NEW YORK, NY Feb. 12 (DPI) — Yankees longtime shortstop Derek Jeter made it official today that he’ll retire after the 2014 season, prompting near-unanimous online cheers of “bravo on a great career” – even from Red Sox fans.
The breadth of accolades was striking this afternoon – comment boards on all major news sites hailed Jeter as a hard-working, game-loving throwback, and one of the few baseball stars of his era never suspected of taking performance enhancing drugs.
No fewer than 6 of the 26 comments on the WSJ.com site used the phrase “class act” or “classy” in their description of Jeter. Comments on the NYTimes.com carried similar sentiments.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304434104579379141175890098
Many of the sites of NY-based publications included comments from self-professed Boston Red Sox fans, all of whom remarked both positively and respectfully of Jeter. (Of course having watched their team win the World Series last October, Red Sox fans can afford to be charitable.) The most recommended post on NYTimes.com came from one:
Here’s hoping Derek Jeter enjoys a full 162 game final season so the nation can give this living legend a proper farewell. Signed….a loyal Red Sox fan.
Jeter, who turns 40 in June, has a career .312 batting average and 3,312 career hits, the most of any Yankee.
About the only dissonant message today was a few comments that fans would have to endure a season-long and sentimental goodbye, similar to that last year of teammate Mariano Rivera, who was feted throughout the season. Both players are certain to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot.