George Steinbrenner called Derek Jeter on Friday night after the shortstop surpassed Lou Gehrig on the Yankees' all-time hit list. "I really appreciated that," Jeter told MLB.com of the call. "It was great to hear from him. I think our relationship has been well-documented throughout the years. We've been pretty close since I came up. We miss seeing him around here as much as we used to, but it was great to hear his voice, and he had a lot of great things to say." In addition, Steinbrenner issued a public statement in the moments following Jeter's historic hit. Michael Kay of the YES Network read the prepared statement: "For those who say today's game can't produce legendary players, I have two words: Derek Jeter," the statement read. "Game in and game out, he just produces. As historic and significant as becoming the Yankees' all-time hit leader is, the accomplishment is all the more impressive because Derek is one of the finest young men playing the game today. "That combination of character and athletic ability is something he shares with the previous record holder, Lou Gehrig. It adds to the pride that the Yankees and our fans feel today. Every Yankees era has its giants. It's thrilling to watch Derek as he becomes one of the greats of his generation, if not of all time."