Auction time for historic Jeter foul ball

A ball that Derek Jeter fouled off during the at-bat that produced his 3,000th hit is up for auction by Lelands.com.

Jeter homered in the third inning against Tampa Bay on July 9 to become the 28th major leaguer to reach the milestone - and the first to do it with the New York Yankees.

The home run ball was caught by a fan and returned to Jeter. But earlier in that at-bat, Jeter hit three foul balls. Lelands says two were retrieved by ball boys on the field at Yankee Stadium, while the third was grabbed by a fan on the first base side. That is the ball now up for auction.

Lelands says the ball has a big, black mark and was specially marked ''J1'' by Major League Baseball to certify authenticity as Jeter chased his 3,000th hit.

Interested bidders must register by Dec. 14. The auction closes to initial bidders at 9 p.m. EST on Dec. 16.