Derek Jeter announced that this season will in fact be has last one as a professional baseball player, he will be retiring at the seasons end with 20 years in the league.
He made his first appearance on May 29th, 1995, to put this in perspective I was only 6 and a half when this happened. I have seen him play a long long time, it is crazy to think this is his last season.
Jeter's rookie season was in 1996 and he helped the Yankees win their first World Series since 1978 all while winning the AL rookie of the year unanimously, and from there his career kept going. Jeter is a 5 time World Series champion, has 1 World Series MVP, 13 time all-star, has been the Yankees captain since 2003 and is part of the 3,000 hit club. That is very impressive!
When fans think of Derek Jeter they think of someone who is classy, a champion, a great player and one of the greatest Yankees of all time. Derek has only played with the Yankees his whole career, which is something almost rarely seen these days which adds to his legacy. Even the team that hates the Yankees most, The Boston Red Sox and their fans have respect for him. He has been classy his whole career and has not been caught up in scandals, sometimes that is hard to do in the big city that is New York City. He could have easily found trouble and snapped back and criticism in brash ways but he did not, that speaks volumes about him.
He is more than a Yankee, he is an icon in New York sports history, he helped close down the old Yankee Stadium and helped open the new one (he mentions this in his letter that is on his Facebook page, that is where this is taken from). He has played in a Subway World Series, and he has dazzled with his play, he will be missed once this season is gone.
I can say when I watched him play he gave it his all even to this day, he is fierce and wants nothing to do with losing, he wants that title every single season he goes out and plays. He has handled tough situations well, his leadership is one of the biggest reasons why the Yankees are always in contention for the playoffs every single season. I am not sure what the post-Jeter Yankees life will be like once he retires, but it will be interesting to watch.
Yankee baseball without the captain or as some call him "Captain Clutch" or "Mr. November" will not be the same. This is one of the biggest announcements in sports in my 25 years of life. I have friends who are big Yankee fans, their shocked as well, Jeter will always be remembered and I am sure he will always be a part of the Yankees beyond 2014.
His legacy he will leave behind will be one of the greatest ones we have ever known, classy, clutch and one hell of a player. Thank you Derek Jeter, and best of luck in 2014....
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