An 'ordinary guy' plans to remain grounded as hoopla over Jeter's 3,000th hit ball continues

HIGHLAND MILLS - The intense media “hurricane,” as Highland Mills resident Christian Lopez called it, resulting from his good fortune of nabbing Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit ball at Yankee Stadium last Saturday, is probably close to a Category 5 storm. No matter though, since Lopez plans to stay on an even keel with support of his family, girlfriend and friends. “He’s handling it well,” said his father Raul Lopez of Highland Mills on Sunday. “He is overwhelmed by the whole thing. He’s taking it in stride.” Raul Lopez said he was extremely proud that his son instinctively knew what the right thing to do was without any hesitation. “That’s how we raised him,” said the father, who was standing next to his son as he lunged for Derek Jeter’s ball last Saturday afternoon. “That’s just Christian. He’s not about money.” Likewise, his girlfriend Tara Johnson of upstate Watertown was equally full of pride. “I am so incredibly proud of what Christian has done,” she wrote in an e-mail to The Photo News on Tuesday. “As many of our closest friends are expressing, now the rest of the world can see what an amazing guy he is. There is a lot of chaos on this side but it is a good kind of chaos and the important thing is that Christian is enjoying it. I fully support his decision and cannot wait to see where this rollercoaster leads us.” Johnson said in her note they never expected Lopez to have the stroke of luck he did at Saturday’s game. “We just wanted to see the 3,000th hit and we got to see a lot more than that,” wrote Johnson. “We are so grateful and appreciative of how generous the Yankees have been and so far we are just enjoying the ride. Knowing Chris has his own place in baseball history makes me feel very lucky and very proud to be his girlfriend. I am so glad I got to experience this amazing time with him.” Christian Lopez was well-aware of the importance of staying sane as his notoriety stays constant for the time being. “People are seeing me in a different way now, but I’m just a very ordinary guy,” he said. “And I’m very thankful.” - Nancy Kriz