OT - Jeters last game in the Bronx

Submitted by buckeyekiller1 on
Did anyone else get chills all night watching Jeters last game in Yankee Stadium? I absolutely despise the Yankees, however I've got nothing but respect for Jeter. He's done everything the right way and has always been a class act. How about that ending? Are you kidding me?

The Baughz

September 25th, 2014 at 11:27 PM ^

Also hate the Yanks, and love Jeter. How fitting for him to go out like that. I actually teared up watching that. You couldnt have scripted that any better. So amazing. Jeter is definitely pure class. He was the reason I wore #2 and played SS growing up. The game is going to really miss him.

buckeyekiller1

September 25th, 2014 at 11:57 PM ^

Mmmm I don't know about that. Sure his numbers tailed off a bit towards the end of his career, but that's to be expected when you play for 20 years. He has over 3450 hits and a career BA over .300. He's done it all in the most visible position, and in the biggest media market in the country.

Also, he earned the nickname Mr. November for a reason. His BA goes up to .321 in World Series games in 7 trips to the fall classic. Just calling him good doesn't do him justice.

Michigasling

September 25th, 2014 at 11:52 PM ^

Tigers fan living in NY, so was able to watch the news reports showing a graphic of his records.  Most games played than any other Yankee, and... Didn't take notes, but there were at least 3 Yankee records.  Ah, just found this from a week or so ago:

The chase is now complete. With a single in the third inning against the Orioles, Derek Jeter recorded the 2,722nd hit of his career, shouldering past Lou Gehrig for the most in franchise history.

In case you're curious, that means he has more hits than any other Yankee in history.  Even as a Tigers fan, I think that must be pretty impressive.

1. Derek Jeter 2,120 2,723
2. Lou Gehrig 2,164 2,721
3. Babe Ruth 2,084 2,518
4. Mickey Mantle 2,401 2,415
5. Bernie Williams 2,076 2,336
6. Joe DiMaggio 1,736 2,214
7. Don Mattingly 1,785 2,153
8. Yogi Berra 2,116 2,148

And in his 20th year, batting 331 as of that article (but a three-hit three-RBI effort tonight), he singled in the winning run in the bottom of his last 9th inning in his home stadium.

buckeyekiller1

September 26th, 2014 at 12:12 AM ^

The stat you're quoting there is about games played for the Yankees. Jeter actually has almost 3500 hits in his career. Stats (not up to date, at this point) via http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=jeterde01

Did you know that Derek Jeter is the New York Yankees all-time career leader in hits (3,388), games played (2,669), stolen bases (351), and at bats (10,883)? The thirteen-time All-Star shortstop, five Gold Glove Award winning, five Silver Slugger Award winning ballplayer was the twenty-eighth to join the 3,000 Hits Club and his hit total is the most in Major League history by a shortstop.

Michigasling

September 26th, 2014 at 12:18 AM ^

Those were the other records they mentioned.  As for hits, I didn't realize the table was just as a Yankee.  I just copied the table quickly from the Yankees website (in the article about him passing Gehrig) to show the doubter that Jeter was more than just a nice guy.  Though it's particularly nice that he's also a nice guy.

EDIT:  Here's the LINK to the article.  The masthead to the table simply calls it "All-time Yankees hit leaders."

 

Unicycle Firefly

September 25th, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^

I was was just old enough to start watching baseball when Jeter came into the Majors. It was pretty sad watching one of the last remaining pieces of my childhood fade away. Definitely a once in a generation kind of player.

buckeyekiller1

September 26th, 2014 at 12:17 AM ^

This is I think the last of my childhood superstarts to retire. Woodson, Peyton Manning, Brady were all pros starting my freshman year of high school so I don't really view that as childhood. Jeter is the last of the larger than life, Jordan type figure from my early years to retire. I feel so old/sad upon realizing this lol.

MaizeNBlu628

September 26th, 2014 at 8:52 AM ^

This is exactly how I feel. I moved to the US and started watching baseball in 1996, Jeter's first full year in the Majors. I just happenned to start to play little league that year on a "Yankees" team and got #2 as my number, so of course I have loved him ever since. I told my wife last night, this feels like the official end of my childhood with Jeter retiring. 

Ty Butterfield

September 25th, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^

Amazing way for his career at Yankee Stadium to end. I admit I got chills watching him get that walk off.

chatster

September 26th, 2014 at 6:38 AM ^

As a long-time Red Sox fan who appreciates everything Derek Jeter has done during his career after he decided that he would not follow Barry Larkin in becoming a Michigan Wolverine shortstop who’d later enter Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame, I think that Jeter could be forgiven if he decided not to play in Boston this weekend.
 
Let him take out the lineup cards or throw out the first pitch to Nomar Garciaparra during a ceremony before the final game, but it might be fair to let him savor the memory of his final at bat in the Major Leagues.
 
It might be fitting for him to keep the memory of his final at bat in the Major Leagues as magical as it was last night. . . . And long-time Red Sox fans should know something about magical final at bats for future Hall of Famers.

maize-blue

September 26th, 2014 at 9:29 AM ^

I wonder how much the Baltimore player(s) was/were given to allow Jeter to get that hit? The fix was in. Baltimore didn't have nothing to lose by allowing Jeter to get that run in.

Unicycle Firefly

September 26th, 2014 at 9:36 AM ^

Not likely. Baltimore was still playing for best league record and home field against the Angels if they meet in the ALCS. Also, if they wanted to gift Jeter a classy exit, they could have just made three easy outs in the top of the ninth instead of repeatedly crushing the ball into the stratosphere and trying to rally.

Hank Scorpio

September 26th, 2014 at 9:37 AM ^

My TV was off when I realized Showalter wasn't going to walk him to set up the double play. I knew the next pitch was going to be a center/center meatball. Good for Jeter for doing what he should've done, smacking it, and good for the baseball Gods for letting it not go directly to somebody.

You play to win the game!

 

Unicycle Firefly

September 26th, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^

I get that strategy-wise it wasn't the right move, but this is a once in a lifetime kind of deal where you just have to try to get those last two outs without walking Jeter intentionally.  The crowd would have stormed the dugout and tarred-and-feathered him if he had made that call.  It would, however, have been one of those really interesting and quirky stories that baseball has so many of throughout its history.

819 East U

September 26th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^

I hadn't even thought that the proper baseball strategy would have been to walk him. Showalter is an old-school guy though, I'm not surprised that was his move. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the Orioles were actually playing for something. I assume they would have walked him.