A Yankee Legend Returns to The Stadium

Yesterday when the Yankees had pre-draft workouts for 30 college players at Yankee stadium, a familiar name was on the field. His face may have changed quite a bit, but Jeffrey Maier was showing his stuff almost 10 years after his infamous play in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS. In that game, Maier reached over the right field fence to catch a ball hit by Derek Jeter, interfering with Baltimore Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco's chance to catch the ball. Despite the objections of Tarasco and the Orioles bench, the hit was ruled a home run. Jeter's home run tied the game, the Yankees went on to win in 11 innings, and the series 4-1. As they say, the rest was history.

Maier has since gone on to play baseball at Wesleyan and set the school's all-time record for hits earlier this Spring. The 22 year-old government major would like to play in the majors, but that doesn't seem all too likely. In April, the a National League scout told the NY Times that he didn't think Maier was "on anybody's radar." No matter where Maier ends up in baseball, he'll surely be remembered by lots of Yankees fans.

Photo by Mark Lennihan/AP