For as long as I can remember, it's been Derek Jeter. For as long as I can remember he's been a consistently solid, all-American hero of a ballplayer. Which is why it's crushing me that he's down to his last few games.
I still have my Jeter jersey from five years ago, when they won the whole thing. The sleeve still has the 'Champs '09' emblem on it. I wear it proudly now that I'm in Yankee territory. And, of course, I'll be wearing it Sunday, when he plays his final game ever, which is also gonna be really sad.
I'm glad Jeter had a great night last night, knocking in a game-winning run against the Orioles, and being the hero in the Bronx one last time. He deserved it. People can talk all they want about how they think David Robertson fudged it for him. I don't care. I'm just glad he had the hit anyway. That's the way you want to end your career at home.
I'm kind of pissed they didn't make the playoffs, but it's fine. Jeter's been in enough playoff races that he earned another year off. It would have been heartbreaking if they made it to the Wild Card round and lost. That wouldn't have been the greatest sendoff for Jeter.
I guess I'll end the post the only way I can. I saw Cal Ripken play at Camden Yards in his last season. I saw Jim Thome play for the Phillies in his prime. I saw Mariano Rivera save a game. But all of those guys mean nothing to the fact that every time I went to Yankee stadium, I saw Derek Jeter play, and he was fantastic.
Well done, Derek. New York will never forget you.
Never.
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