By Jacob Horton
The day sports fans all over the country have been dreading has finally arrived. Derek Jeter, the face of the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball for 20 years, played in his final game Sunday at Fenway Park in Boston. Sunday’s final contest for Jeter capped off the end to one of the greatest careers in history.
The day sports fans all over the country have been dreading has finally arrived. Derek Jeter, the face of the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball for 20 years, played in his final game Sunday at Fenway Park in Boston. Sunday’s final contest for Jeter capped off the end to one of the greatest careers in history.
Derek Jeter served as an ambassador for the game of baseball, and nobody did it better in his time. In a world filled with star athletes that make more headlines off the field than on it, Derek Jeter flew under the radar like no other star athlete.
In a media-driven New York City, Derek Jeter never made headlines unless he knocked in the winning run the night before. Even if he made a spectacular game-saving catch that ESPN couldn’t stop replaying, you never heard a peep out of Jeter. This proves that regardless of where professional athletes play their sport, they can still live a life without being all over the tabloids.
Jeter’s loyalty to the New York Yankees organization is also what made him such a beloved figure. One would imagine that being loyal to an organization that puts together a new roster every other season would be tough. Jeter, however, served as the straw that stirred this organization year in and year out, regardless of who shared the eight other spots in the lineup with him.
On the field, Jeter never took a play off. He gave 110 percent in every at-bat, fielding and base running opportunity. This is something you don’t see anymore in the game of baseball. When Jeter put a ball into play, he ran as hard as he could down the first base line, regardless of where the ball was hit. Jeter was never an easy out. If you were going to get him out as a pitcher, you better have brought your best stuff with you.
The Captain’s career numbers speak for themselves. The lists of awards and accolades goes on and on: five World Series Championships, 14 all-star game selections, five Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards and a Roberto Clemente Award. Jeter also holds sixth place on the all-time career hits list with 3,465.
As a New York Yankee, Jeter holds career team records in hits, doubles, games played, stolen bases, times on base, plate appearances and at bats. In his five World Series championships, Jeter’s batting average was a staggering .353. No other Yankee, not Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig or Joe DiMaggio, posted a batting average that high during their championship runs.
Although he’s gone from baseball, Jeter’s career highlights have brought us some of the most memorable moments in the game’s history. From his signature jump throw to his walk off home run in the 2001 World Series that earned him the nickname “Mr. November,” Jeter seemed to have a flare for the dramatic. We’re going to miss seeing The Captain suit up and play the game that he’s been the face of for his entire career.
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