These days Jeff Maier ’06 has been carving his name into the history books with his baseball bat. It’s been almost ten years since Maier was a twelve-year-old fan, forever etching his name into Yankees lore by reaching over the right field wall with his glove.

On Wednesday, Maier surpassed a milestone that twelve-year-old kids can only dream of. Surrounded by the local and national media, including ESPN and the New York Times, Maier ripped a double into center field against Bates, surpassing Bill Robinson ’03 as the all-time career hits leader at Wesleyan, with 169.

As Maier reached second base standing up after his record-setting double, a sense of relief set in for the young man who has had his share of national publicity ever since his day of fame at Yankee Stadium.

During Game One of the 1996 American League Championship Series against the Baltimore Orioles, Maier reached over the right field wall and turned a ball hit off the bat of Yankees rookie Derek Jeter into a home run late in the game. From that point on, Maier’s name has been associated with the success of the New York Yankees.

Almost a decade after the catch, perhaps people will now associate the name Jeffrey Maier with his record-setting accomplishments on the baseball field.

“Once I got to second base, I took a big deep breath and turned to see my teammates and fans who were cheering like crazy,” Maier said. “My heart was beating real fast and a smile was on my face. It was a great feeling of relief and excitement and joy all the same time. [Getting the record was] a load off my back, with all the camera people and media at the field. I was thinking, ‘Oh God, I better get this today with all of them there.’ I’m glad to get the hit out of the way.”

For Maier, being known as “the kid who caught that ball” has its upside, as he is virtually a household name for Yankee fans, but to be known now as one of the best baseball players to ever have set foot at Wesleyan is something Maier holds much closer to his heart.

“That’s the greatest thing, to be known more for my baseball accomplishments than my catch,” the third basemen said. “I don’t have any regrets about what happened in ’96, but to be known now for my accomplishments on and off the field as a student and player is real important to me. I cherish that more than anything.”

According to teammate and close friend Eric Wdowiak ’06, Maier’s record-setting hit will finally force people to acknowledge his success as a baseball player, as opposed to his action as a fan almost a decade ago.

“Breaking the hits record says something about his character, and I think it was a real big deal for him,” Wdowiak said. “He wants to go into baseball, whether it’s through playing or in the business, and showing that he can achieve [on the field] is what this record proves to everybody. He’s an achiever, and I think that’s how he wants to be remembered – as someone who gets the job done… It shows everyone that he’s not still a 12-year-old kid.”

Maier’s record-breaking hit was broadcast nationally on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

“Jeff has used [the media attention] to motivate himself to do things in his personal life to go beyond that catch,” said teammate Andre Sternberg ’07. “The record has validated everything he’s been doing as a baseball player, and he has proved to other people and himself that he’s more than the kid who caught the ball.”

Maier added his 170th career hit later in the 14-2 rout of Bates.

“Jeff might be very calm and collected when he’s doing interviews, but on the field he’s real intense and plays with a lot of passion and fire, and that kind of rubs off on the rest of the team,” Sternberg said. “When he’s doing well and gets pumped up, the rest of the team follows suit.”

Wdowiak compared Maier’s work ethic to that of the former Yankee right fielder whom George Steinbrenner labeled as “the ultimate warrior.”

“Jeff is kind of like Paul O’Neil,” Wdowiak said. “When he messes up and reacts, everyone knows it’s a way of him psyching himself up to get the job done, and he always does. In all aspects, he’s a very intense person and a winner, plain and simple.”

Maier’s work ethic and intensity certainly do not end when he gets off the baseball field. Wdowiak points to Maier’s intensity in one of his favorite off-the-field activities, Beirut, where Wdowiak and Maier often team up in their favorite drinking game.

“We’re actually like 35-4 when we play Beirut,” Wdowiak said. “We’re incredible [as a team]. Jeff wants to challenge anyone on campus to take us on. I think he wants you to put that in there. We can’t be beat; let me just put it that way.”

“Wdowiak and I are nasty at Beirut,” Maier said. “We had something like a .980 winning percentage first semester. Anyone who wants to challenge us, we’re up for it.”

Maier and Wdowiak’s Beirut skills will be put on hold for a while though, as the need to excel against NESCAC competition is necessary to make the conference baseball tournament.

“We have a positive outlook on the rest of the season,” Maier said. “We’re at a point where we pretty much have to win out in NESCAC competition to make the playoffs, but it puts you in a good position because no one expects anything. It allows us to play a better brand of baseball. I really like that because good things can happen with 15 games left. We can make a lot of noise with those 15 games, and we’re excited to go to battle.”

Should the Cardinals make the playoffs and create some noise in the NESCAC tournament, Maier would need to continue posting monster statistics, as he leads the team with a .403 batting average.

After the season, Maier has his sights set on the June Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, where he hopes a major league club will give him an opportunity to prove himself at the next level.

“I’d love to play past college,” Maier said when asked about his baseball opportunities in the future. “Obviously the [MLB] draft is where it all starts. I’m going to be hoping for a phone call from someone that first week in June.”

While Maier stated he would play for any Major League team if he were drafted, it would be fitting should he be drafted by the Yankees.

“I think he’s got a great chance of doing something with the Yankees, even if it was for press or whatever,” Wdowiak said. “He is a huge Yankee fan, and being involved with them would make his life.”

Should Maier continue his success, George Steinbrenner might very well call Maier’s number. This time though, it would be for Maier’s talent as a baseball player.