New York Yankees Honor Team Great Derek Jeter With Retirement of Number

The New York Yankees have added another number to the legends enshrined at Monument Park.

On Sunday, the team honored shortstop and longtime captain Derek Jeter who retired after 20-years and five World Series rings. His No. 2 was retired in a pregame series and he will now join the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Roger Maris in Yankees lore.

The New York Post reports “Derek Jeter to exploding Yankee Stadium: Thank you”:

Derek Jeter entered to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and exited to Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best.” In between, he was serenaded with “Der-ek, Je-ter” chants as he was surrounded by family and Yankees royalty.

His No. 2 jersey retirement went just as expected, featuring perfect weather despite earlier rain following a come-from-behind Yankees victory in front of a capacity Stadium crowd Sunday. Jeter aptly closed the ceremony in style, with an understated yet resounding speech to his adoring fans, as if he was lining a single to right field with his trademark inside-out swing.

“I was asked recently if I could trade places with one person, who would it be?” Jeter said during his speech between games of the Yankees-Astros doubleheader. “There isn’t a person or player I would trade places with — that played now, or ever.”

The Yankees went on to lose the game to the Houston Astros 10-7 but it was Jeter’s night, a tribute to a whale of a career that will almost certainly end with an induction the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jeter is the Yankees’ career leader in hits (3,465), games played (2,747), at-bats (11,195), doubles (544) and stolen bases (358) AND those five World Series titles.