Saying Goodbye to an American Icon
All good things come to an end. We all knew Derek Jeter's retirement was imminent. From the time I was a four year old boy, Jeter had been penciled in as shortstop for the New York Yankees. Jeter announced Wednesday he'll be hanging up the cleats after the '14 season.
Jeter's career has been filled with tremendous success: winning five World Series titles, piling up 3,000 career hits (his 3,000th was a home run), and appearing in thirteen all-star games. Jeter exemplified leadership qualities from the moment he joined the squad, thus being deemed captain in 2003 (only the eleventh captain in team history!) Jeter set the stage for how a ball player should act on and off the field. Not once did Jeter make tabloid news, or run into trouble off the field. He was a role model and acted accordingly. You don't have to be a fan of the Yankees to enjoy what he has accomplished. I personally, despise the Yankees, but I admire and respect the crap out of Jeter. He is the gold standard of a ball player.
Derek Jeter played the game with enjoyment, passion, and enthusiasm. Jeter did more than light up the stat sheet. How many of you can remember the infamous "cut off" in the ALCS back in '01? How about the first time he made the "jump throw" deep in the hole? Or my personal favorite, leaping into the stands for fly ball! Jeter possesses the clutch gene as well, always getting timely knocks when it matters most. The fall classic was Jeter's favorite stage, where he earned the name, "Mr. November". Jeter could do it all! Derek Jeter will be a first ballot, unanimous selection in the Hall of Fame when eligible in 2019. His name belongs amongst those of Yankee legends, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson and Yogi Bera.
Derek Jeter played the game with enjoyment, passion, and enthusiasm. Jeter did more than light up the stat sheet. How many of you can remember the infamous "cut off" in the ALCS back in '01? How about the first time he made the "jump throw" deep in the hole? Or my personal favorite, leaping into the stands for fly ball! Jeter possesses the clutch gene as well, always getting timely knocks when it matters most. The fall classic was Jeter's favorite stage, where he earned the name, "Mr. November". Jeter could do it all! Derek Jeter will be a first ballot, unanimous selection in the Hall of Fame when eligible in 2019. His name belongs amongst those of Yankee legends, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson and Yogi Bera.
Derek Jeter was more than a professional ball player, he was an idol to myself and millions of young children, even MLB star Troy Tulowitzki. Growing up, I didn't want to be the President, I wanted to be Derek Jeter, and play shortstop for the New York Yankees. Who didn't?! I can remember recreating the "jump throw" while fielding grounders in front of my house with my pops. I'm sure children everywhere pretended to be Jeter once in their life, I did ALL the time! As I developed into a ball player myself, he was still the dude I wanted to become. I watched endless hours of video footage of his swing, and tried to mimic it exactly. Jeter helped me fall in love with this game, and I will never forget what he meant to me. Even though Jeter never won an MVP, he will always be my generation's most valuable player. He was my childhood hero, and it will be bittersweet come the end of the 2014 season.
Derek Jeter, thanks for everything!
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