By Josh:
I don’t hide the fact that I am not a Yankee fan. As a baseball fan I respect the history of the Yankees but I truly root for two teams in baseball, the Mariners and whoever is playing the Yankees.
The Yankees are a team that I just can’t stand, with the exception of two players that I have watched in awe for a majority of my life. Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter have been the two players for the Yankees that no matter how hard I want to not root for them, I just can’t help but sitting back and enjoying the opportunity that I have to watch them play.
As I’m sure everyone knows by now Derek Jeter has announced that 2014 will be his final season as a Major League Baseball player. Like Mariano Rivera, Jeter is going to take that one last victory lap around baseball, and of all the players in baseball I think he deserves it the most.
Jeter’s Stats
3,316 hits
.312 career batting average
8 times has been in the top 10 for MVP voting
13 time all-star
AL Rookie of the Year in 1996
5 World Series Championships
What we know about Jeter
Yankee stadium will be adding Jeter’s monument along with other Yankee greats.
Unless the Baseball writers go crazy Derek Jeter will be joining elite company as a first ballot Hall of Famer.
What makes Jeter special
Looking at Jeter’s stats only tell a small part of the story as to how good and how important Jeter was to the Yankees. He truly was the face of the Yankees and will be long after he has retired.
Jeter is a winner. During his career the Yankees won 5 World Series and without him I’m not sure that the Yankees win all 5. Now I know it takes a team to win in baseball but imagine if Jeter had chosen to go to Michigan instead of signing with the Yankees. Do you really see the Yankees being as dominate with The Captain? I think they still would have won championships but how many?
How many scandals have you hear Jeter involved in? Yes, he has his fair share of beautiful women that he has been with, but even those relationships never carried great scandals with them. You don’t hear whispers of Jeter and PED’s. I’m not saying he is 100% clean but I am saying he has been a player that fans have looked to as an example of someone who played the game the right way.
He did all of this in New York. I’ve never been to New York but I’m smart enough to know that pressure to perform in New York is different than pressure to perform in Seattle. Fans can turn on a player in a heartbeat in New York, but Jeter has always held the respect and admiration of the fans.
Derek Jeter is one of the greats of the game of baseball and baseball will not be the same with him not patrolling shortstop for the Yankees.