By Adam Nichols
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — Derek Jeter is on the cusp of achieving something New York Yankees legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle never accomplished.
All eyes will be on Jeter as he continues his quest for 3,000 hits when the Yankees open their season against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
Jeter, who signed a new $51 million contract over the winter, is looking to become the first player in the Yankees storied history to record 3,000 hits in a career. The Yankees shortstop has a team record 2,926 career hits and needs 74 more to reach the milestone. Gehrig is second on the the team's all-time list with 2,721.
"I know what my expectations are of myself," the Yankees shortstop told the Daily News. "They're probably higher than anybody else's expectations of me."
Jeter is hoping to bounce back from his worst season as a professional. The Yankees captain hit .270 last season, 44 points below his career batting average of .314.
Hitting coach Kevin Long worked with Jeter on a new batting stance in spring training and thinks the All-Star will return to form.
"I think he's really driven," Long told the News. "It's part of what makes these guys great. They drive themselves to a point that most people won't."
Jeter and the Yankees are aiming to get back to the World Series after being eliminated by the Texas Rangers in the ALCS last year. New York won the World Series just two years ago in 2009.
The Yankees will have to contend with some frigid weather in the season opener, which is being played in March for the first time in team history. Rain is expected to fall in the Bronx and the temperatures are not expected to climb above the low 40s during the game.
New York will have CC Sabathia on the mound against Tigers ace Justin Verlander.
Verlander went 18-9 with a 3.37 ERA last season for Detroit. He's 4-3 with a 3.83 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees in his career.
"We're facing one of the best pitchers in baseball," Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira told the Associated Press. "We've got to be ready to go, or it could be a long day for hitters."
