An end of an
era is on the horizon as Yankees captain Derek Jeter announced this
will be his final season. Jeter is one
of the most clutch players in the history of the league, posting an astounding
.321 batting average in his seven World Series appearances. Entering 2014, Jeter’s resume includes a
Rookie of the Year Award, 13 All-Star nods, 5 Gold Gloves, and 5 World Series
rings. His next stop, no doubt, will be
Cooperstown.
Jay’s
Take: In no way do I like the Yankees. In fact it’s quite the opposite,
but I’ve always been a fan of Jeter. I
know there are anti-Jeter guys who say he was overrated, protected, etc. That’s bullshit. He was a leader on the field, always came
through in the clutch, and proved an athlete could be a role model for
today’s youth (fuck you Charles Barkley).
A few years ago I was at a charity event and unlike the other players who were there (it
was a Yankees event), who just signed whatever item was placed in front of them, Derek (yeah, we're on a first name basis), took a minute to talk to every kid in line (ARod on the other hand was a
total dick). It gave me a new respect
for the guy (that and the countless supermodels he nailed).
In saying
all this, I hate when athletes announce they’re going to retire in advance of their
actual retirement. I know on the surface
it appears to be for the fans to say one last goodbye (word on the street is tickets for the last Yankees home game this season are going for over $1,000), but
in my cynical mind it’s nothing but masturbation of ones ego. Farewell tours should be saved for shitty bands
like KISS and Motley Crue, not professional athletes.
I’d also
like to see a player of Jeter’s status go out on a high note. He only played 17 games last season and in those 17 games he
was awful. Sure he was coming back from
a serious ankle injury, but he should have called it quits once the ankle snapped. I have a bad feeling this season's going to look like
the days when Willie Mays was on the Mets or Hank Aaron was on the Brewers. As great as both of those players were, they
ended up retiring as has-beens who didn’t know when to hang up the cleats.
Talk to me
Jeter fans. I know you're out there. Drop a comment or hit me up at gimmeasign@gmail.com and we'll chat. Follow me on Twitter @JayPlatt.
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