeter took Rays pitcher David Price deep into the left field stands, cementing his legacy and etching his name in baseball history.

Jeter became the 28th hitter in history to achieve the monumental accomplishment of 3,000 hits, joining the likes of Roberto Clemente, Ricky Henderson, and Willie Mays.

In the third inning of Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Derek Jeter became one of two players to hit a home run on his 3,000th hit. Wade Boggs is the other.

He's the 28th player to reach the elusive 3,000 hit club.

Jeter's the fourth youngest player to reach 3,000 hits. The three ahead of him...Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.

Derek Jeter has reached 3,000 hits by blasting a home run over the left field wall, becoming the 28th player to reach the milestone. The impressive fashion of the home run got me thinking: what are the coolest ways players have reached 3,000 hits?

While most players have reached the milestone on a single or double, some players have done so in fashion.

The following eight players have had the coolest ways of reaching 3,000 hits.

Derek Jeter got his 3,000th hit today, a home run in fact, and Christian Lopez was the man who caught it.

Tickets to a potentially historic day at Yankee Stadium came courtesy of Lopez's girlfriend, and both her and his father accompanied the cell phone salesman to the ballpark earlier today not knowing that they'd be the ones with a piece of history in their possession.

Derek Jeter recorded his 3000 hit today in style, blasting a solo shot out of the park to tie the game up. The long awaited milestone finally culminated in Yankee Stadium in front of a packed house on a Saturday afternoon, which made it even more perfect. He entered elite company, becoming the 28^th player to join the 3000 hit club. He finished the day 5 for 5 at the plate and drove in the game-winning run.

When it comes to seizing a moment, it’s hard to beat Derek Jeter.

Criticism was swirling, calls mounting for him to be moved to eighth in the order in the midst of the chase for a historic milestone. But Saturday, Jeter did what he does best, captivate once again.

It wasn’t so much about the game, a July afternoon contest between AL East foes pretty commonplace. This was Derek Jeter’s day.

We knew it was coming soon. Perched upon the precipice of history, on the verge of becoming the 28th player in the annals of Major League Baseball to reach the 3,000-hit milestone, Derek Jeter began the day with 2,998 career base-hits.

With only two hits to go to join the exclusive club of baseball's all-time greats, it seemed a foregone conclusion for the Yankee captain, barring any unforeseen catastrophe that could derail the quest.

Yes, sir, let the praise begin.

Derek Jeter just put every hater to shame. Every person that said for the past three weeks that the New York Yankees would be better off without Jeter was made to look foolish once again as they doubted him.

We all knew the captain was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. It was without question. On July 8, 2011, he cemented his place as the greatest position player to ever grace the hallowed diamond. Period.