Somehow though, as it always seems to happen in sports, an opportunity to make a normal game at Yankee Stadium into something historic arose from the depths. This game had no significant impact on the AL East standings and only marginal impact on the MLB playoff race, but in the bottom of the ninth inning Jeter would come to bat against the Baltimore Orioles with one out and a runner on second. This can't be real life can it? A moment every ball player dreams about from the time they are in little league, a chance to get a walk-off hit and it was coming in Jeter's last game in the Bronx. The script couldn't be better if George Steinbrenner wrote it himself.
What could be more appropriate than Derek Jeter hitting a walk-off home run? Derek Jeter going the opposite way and hitting a walk-off single that's what, and lo and behold that's what happened. Just like Jeter had done his whole career, he got the job done. It wasn't flashy or over the top, it was just the game being played the way it was suppose to be played. That was the Captain and that's what he did.
Now the point of this post isn't to simply say that Derek Jeter is great and that he's the best shortstop ever. That's only a matter of opinion, this article is bigger than that. We all will bid Derek Jeter goodbye, but who and what are we really saying goodbye to? He's a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he's more than that.
Derek Jeter stands as something that has almost become an anomaly in sports. Jeter is a player who never seemed to have the attitude that he was bigger than the game he played. In the hustle and bustle of the stories of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, the controversy of performance enhancing drugs hanging over baseball, or Tiger Woods ruining his marriage and golfing career Jeter has always been Jeter. That's not something you see a lot these days in professional athletes. He came to play everyday, and he played his heart out. He recognized the support of his family, his friends and most importantly his fans. Jeter was hardly in a headline for anything other than baseball. He wasn't tied to a horrible scandal involving steroids like Ryan Braun or his sort of Yankee teammate Alex Rodriguez. Jeter didn't fight other players, in fact the only time I can remember Jeter ever having blood on him was after diving into the stands after a ball in the playoffs against the Boston Red Sox. Jeter wasn't involved in paternity suits or stories that questioned his fidelity or moral fiber, which is especially impressive for a man who played one of the most high profile position for a team in one of Americans biggest media market (just ask Kobe Bryant).
Jeter exuded a value that is becoming less and less common in the professional sports world, class. He was more than just talented in his profession, he was respected. Don't take my word for it, just look up all the gesture that were performed for him at opposing stadiums when he played his final games there. He was showered with gifts and tributes, a right reserve for only the games best (Cal Ripken Jr., Chipper Jones, and Mariano Rivera just to name a few). His impact reaches throughout baseball (Troy Tulowitzki, arguably the best shortstop in baseball today, wears the number two because of Derek Jeter) and even far outside of the game (a close friend of mine naming his first born son Jeter, because he respected Derek so much).
When we say goodbye to Derek Jeter we aren't just saying goodbye to the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. We aren't just saying goodbye to a Hall of Famer. We aren't just saying goodbye to a marketing symbol. We are saying goodbye to one of the good guys. We are saying goodbye to one of the only role models left in professional sports. We are saying goodbye to an icon of what sports should be. For thank Derek Jeter, I tip my hat to you.
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