The Captain receives his retirement ship. Photo: Christine Cotter/Orange County Register/MCT
Derek Jeter, inarguably one of the greatest baseball players ever to play the game, is in the midst of his final season with the New York Yankees – the only team he’s ever played for. Which makes him that much easier to root for, if you’re a baseball fan.
With this, his 20th and final season underway, it seems every series the Yankees play is a stop on the Derek Jeter farewell tour. In one of the latest stops, in Anaheim late last week, four Angels players – Howie Kendrick, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Jered Weaver – marched a pinstriped Hobie SUP board out to Jeter during pre-game ceremonies. I’d imagine the Angels happily handed over the board as Jeter and the Yankees have made a habit out of brutalizing the Angels year after year in the playoffs and they couldn’t be more excited to see him go and possibly pick up a new habit.
Classy as always, he accepted the gesture (though there are scant few places to SUP in Anaheim or the Bronx) and could very well be stuck with a large baggage fee heading back to New York. Not to mention SUP’ing in the Hudson River might be a bad idea, but that’sup to him.
Question is, when he retires, will Derek Jeter take up stand-up paddling? I hear it’s a great workout and you don’t have to learn to actually ride waves either – an easy transition for the baseball player.
