“Captain Clutch” ends 20 year career
Tanaka to fill big shoes in 2015
New York Yankee fans are in morning before the 2014 season even begins.
Through a 15-paragraph Facebook status, Derek Jeter announced the 2014 season would be his last of his 20 year career.
As a symbol for the Yankees’ organization, Jeter has been a model athlete on and off the field.
In 1992, Jeter was drafted by the Yankees right out of high school, but didn’t debut in Major League Baseball until 1995, three years later. The following year, Jeter made a name for himself. He took over as starting shortstop in 1996 and won Rookie of the Year. And on top of that, he helped the Yankees win the 1996 World Series.
In a career that spanned 20 years, numerous injuries are expected. The 2003 season started off rough for Jeter. He dislocated his shoulder in a collision with Toronto Blue Jays catcher Ken Huckaby. He ended up missing 36 games and was on disability for six weeks. In 2004, Jeter was awarded his first of five Gold Glove Awards. To accompany his five Gold Glove Awards, he earned five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award in his career.
Most recently, Jeter began the 2013 season on the disabled list due to an ankle fracture. One his first pitch back, he hit a home run off of Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays. A few days later he was back on the disabled list for a Grade 1 calf strain. Only too soon after his second return was he back on the disabled list with ankle problems, ending his 2013 season. in his 17 game season he batted a .190 average.
Jeter announced his retirement on February 12, 2014, two months after re-signing with the Yankees for a one-year contract worth $12 million. One could assume that the 2013 season was a deciding factor in Jeter’s decision.
Even non-Yankees fans can appreciate what Jeter has brought to the sport of baseball and the legacy he will leave. Fellow baseball players have made it known they will miss Jeter.
“If there’s one guy that the baseball game is gonna miss once he’s retired, it’s Derek,” David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox told New York Daily News.
However, other players are not the only ones praising the time Jeter has spent playing in the MLB. Senior Kaitlyn Horsey, a long time Yankees fan, will be attending Jeter’s last game in Yankee Stadium.
“It’s not going to be the same without him. He’s been the captain for so long and he’s the reason the Yankees are who they are,” said Horsey.
All baseball fans can agree, the face of modern MLB baseball will be entering the Hall of Fame in the years following his retirement.
“It will be interesting to see if [Masahiro] Tanaka can fill Jeter’s shoes since the organization went to such lengths to get him,” said Horsey.
Tanaka now has the opportunity to learn from the best modern day baseball play and also the chance to become the next face of the Yankees organization once Jeter is in retirement.
On the upside, just as Jeter leaves, Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez returns from suspension in the 2015.
