Bomber Bites With Jumping Joe–Those Other Retiring Yankees

Derek Jeter’s impending retirement has been a massive season long storyline following him and the Yankees throughout this season.  There have been gifts bestowed upon the Yankee shortstop in every park he has played in this season.  He was grooved a fastball at the All Star Game, where he was voted in as a starter by the fans.  There have been memorable commercials from Nike and Gatorade.  There have been milestones along the way but the common theme has been “Jeter for the last time.”  The subway series with Jeter for the last time.  The All Star Game with Jeter for the last time.  The Yankees playing the Red Sox with Jeter for the last time.  The Yankees visiting the Astros with Jeter for the last time.  Dean Anna pitching for the Yankees with Jeter for the last time.

The news and day to day updates of Jeter retiring has been nonstop and covered to the point of absurdity.  However, when this season ends, two other Yankees will likely see their careers end as well in Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda.  A third, Alfonso Soriano, had his career end as unceremoniously and inhumanely with a mid-season release as Jeter’s has been regaled.

Ichiro will be a free agent at the end of the season and it has been apparent over the course of his two and half year stint in pinstripes that he is a shell of the player he once was.  He can still play a stellar outfield and can run a little bit but the bat speed is no longer there, and he has lost enough speed that his game is no longer dynamic.

Most people would say that he is done and should retire.  However, Ichiro is still in great shape and healthy and is within striking distance of 3000 hits.  He is probably only about two years away from reaching that magic number and has expressed a desire to get there.  Who would sign the aging former superstar is anyone’s guess.  The Yankees will certainly let him walk at the end of the season but there might be a team out there who would be fine with having an ancient part time outfielder make a crack at the history books and sell some tickets.

Mandatory Credit: Chad R. MacDonald.

Kuroda has been an effective if not overpowering anchor of the Bomber rotation for the last three years.  He previously played for the Dodgers and has stated those would be on the only franchises he would play for the in MLB.  Kuroda has expressed interest in returning to his native Japan to finish his career and at 39, the end is near.  The Yankees will probably make Kuroda an offer out of respect for him with the hope that he decline.  Even though Kuroda was the sole member of the opening day rotation to not land on the DL, he will still be 40 next year and the Yankee need to get younger.

Most Yankee observers believe that Kuroda will almost certainly retire at the end of the season and return to Japan.  Ichiro will likely test the free agent waters and see if he can land a big league contract before spring training.  However, if Ichiro cannot secure employment in a timely fashion he will also likely retire rather than sign a minor league deal and fight for a spot on a roster.

And as these two careers end, there will be no pregame ceremonies or commercials or tributes to their careers.  They will just fade away while we “Jeter for the last time.”  Of course, even Jeter’s ending will be anticlimactic as one realizes that the playoffs with Jeter for the last time happened in 2012.