This Is How Baseball Fans Have Said Goodbye to Yankees Shortstop Derek Jeter
The Yankee captain is set to play in his final home game tonight.
— -- It has been one of the longest swan songs in sports history. Ever since Derek Jeter announced his retirement before the start of the 2014 season, loyal fans have count down the final days and innings until the New York Yankees captain heads off into the sunset.
Before then, however, fans are savoring the long goodbye and have done so all season long with standing ovations each time he has come to bat.
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It's not just fans paying tribute to the 40-year-old shortstop. All season long, other teams, athletes and even a former president have said goodbye to Jeter in their own way.
Teams, President Bush Offer Lavish Gifts
You know you've made a mark when an ex-president shows up to give you a gift.
When the Texas Rangers honored Jeter earlier this summer, President George W. Bush made a surprise appearance to the ballpark and presented Jeter with a framed photo of the two from Oct. 30, 2001, the night Bush threw out the first pitch of the Game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Jeter has received a barrage of gifts -- ranging from the bizarre to the absolutely awesome. The Cleveland Indians presented Jeter with a guitar. Jeter received a kayak from the Tampa Bay Rays and a paddleboat from the Los Angeles Angels. The Toronto Blue Jays gave Jeter a trip to the Canadian Rockies, while the Baltimore Orioles gave him a bucket of steamed crabs.
Derek Jeter Day at Yankee Stadium
The Yankees pulled out all the stops to say goodbye to Jeter at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 7 with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio officially declaring it "Derek Jeter Day." All the flags along the Yankees' famed facade were replaced with flags displaying the final season logo made for especially for Jeter.
The guest list for the event was a who's who of sports. It included Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken Jr., Dave Winfield, members of the U.S. military and three astronauts on board the International Space Station. Many of Jeter's former teammates were also on hand to honor the man who helped the Yankees to five World Series championships.
In His Final All-Star Game, Jeter is Showered With Respect
Jeter's 14th and final All-Star Game was one to remember. Jeter was 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored before he was replaced at shortstop during the 4th inning. Jeter was showered with love and received a tremendous standing ovation from fans in Minnesota, where the game was held.
Sponsors
Sponsors paid tribute to Jeter in two highly-acclaimed commercials. First, Nike paid tribute to Jeter with former teammates, current players, ordinary people and even Michael Jordan tipping their cap to the captain. If you were teary-eyed during Nike's "RE2PECT" commercial, than you probably completely lost it for the next commercial.
Gatorade produced their black-and-white commercial with Jeter personally thanking fans during a stroll through the Bronx while on his way to Yankee Stadium.
Commissioner's Award
Out-going MLB Commissioner Bud Selig presented Jeter with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award on Sept. 23 at Yankee Stadium. Selig paid the ultimate comment to Jeter by comparing him to former Yankee great and Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio.
"When I was a kid, as I've reminisced here today, my favorite player was Joe DiMaggio," Selig said. "And what Joe D. meant to my generation is what Derek has meant to his. And I've been overjoyed to see Derek join the heroes of my youth: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and all the other greats."
Farm Honors Jeter
The VonThun Farm in South Brunswick, New Jersey, about 55 miles south of Yankee Stadium, carved a likeness of the Yankees captain and a thank you message to him into its five-acre corn maze. "Thanks Captain Clutch" is carved into the maze along with a baseball and his No. 2.
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