NY Yankees longtime shortstop and captain Derek Jeter announced today that the 2014 season would be his last as a professional baseball player. Jeter, the last of the core four Yankees who anchored the team for the better part of the last two decades, posted a long letter on Facebook thanking his friends, family, and Yankees management for their support and love: "NY made me stronger, kept me more focused and made me a better, more well-rounded person. For that I will be forever grateful. I never could have imagined playing anywhere else."
You can read the whole letter below:
I want to start by saying thank you.
I know they say that when you dream you eventually wake up. Well, for some reason, I’ve never had to wake up. Not just because of my time as a New York Yankee but also because I am living my dream every single day.
Last year was a tough one for me. As I suffered through a bunch of injuries, I realized that some of the things that always came easily to me and were always fun had started to become a struggle. The one thing I always said to myself was that when baseball started feeling more like a job, it would be time to move forward.
So really it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last. As I came to this conclusion and shared it with my friends and family, they all told me to hold off saying anything until I was absolutely 100% sure.
And the thing is, I could not be more sure. I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball.
I’ve experienced so many defining moments in my career: winning the World Series as a rookie shortstop, being named the Yankees captain, closing the old and opening the new Yankee Stadium. Through it all, I’ve never stopped chasing the next one. I want to finally stop the chase and take in the world.
For the last 20 years I’ve been completely focused on two goals: playing my best and helping the Yankees win. That means that for 365 days a year, my every thought and action were geared toward that goal. It’s now time for something new.
From the time I was a kid, my dream was always very vivid and it never changed: I was going to be the shortstop for the NY Yankees. It started as an empty canvas more than 20 years ago, and now that I look at it, it’s almost complete. In a million years, I wouldn’t have believed just how beautiful it would become.
So many people have traveled along this journey with me and helped me along the way: I want to especially thank The Boss, the Steinbrenner family, the entire Yankees organization, my managers, my coaches, my teammates, my friends, and of course, above all, my family. They taught me incredible life lessons and are the #1 reason I lasted this long. They may not have been on the field, but they feel they played every game with me, and I think they are ready to call it a career as well.
I also couldn’t have done it without the people of New York. NY fans always pushed me to be my best. They have embraced me, loved me, respected me and have ALWAYS been there for me. This can be a tough, invasive, critical and demanding environment. The people of this city have high expectations and are anxious to see them met.
But it’s those same people who have challenged me, cheered for me, beat me down and picked me back up all the same time. NY made me stronger, kept me more focused and made me a better, more well-rounded person. For that I will be forever grateful. I never could have imagined playing anywhere else.
I will remember it all: the cheers, the boos, every win, every loss, all the plane trips, the bus rides, the clubhouses, the walks through the tunnel and every drive to and from the Bronx. I have achieved almost every personal and professional goal I have set. I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets.
Now it is time for the next chapter. I have new dreams and aspirations, and I want new challenges. There are many things I want to do in business and in philanthropic work, in addition to focusing more on my personal life and starting a family of my own. And I want the ability to move at my own pace, see the world and finally have a summer vacation.
But before that, I want to soak in every moment of every day this year, so I can remember it for the rest of my life. And more importantly, I want to help the Yankees reach our goal of winning another championship.
Once again, thank you,
[signed Derek Jeter]
This will be Jeter's 20th and final season, all with the Yankees. Among his many accomplishments with the team: Jeter won five World Series (including one his rookie season); he is the Yankees' all-time career leader in hits (3,316), games played (2,602), stolen bases (348), and at bats (10,614); he had thirteen All-Star selections, five Gold Glove Awards, five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award; and he's the all-time MLB leader in hits by a shortstop.
He's been called the greatest New York athlete of all time. He's dated a bevy of beautiful women, including Mariah Carey, Jordana Brewster, Jessica Biel and Minka Kelly. He started a charity organization and starred in a lot of commercials. He's started his own publishing imprint (Jeter Publishing), hosted SNL, appeared on Seinfeld, and cameo'd in The Other Guys and Anger Management.
He also has been the subject of several highly amusing rumors, including one that he gave out morning-after gift baskets complete with autographed baseballs to one-night stands, and that he passionately screamed "YEAH JEETS" when making love and/or watching footage of himself playing baseball.
Baseball fans take note: the Yankees will end the 2014 regular season in Fenway Park.
