‘Jeter Meter’ brings fans and community together

The Jeter Meter is back!

The 161st Business Improvement District turned their hit Derek Jeter meter back on during the Yankee’s west Coast road trip to show local support for the team.

The LED digital counter, posted on a streetlamp pole near the Derek Jeter banner on the side of Yankee Stadium along River Avenue between E. 161st and E. 162nd streets, counts the Yankee star’s historic number of hits.

It was put there by the BID before Jeter reached his 3,000th hit, and continues to count up as Jeter approaches career hit totals of some of baseball’s immortals like George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr., and Willie Mays – who stand at 3,154, 3,184 and 3,283 career hits, respectively.

The “Jeter Meter,” programed by the BID, also allows fans to send messages of good luck and best wishes to the Yankee captain. It was turned back on for the season on Friday, May 25.

“We turned it on now because the Yankees are about as far away from the Bronx as you can get – in Oakland,” said 161st Street BID executive director Cary Goodman. “They will be on the west coast for about nine days, and we want them to know that people back home are rooting for them and are in touch with them – at least electronically.”

When the meter was turned back on, Jeter’s hit total stood at 3152 hits, Goodman said. It shows the commitment to the team in its home borough, and allows all Yankee fans and the local businesses to connect with their favorite sports franchise.

“The meter showcases that the neighborhood is a friendly place that enjoys sports and celebrating great achievements in sports,” Goodman said. “It has been doing that since the Yankee Stadium first opened in the 1920s – for eighty or ninety years.”

The meter scrolls to offer electronic congratulatory and ‘best wishes’ messages from businesses in the area, and elected officials, including Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., whose office is nearby in the Bronx County Building.

“I think for the BID’s businesses, it reinforces the idea that this is a neighborhood where people can come to relax and enjoy the game both in the ballpark and in the sports bars in the community,” Goodman said.

“Yankee Tavern is a New York City landmark and is one of the greatest places to eat and drink. Stan’s was voted by a trade publication as the greatest sports bars in the nation. These are places that have been in business for decades and they know how to serve baseball and football fans.”

There is also a Mariano Meter near Mariano Rivera’s portrait on the side of Yankee Stadium, which normally has a listing of his career saves total. Currently, it is offering best wishes in both English and Spanish for getting baseball’s all-time save leader recovered from his injuries.