Boston greats honor Derek Jeter
— -- BOSTON -- With a soldout Fenway Park packed with Yankees fans chanting Derek Jeter's name, the Red Sox honored the New York captain by introducing a parade of Boston sports greats before presenting Jeter with gifts and a live performance of Aretha Franklin's classic, "Respect," during a ceremony before the final game of his legendary 20-year career.
With his parents, sister and girlfriend, Hannah Davis, on hand, Jeter batted second and was the Yankees DH. In his first at-bat, he lined out hard to short against Clay Buchholz.
Jeter was removed in the third inning to a standing ovation after connecting for an RBI single. His batting average will go down as .310 for his career.
The pregame ceremony began with a long historic video, highlighting the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry. The linescore on the Green Monster had "With Respect 2 Derek Jeter" appear one letter at time in the mode of "Wheel of Fortune." Jeter was then called onto the field, alone, at shortstop, as all the players stood outside their dugouts, joining the fans in a standing ovation.
A parade of seven Red Sox greats, led by Carl Yastrzemski, greeted Jeter at short. They were followed by the Boston Bruins' Bobby Orr, the New England Patriots' Troy Brown and the Washington Wizards' Paul Pierce, who donned a Boston Celtics shirt.
Next, Red Sox third-base coach Brian Butterfield -- who is known as the minor league instructor who helped Jeter improve the most after his 56-error season in 1993 -- greeted Jeter and presented him with customized LL Bean boots. The current Red Sox players then came out to visit Jeter, led by David Ortiz. Dustin Pedroia, the final one in the procession, presented Jeter with a second base inscribed with No. 2.
The Red Sox also donated $22,222.22 to Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation. On the video board in center, they showed Jeter taking the ALS challenge in which he mentioned Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball player credited with giving momentum to the challenge movement. Jeter met the wheelchair bound Frates as he entered the infield.
The Red Sox gave Jeter a custom-made "RE2PECT" Fenway placard. Finally, they had a gospel singer Michelle Brooks Thompson belt the tune "Respect" to Jeter. Ortiz and the other athletes tried to cajole Jeter to dance with Thompson, but the reluctant Jeter refused before finally going out and shaking her hand.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he left it up to Jeter where he wanted to bat in the order. Girardi asked about leading off, which Jeter did at points in his career, but Jeter decided to remain in his more customary No. 2 spot.
Girardi said it was kind of "neat" to be the manager to write Jeter's name on the lineup card for the final time. He said Jeter told him he will go just from "at-bat to at-bat."
All weekend, but especially on Sunday, the rivalry was put aside as Fenway was overrun with Yankees fans making the pilgrimage to salute Jeter for one last game.
"Since a young man signing really as a teenager, this is really what he has known," Girardi said. "It is what we've known. He's been the Yankees shortstop. It is hard to believe it is coming to an end."
With Jeter retiring, it marks the end of the Core Four -- Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada -- that was integral to the five rings the team won since Jeter's career truly began as a rookie in 1996.
"I think it is an end of an era," Girardi said. "I think it is the end of the era of those four guys. I don't know if you'll see that in sports again, in all of sports. I don't know if you will see four guys come along and have so much success. It just doesn't happen very often. So, yeah, I think it is the end of an era."
