The game of baseball just got a bit sadder today.
One of the greatest players in the modern era, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, has formally announced his retirement from the game following the 2014 MLB season.
The man with 5 World Series rings, 13 All-Star appearances, and a huge list of women that he's dated said he's ready to hang up the cleats (and bachelor status) & wants to settle down to begin a family.
Jeter made the announcement on his Facebook page, posting an open letter for all of his fans to see.
In the photo, he pretty much thanks everyone from his biggest fans to his archrivals. He acknowledges that the injuries have been a sign for him to move on to the next phase of his life. His plan for this year is to give us 1 more great Jeter-esque season before riding off into the sunset.
This announcement obviously sent shockwaves around the sports world. There were at least 3 trending topics on Twitter about it, which is how I found out about the news when I got home. Yahoo!, ESPN, and Facebook were also blowing up with the breaking news. This shouldn't be a surprise though; this man is the face of the MLB and arguably all of baseball. Being the captain for the biggest team will give that fame and popularity.
Also not surprisingly, tickets to games at Yankee Stadium for the 2014 have gone through the roof, especially for what would be his last home game against the Orioles on September 25th. $15 bleacher seats have risen to upwards of $300, according to NJ.com. Mariano Rivera's last game at Yankee Stadium was special. But I expect Derek Jeter's final game, inning, and at bat to be a little bit better.
I've been a New York Yankees fan for as long as I can remember. As a kid who grew up about 90 minutes from Oakland, I remember going to the Athletics' stadium when they played the Yankees. I distinctly recall one of my first games starting off with Chuck Knoblauch hitting a home run on the first pitch of the game. Ever since then, I've tried going to as many games as I've could with my family; the most recent game I've seen was in May of 2012. Although I probably won't have the cash to go see "The Captain" at a home game, I'm going to do all I can to catch him playing against the Athletics one last time. I'll be sure to wear the Derek Jeter jersey I have hanging on my wall while he can hopefully deliver a win.
Even though there's been a variety of offseason stories regarding baseball and the Yankees (signing Tanaka, A-Rod's suspension), this clearly takes the cake. Now, there's no doubt that more casual baseball fans will be tuning into every Yankees game this season. And as a fan, I hope that he can end his career hoisting number 28 for the Bronx Bombers. It's only fitting.
Farewell, Captain.
No comments:
Post a Comment