Did you expect anything less than greatness for Derek Jeter's last game in the Bronx?
Did you expect anything less than greatness for The Captain's last game in the Bronx?
Derek Jeter, the long time Yankee shortstop, drove home a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning, to vault the Yankees over the Orioles 6-5 on Thursday night.
With all the media attention surrounding Jeter and his final moments before he walks away from the game of baseball, it got me thinking. Why do we love him? Is it the rings? The flashy smile? The pinstripes?
Well, I think it’s much more than those things. It’s not something we can visualize about him, but the things inside him that we all admire.
Let’s start by hearing from another great: Michael Jordan.
"I obviously could see he was good at an early age, and his success followed that," Jordan said on Derek Jeter Day. "Winning thrives on great leadership. I think he's a great leader."
There’s reason number one. It’s an animalistic, instinctive feeling to be able to pick out the top dog of a group, and I think it has always been easy to see that Jeter truly is The Captain.
Jeter displayed qualities that personify a true leader. With New York being a critical, media-crazy metropolis, he has made it out without a scratch. No steroids, no crimes, no offensive language. When things got tough, he never faltered. He didn’t throw his bat, or kick over the Gatorade cooler — he has never even been ejected from a game.
Perhaps we are attracted to his competitive spirit. Jeter’s will to win and work ethic is far beyond the average athlete. He may not have been the most gifted. However, when it’s all said and done, he wanted to be on top. Any season without winning a World Series was a failure to him.
He exhibited a drive to be the best and when it was all said and done, wanted no “what if” moments regarding if he had worked hard enough.
Lastly, after recently watching Gatorade’s commercial tribute to Derek Jeter (it gives me goose bumps every time I watch it), I figured out what it is that we love about him. Ironically, it’s something that Jeter, himself, loves.
His love for us, the fans.
Jeter was never seen as bigger than the game. He was humbled to be a Yankee and came out each and every day doing his job and giving the people a memorable performance. He fed off the critics, the cheers and the jeers. He deserves every “thank you” that has ever happened to come his way. Yet, he insists to those that chant their thanks to him, “No, thank you.”
When asked what he is going to miss most about the Yankees uniform and Yankee stadium, he said, “Everything, but most importantly, I’m gonna miss the fans. They’re what made this special.”
It’s hard to say if we will ever experience another sports figure like Jeter, but for the sake of a new generation of children looking for a hero, I sure hope so.
Nick Kairys is a freshman studying journalism and a sports writer for The Post. Will you miss Derek Jeter? Let him know @NKairys or nk596613@ohio.edu.
