He drives in nearly all the runs but Robertson blows the save.  Then Jeter comes up with men on base in the bottom of the ninth and hits a walk-off.  Embraced by his team mates, cheered by the Orioles, and greeted at the plate by Posada, Pettitte, Martinez, Mo and Joe Torre.
What a great way to go out.  It's been a privilege.
Thanks, Jete!

You get to see the very human side.  What a great guy. Too bad there aren't as many like Derek as there should be.

That knowing Jeter was up third in the bottom of the 9th Robertson planned it that way?

Hey if it was me that would be my story

Absolutely great night for Jeter. Yes a great way to go out.

 
Thank you  
XLIX = 5

After moving to United States in the mid 90s and falling in love with baseball, I vividly remember watching the then rookie Derek Jeter play along side veteran Paul O'Neill against the Braves in 1996 World Series. Braves were coming off winning the 1995 WS. Back to back WS wins are such a rare treat in this game, and the Braves were threatening just that, especially after first two games.  

Derek Jeter, that year, would make his first post season appearance.  While I don't remember what his stats were in Post Season, and I could look it up, but that would take away from the flow of the post. But one thing people came away with was that Derek Jeter was here to stay...

Then watching Derek Jeter play in person in July of 2009 at the Yankee stadium against Nats, 14 yrs after I first fell in love with baseball, was a feat I would cherish more than losing my virginity.  

Next June, I plan to come to New York to watch the Nats again at the Yankee Stadium, and Jeter would sorely be missed. What a class act.

Thank you Captain.. For paving the way to the youngsters, not only how to play the game, play it well but how to live a classy life.

-- Modified on 9/26/2014 7:32:01 AM

If you're a Yankee fan who came of age during the Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada, Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez (etc) years then at some point it'll really hit you that Jeter was the last remnant of that glorious era!! It is going to be fascinating to see the fortunes of the Yankees in the immediate future. There really isn't anyone on the current roster that captures the fans imagination (with the possible exception of Tanaka.) The roster is old and tired, and while the farm system has improved a bit in recent years there really aren't any exciting superstar caliber prospects.  

 I think the only thing that propped up attendance in NY this season was Jeter's imminent retirement--that had to have beefed up the gate throughout the year. If the Yanks get off to a sluggish start in 2015 and attendance drops off to a sub 3 million pace (which hasn't happened since the 1990's.) you might see a little panic in Steinbrenner-land--ESPECIALLY if those super-expensive "moat" seats become empty on a consistent basis!!

Don't get me wrong, he's a brilliant player,solid character. Never any off field incidents. A refreshing change from the behavior of too many athletes now.
 I just wonder if he gets all these accolades if he played 20 years in Kansas City or Milwaukee. Part of the reason I lost interest in baseball is the constant Yankee-Red Sox hype.

He said that if he plays in the Boston series, it'll probably be as a DH.

Both of them are shoo in HOF candidates, both spent their entire careers with only one club, and both got hero's welcomes even in opposing club's ballparks during their "farewell tours"

Should either of them be mentioned in the same breath as Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron based strictly on their on field stats? Of course not, but both were hugely "good for the game" and they both deserved the send off that they got, IMO at least.

I am far from a Yankees fan, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and in an age where off-field antics make more headlines than on-field accomplishments, to not only survive the fishbowl which is NYC, but to thrive in it for decades without a hint of a scandal is praiseworthy is quite an accomplishment in itself, and I for one won't take a single thing away from Jeter. I only wish there were more just like him.

First of all, KC hasn't been in the playoffs so Jeter wouldn't have gotten a national stage to showcase his skills. Some of his greatest moments came in the playoffs, like his amazing toss to throw out Jeremy Giambi or his dive into the stands to catch a pop.
And most players will tell you it's even harder to perform under the kind of scrutiny you get in NY.  In Jeter's case it brought out his best.
Here are a few stats.


-- Modified on 9/26/2014 4:57:07 PM

and as nice a city as Atlanta is, Atlanta is hardly the fishbowl that NYC is, but Atlanta did make the playoffs during the Chipper Jones era on a more regular basis than any other team ever in MLB history.

Atlanta is hardly a New York-level town, though I like it, but it's way ahead of KC.  Also, the Braves franchise his a great baseball history, starting in Boston, moving to Milwaukee and being Hank Aaron's team.  I still remember the epic World Series of '57 and '58 against the Yankees. So you're more likely to get national attention playing for the Braves than for the Royals.
That said: George Brett.
As for the great Braves teams of the Chipper Jones era, while I do agree they were a great team then, they also were under achievers.  With the amazing pitching staff they had, plus a fine offense, they only won a single WS.  After the Yanks beat them in '96 they were never the same.
And I'll say it's a shame because they should have had a better WS record.

Playing SS at Fenway, not wanting to finish his career with that vision in his mind.