Let Derek Jeter Retire In Peace

Why can’t they just leave Derek Jeter alone? You would think that a man who has given so much to the Yankees and the game of baseball would be allowed to retire in peace.

It started before the season even began. They just had to compare Jeter to Mariano Rivera. The debate in various media circles was- which one has been more valuable to the Yankees? Why does one have to be more valuable?

And just weeks ago, Johnny Manziel jumped on the bandwagon by comparing himself to Derek. But the more Johnny does, the more it is obvious that he has light years to go before he can legitimately do that.

And now, Jeter’s shoes have some writers taking shots at him. In an article entitled,”Derek Jeter’s Cleats Are Self -Aggrandizing And Obnoxious,” The Subway Squawkers suggests that Jeter may not be living up to his role model status, just because he refers to himself as ‘The King of New York” on his cleats.

It states: “Jeter is supposed to be a role model for children, but do the parents of America want their kids to promote themselves like that? Really? This sort of braggadocio, which is also why I find the Jeter Nike commercial so obnoxious, seems antithetical to his image.”

Pardon me, but what Jeter decides to put on his his shoes is frankly his concern, not yours. And who made you spokesperson for the parents of America, anyway? The truth is, if anyone is deserves that title right now, he does.

To be a great leader, you have to be a great role model. Fortune.com, which knows plenty about the subject, recently chose Jeter as the 11th best leader in the world. No, not in New York, not in The United States, in the entire world. That makes him the FIRST athlete on the list.

Fortune states:

“As he begins his 20th and final season in pinstripes, Jeter remains the type of role-model player that even a Red Sox fan must grudgingly respect. It’s not the five World Series rings he’s won or his team record for career hits. In a steroid-tainted, reality-TV era, Jeter, the son of two Army veterans, continues to stand out because of his old-school approach: Never offer excuses or give less than maximum effort.”

So it is time to leave Jeter alone. Don’t compare him to Mariano. Don’t question his status as a role model. Just let him finish his career as himself. And let him do it in peace.