Jeffrey Meier’s Mitt Used to Catch Derek Jeter’s 1996 ALCS Game One Home Run

MIZUNO BASEBALL GLOVE

Leather

Circa 1996

On October 9th, 1996, the New York Yankees faced off against the Baltimore Orioles in a high-stakes matchup at Yankee Stadium. In the bottom of the 8th inning, with the score deadlocked at 4-4, the AL Rookie of the Year, Derek Jeter, stepped up to the plate, poised to make his mark on the game.

Facing off against Orioles reliever Armando Benitez, Jeter took a big swing at a fastball that seemed destined for the upper reaches of the outfield. However, as the ball cleared the wall and landed in the stands, controversy erupted. Replays showed that a young fan, Jeffrey Maier, had reached over the outfield wall and interfered with Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco's attempt to catch the ball. Despite protests from Orioles players and fans, the umpires ruled the play a home run, much to the dismay of the Baltimore contingent.

The controversy surrounding Jeter's home run centered on the question of whether Maier's interference had altered the outcome of the play. Had Tarasco been able to make the catch, would the outcome of the game have been different? Orioles fans certainly believed so, and they vehemently argued that the home run should have been nullified due to fan interference.

Despite the controversy, the Yankees went on to win the game and eventually the series, propelling them to yet another World Series title. But the shadow of controversy loomed large over Jeter's home run, raising questions about the role of fan interference in the outcome of games and the integrity of the sport itself.

In the years since the game, Jeter's home run has become enshrined in baseball lore, remembered not just for the brilliance of the moment, but also for the controversy it generated. 

Presented for private sale is Meier’s glove from Game One of the 1996 ALCS. 

Going Deeper | Derek Jeter

Born in 1974 in Pequannock, New Jersey and raised in Michigan, Jeter earned a full ride to play baseball at the University of Michigan. In 1992, the Yankees (Jeter’s favorite team) selected him as sixth overall pick of the MLB Draft to begin his much anticipated baseball career.

Jeter debuted in 1995, though after a series of injuries, Jeter played between Triple A and the majors. Earning the starting spot with the Yankees in 1996, Jeter would receive Rookie of the Year honors, batting .314 and leading the Yankees to their first World Series title in 18 years. Over the next 11 seasons the Yankees were a constant in the postseason, winning three consecutive World Series titles from 1998-2000. 

In 1998, Jeter made his first (of fourteen) All-Star Games, and in 2004 won his first (of five) Gold Glove awards. Jeter claimed his fifth and final World Series in 2009.

In 2014, upon his retirement at about 40 years old, Jeter ended his career with 3,465 hits, 1,923 runs and 4,921 total bases. In 2020, Jeter was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Perhaps most importantly, Jeter is beloved in the city of New York, and throughout the game of baseball. He is one of the New York Yankees’ greatest legends, and one of the most important players to don the Yankees uniform.