As the MLB regular season ended, the league suffered a great loss. New York Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter, retired from the game of baseball, officially stepping out of the spotlight, and no longer serving as an active representative of MLB. The game is losing one of the best players to ever step foot on a field, as well as an idol for a generation.
Essentially, Jeter was the baseball version of Michael Jordan. He is one of the most recognizable faces in the world, and played for one of the most known teams in the world. Also similar to Jordan, Jeter was simply one of the best to play the game. Jeter won 5 World Series titles, has the sixth most hits of all-time, and has played more games at shortstop than any other player in history.
It was known that this would be Jeter’s “farewell season”, and it was a long, but much deserved send off. This began at the MLB All-Star game in Minnesota, where Jeter was voted a starter, and had two hits in his last All-Star game appearance. As the season began to wind down, and Jeter made his final stops at opposing teams’ cities, and they began to present him with different gifts, such as plaques or bats.
In addition to on field tributes, Jeter was the subject of a couple commercials that were centered on his departure. Nike unveiled their “RE2PECT” commercial, which had different figures, including Jordan, tipping their cap in respect to Jeter. The second commercial followed Jeter around New York as he was entering Yankee Stadium on game day, and he greets many of the fans he meets along the way.
To cap off his final regular season game at Yankee Stadium, Jeter hit a walk-off RBI single, demonstrating his skill to perform in clutch situations once again. To say goodbye to the stadium and fans, Jeter ran out to his familiar position at shortstop, crouched down for a few last seconds before getting up and waving to the crowd. It was a fitting ending to a storybook career.
It’s uncommon when boundaries are broken down, and fans of any and all teams can appreciate a player, but that’s what Derek Jeter was able to do. Jeter earned and demanded respect, simply by the way he played and represented the game of baseball. While Jeter may not be making his classic jumping, across-the-diamond throws anymore, or hitting singles to the opposite field, his legacy will live on forever as one of the best to play the game. Jeter’s career truly demands one thing; RE2PECT.
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