Derek Jeter: Saying Goodbye the Wrong Way

by Hayden Hughes
2/13/14

My little brother's favorite baseball player announced on Tuesday that 2014 would be his final season playing professional baseball.

He did so in a lengthy essay via Facebook.

There's nothing really wrong with that, as it's 2014 and the Internet is an integral necessity nowadays for everyone. Hell, that's how you're currently reading this right now. It's how I'm able to express my opinions outside of talking to my dog.

But I can't help but feel a little cheated. Like I didn't get what I wanted.

I remember watching Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame induction speech in the living room of my parents' house. I remember hanging on every word, and when he said the "s-word," it wasn't censored. Somehow, Jordan was above being censored...and it was live. But I was appreciative and privileged to see a legend speak. And in fact, we, the public, had heard him speak before. When announced his (first and second of three) retirements, we were privileged. We saw a man quit basketball to try baseball, then come back to basketball, then quit again (we'll ignore that stint with the Wizards for now). In all of that, we had press conferences. We didn't have a Facebook post. We got to see Jordan speak from the heart. We got to see Phil Jackson struggle to skirt around the rumors of his return until eventually revealing "He's back."

Now, "He's back" would most likely be put on a billboard by Nike in downtown Chicago stylized by "#hesback" in white letters in front of a black background. I don't mean to sound older than I am, but aren't we missing something. Something real or something timeless like the words of an athlete?

When Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to Los Angeles to join the Kings, the public was fortunate enough and privileged to have heard from Gretzky himself when the trade happened. We saw Gretzky fight tears, heard his voice get higher, and mumble that he promised he wouldn't let himself do those things. But that was 1988 and news didn't break over Twitter like it does in 2014.

Even on a smaller scale, Cubs first baseman Bill Buckner had a press conference. In 1984, a mid-season trade between the Cubs and Red Sox lead to Buckner being traded to Boston for Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley. In the grand scheme of things, Buckner's legacy was clouded and replaced by the fateful error he would commit in the sixth game of the 1986 World Series, continuing the curse of the Red Sox. But before that, Buckner was a Cub through and through. And there was a press conference when he was traded in which he expressed that the Cubs had a bright future, naming multiple now-former teammates individually. He held back tears until he couldn't. Then he leaned by in his chair and exhaled. Most likely, Buckner was reminding himself that he promised he wouldn't do "this."

Derek Jeter has been largely successful at dodging the media and questions about his profession and personal life. He would give boring interviews and would give typical "taking it day-by-day, game-by-game" answers. Multiple models' names have been linked to "Mr. October" but in large part, Jeter has never been in a controversy - which is ironic considering who has playing third base next to him for the last nine seasons.

Derek Jeter has been nothing short of a world-class athlete who played with grace and class. There are no highlights of #2 charging the mound, pointing his finger at congressmen and women proclaiming his innocence, or really even putting a dip in his jaw. He was never touted as the best shortstop or the best leadoff hitter. He was just a "great Yankee" and a solid, reliable player for an elongated two decades. Often his defense was picked apart despite his numerous Gold Gloves and the fact that he never won an MVP when players on his own team did will never help his case (Alex Rodriguez in 2005 and 2007). However, his highlights are opposite field playoff homers sneaking over the wall, airborne jump-throws in shallow left field, raising his fist in celebration of a championship, and blowing bubbles as he pats his glove in between pitches. Obviously, being a "great Yankee" means being great, being a winner, and doing both with class.

I want to see Jeter thank the fans, his coaches, his teammates, and his parents with camera lights illuminating his face and tears being held back. But it is his prerogative to leave however he wants. And maybe the hypothetical press conference wouldn't be so great. No baseball fan is truly surprised by the announcement, and if you ask me, it's better now than last year for Jeter to have his own farewell tour. Mariano Rivera's final season was in 2013 and it should have been. 2014 is for Derek Jeter to play his final games out, hopefully healthy and productive.

I just would have liked to see him fight back tears and reassure us that he promised himself he wouldn't do "this."