Now that Derek Jeter has broken Lou Gehrig's Yankee hit total record, the history of Jeter, Posada, Rivera, and Pettite is even more interesting:

Their navigation through the system is a starting point for a dynasty. In Jeter's first full pro season, 1993 at Greensboro, he was joined by Mariano Rivera. The following season, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada all were at Columbus together

No one there knew it at the time, but the Columbus Clippers had more talent on board than any minor league team ever had. I really had no idea that the four of them navigated the system together; I did know that they all came up at pretty much the same time. There's a whole generation of fans for whom Jeter, Rivera, and Posada are the Yankees - they've been there as long as they've been following baseball. A few years from now, when they age out of the game, it's going to be the end of an era.

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