The Final Season

Approaching his 40th birthday and 19th year as the Yankees everyday shortstop, Derek Jeter announced today that 2014 will his final season. Revealing his plan via Facebook, Jeter offered a Thank You note to fans. The Yankee captain has lived his boyhood dream -- playing shortstop in the Bronx, as the heart-and-soul of five World Series winners -- and now prepares for the next chapter of his already charmed life. His place in Yankee history is already assured: no one will ever wear #2 after him. And in 2020 -- notice how that year is dominated by two's -- he'll be voted into Cooperstown.

Being a fan since the slugging '61 Yankees, the Bronx Bombers were always built around the sluggers -- Mantle and Maris when I was a kid, later Reggie and Nettles. There were always great starting pitchers, especially the lefties -- Whitey Ford, then Ron Guidry -- and clutch relievers, Luis Arroyo, Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage and, of course, in the current run, the incomparable Mariano Rivera.

Jeter was different, the Yankees never had a shortstop with his many gifts, fueled by a special level of focus and determination. Clearly, that's what led George Steinbrenner to name him Captain.

2014 promises to be a special Yankee season with a revitalized roster and hopefully for Jeter, who missed all but 17 games a year ago, good health and a vital role in a contending team.

Comments

Staton Rabin said…
Well said, and this is a fitting reminder of how rare it is for any shortstop to do everything well-- and that Derek Jeter can never truly be "replaced". It's great to see the image of the Captain here, to be preserved forever in memory. Always a Yankee. Forever young. And, thank goodness, we have one more season to talk about his career in the present tense.
February 20, 2014 at 3:02 PM
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