By Korvin Vicente, Tod Shapiro, Rick Shapiro and the Flatiron Hot! News Editorial Staff

An NYCSCC Flatiron Hot! News reporter just happened to be in the mountains of northeastern PA celebrating the 4^th of July weekend, taking in a Scranton RailRiders minor league game on a warm summer evening, when the unexpected happened!  News flash:  Derek Jeter, the legendary captain of the New York Yankees and surefire Hall of Famer, showed up on short notice to, at last, begin his rehab at the Yanks Triple A farm affiliate in the newly renovated PNCPark.   As all Flatiron/Chelsea Yankee fans no doubt know, the captain broke his ankle in the playoffs last fall, and the Bronx Bombers are counting the days till he can get back on the field–and they do need him badly!   So, not one to miss an opportunity, our intrepid staffer rounded up ace sports photographer and part-time correspondent Rick Shapiro and snapped away, capturing for NYCSCC’s blog the unusual sight of Derek Jeter in the uniform of the Scranton RailRiders, framed with the backdrop of the Pocono Mountains, and cheered on by local fans, as well as the dread-locked porcupine mascot of the RailRiders!

Saturday’s appearance marks Jeter’s return to competitive baseball after breaking his ankle last October.  Currently at the tail end of his recovery, Jeter will be earning rehab innings with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.   For Yank fans in attendance or watching remotely, the exciting evening also gave a great opportunity to observe the progress to the major leagues of the hard-throwing pitcher of great expectations, the tall and lanky Michael Pineda.  Pineda, (1-0), is the 24-year-old right-hander acquired by the Yankees in the trade that sent top prospect Jesus Montero to Seattle.  Pineda injured his shoulder before making his Big League debut as a Yankee, and has been on the road to recovery ever since.  Saturday marked Pineda’s fifth minor league start, where he gave up two runs on four hits in a five-inning stretch while consistently hitting 92 to 94 mph on the radar gun. He also struck out seven and walked two.

However, the evening belonged to Jeter.  He went 0 for 2 with a walk in his debut, but many RailRider fans were just grateful to see the Bronx Bomber in their hometown. Jeter ran out his times at the plate gamely and smartly, and showed no ill effects from the broken ankle – he looked comfortable out in the field as well.  The sellout crowd of 10,000 met the Yankee shortstop with standing ovations, applause, and countless cheers anytime he took to the plate or fielded a grounder.   True to form, the captain took time to sign autographs, take pictures, and even shake the hand of a local 10-year-old kid who just happened to be celebrating his birthday on the field that evening!  Captain, we expect to see you back in the Big Leagues soon.