Derek Jeter to retire after 2014 season

The Game Room
#1

Within the past hour (2:00 pm, 2/12) Derek Jeter posted on his Facebook page that 2014 would be his last season.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/02/12/yankees-captain-derek-jeter-to-retire-at-end-of-2014-season/5424023/

No surprise, but still a bit of a jolt as his retirement signals the end of an era.

I’m not looking forward to another farewell tour, and nothing personal towards Jeter, but they do get a bit tiresome. Rivera’s farewell, last year, was done as well as could be, but there is a sameness to all the ceremony.

That said, he has been the consummate professional. Little public bitching or complaining on or off the field, and pretty much got the most out of his talent. Not really the perfect player, talent wise, but always played every game all out.

The only negative I have against him (besides being a Yankee:) ) is that when ARod became his teammate in 2004, that he didn’t step away from short and let the far better defensive Rodriguez play the position. Jeter moving to 2nd, I presume. That’s a short list.

#2

I like Jeter, love the Yankees, but it’s overdue. He isn’t the same player as he was by a long shot. Maybe he can come back from his ankle injury and have a good year, but I doubt it. I’d love to be proven wrong, but I bet he reinjures that ankle again and plays less than half a year.

#3

I wish players would announce their retirement after their final season.

It’s time, but it’s too bad about the ankle. Otherwise, he would have had a shot of being in the top 5 all-time in hits.

#4

It’s time. It’d be nice to see him have a productive last season. I’m 47, and a lifelong Yankees fan. I became a fan during the mid-70s. Graig Nettles was always my favorite Yankee, followed by Don Mattingly. Jeter has surpassed them both. It’s really been a lot of fun watching his career. Has to end sometime.

#5

I’m sure most players don’t plan the “retirement tour” to get all those lovely parting gifts. Jeter will now have to build a barn behind his Florida mansion to hold all the ‘crap’ he’s going to have. They do it as a gesture to their own team and the teams around the league, who’ll now sell out most of the games the last time the Yankees are in town. I’m sure that the last home series of the Yankees is sold out soon.

Jeter was blessed with good health, up until last year. If he was a whore for records he’d sign up as player-manager of the Astros or some such horrible job. He won’t do that, but I do wonder if he’ll hang around baseball as a manager (unlikely) or take a job as Assistant GM with the Yankees. Unlike Cashman, Jeter might actually have the status to keep the Steinbrenner kids from screwing up everything. He’d be better than Levine right now, IMO.

#6

I’m still scarred from the Roger Clemens faux retirement tour. Bellhorn makes a good point about selling tickets, but still, it gets old in a hurry.

I’ve never heard any speculation about Jeter managing or working in the front office. He might be too wealthy to bother. But if not Cashman, somebody should get fired over the state of the Yankee farm system.

#7

Well, as Pete Rose said some years back, “Tell Derek the first 3,000 hits are the easy ones.”

#8

Jeter’s mansion is in Tampa, 15 minutes away from the Yankee ST complex and home to their Rookie teams in the GCL. I don’t think he’d have settled down near the Steinbrenners if he didn’t plan on being involved… and stay on the Yankee payroll for the next 30 years. But I don’t think he’d do it just to be Hank/Hal’s apologist. I’m guessing he’d want to improve upon the chaos.

#9

I agree for the most part. However, every sport has a few players that should get a nice farewell tour for their last season. Jeter is one of those.

#10

I agree. Jeter is a vanishing breed. Someone who is the face of the team and spent their entire career in one organization. And pretty much the type of player and personality that every team wished they had.

#11

Ted Williams never had a farewell tour. He hit a homerun in his last at bat at Fenway and then begged out of the team’s last road trip to Baltimore. Just over 10,000 were on hand… of course if there had been advance notice, the park would have been jammed. Of course, Ted still wouldn’t have tipped his cap.

Larry Bird never announced his retirement beforehand. His last games were at the 1992 Olympics, where he played sparingly due to his back pain.

#12

Yep.

#13

I’m no expert, but wouldn’t an optimist hope that Fenway is NOT his last game?

#14

Jeter never felt the need to use artificial substances to enhance his performance on the field, unlike other so-called “greats” such as Barry Bonds, José Canseco, Mark McGwire, or A-Rod. He’ll always have my respect for using his own natural talent on the diamond.

#15

He was also smart enough to not get married and lose tons of money in a divorce. He can afford to retire gracefully. :smiley:

#16

Well, post-season tickets aren’t on sale yet…

#17

I’ve assumed since he signed his latest contract that this would be his last year. I hope he’s able to stay healthy and have one more good, successful season. It’s not a surprise and it’s not too soon, but it’s a milestone for the team and the end of an era.

“Time to go.”

#18

I’m going to put him behind only, Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Dimaggio, Rivera and Berra on the Yankees’ all-time list. Not too shabby.

#19

Once he has put his baseball career behind him, he can devote himself full-time to running Derek Jeter’s Taco Hole. Mmm mmm!

#20

Except for Valtrex.