Jeter Is Done For Just This Year
BALTIMORE – Derek Jeter will not play again this season but the Yankees captain and shortstop insists you can stop speculating about the end of his career right now. “A lot of end talk here,” Jeter said in a media session less than two hours after the team decided to place him on the disabled list and end a season that has seen him play just 17 games – and bat just .190. “You guys want this to be the end for me?”
Jeter, 39, has never fully recovered from the broken ankle he suffered in last year’s playoffs and he says his inability to return to full strength is a matter of not being able to rebuild the strength in the rest of his left leg.
Did anyone not see this coming? At the end of the day this is the best thing for the team. I know it, you know it and Jeter knows it. The guy gave it his all to get back and lead this team but if you can’t work out the lower half of your body, you’re gonna have a hard time playing professional baseball. The moment Jeter knew he’d never be able to come back at 100% for the playoffs, he probably agreed to shut it down. Jeter would never be a distraction or a burden to this team. Sign of a true leader.
As for him retiring this year, no fucking shot. He played great last year until he broke his ankle and has no reason to believe he can’t be productive with a full off-season of training. Will he play like he did at 25? No, but he is still a better day to day option over Nunez. Will next year be his last year? I don’t think anyone including him will know until the middle of next year. If he comes back productive and the Yankees tell him they’ll bring him back on a 1 year deal, I think we get yet another season of the Captain. If it looks like its time to hang em up, there will be a mid-season announcement and he will finish the season as possibly the greatest Yankee of all time.
But who’s worried about next year and beyond right now? We’re only one game out of this shit. Lets forget about the memorial for the Captain right now and focus on another game tonight against the Orioles and a weekend of redemption in Boston. No funerals we got a fucking party to go to.