Well, the day that Yankee fans, myself included, have feared for about 19 years is here now as Derek Jeter has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after the 2014 season this past Wednesday. This season will be the last for Jeter as he attempts to return from a myriad of injuries that limited his 2013 campaign to just 17 games. Yet after winning five MLB World Series championships and holding some of the league’s most prestigious records, the Captain will be returning for one last time to prove to friends and foes alike that he still has some gas left in the tank.
Unfortunately for Jeter, the cards are stacked against him. Many people believe that at the age of 39, the 13-time All Star will be unable to return from injury and have a complete season, let alone a good one. To be honest, even as a Yankee and Jeter fanatic, I have my doubts as well. So, I’d like to go over Captain Clutch’s illustrious career with one of the league’s finest dynasties and soak in this superstar’s success before his last campaign.
Let’s start with the raw statistics: a career .312 batting average, 3,316 hits, 1,876 runs and 348 stolen bases. His batting average is 84th all time, his runs number is 13th all time, and his stolen bases account for number 112. Jeter’s hits number is ninth all time and he is one of only 28 members in the 3,000 hit club. He is also the Yankees all time leader in hits and puts up consistent numbers season after season.
These numbers have garnered Jeter a number of valuable awards. Although he never won the MLB’s Most Valuable Player Award, he was named the World Series MVP when the Yankees won in 2000. He has also been awarded the Rookie of the Year Award in 1996, the Hank Aaron Award twice, the Silver Slugger Award five times and the Gold Glove Award five times.
Though he has won many season-wide awards, what Mr. November is most known for is his flare for the dramatic in the postseason. The clutch plays that he has made can send chills down your spine. Who can possibly forget the most controversial home run call ever that the rookie Derek Jeter, hit against the Orioles in the 1996 postseason?
Trailing 4-3 in the eighth inning, Jeter hit a fly ball to right field that fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall to catch. Although it was clear that the ball would have stayed in the field of play had the fan not reached over, the umpires ruled it a home run anyway. This marked the first postseason home run of Jeter’s career that helped the Yankees win the World Series that year. After that game, when Jeter was asked about his thoughts on Maier, he slyly grinned and said “attaboy.”
And who can forget “The Flip” from 2001 against the Oakland Athletics? Watching replays of Jeter backhand toss the cut off throw to catcher Jorge Posada to tag out Jeremy Giambi and preserve the Yankees lead is absolutely breathtaking, in my opinion. What makes it even more astounding is that Jeter, the shortstop, had no business being down the first base line. No business at all. But that play won the Yankees the game. It won the Best Play Award at the 2002 ESPY’s and is ranked the seventh most amazing play of all time by Baseball Weekly.
With the exception of 2008 and 2013, the Yankees have made the postseason every year since Jeter joined the team. He has a career .309 postseason batting average, and a .351 batting average in the World Series. Jeter holds MLB postseason records for games played (158), plate appearances (734), at-bats (650), hits (200), singles (143), doubles (32), triples (5), runs scored (111), total bases (302) and strikeouts (135.) Yeah, go ahead. Drop your jaw in awe. He is also third in home runs (20), fourth in runs batted in (61), fifth in base on balls (66) and sixth stolen bases (18.) These numbers have made many baseball analysts consider Jeter a first ballot Hall of Fame candidate.
So, even though Derek Jeter’s career is coming to a close, it is important to reflect on the greatness that he has achieved and recognize him as one of the best to ever grace Yankee Stadium and Major League Baseball as a whole. His postseason heroics, on-field accolades and overall consistency have established him as a household name for any baseball fan and possibly as the greatest Yankee of all time. I pray for Jeter to have a fabulous final season and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
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