Love-fest for the Dark Side. Derek Jeter's Final Homestand: My Photo Tribute to a Yankee Great.

"Now Batting for the Yankees:  Number Two.  

Derek Jeter.  Number Two."

(Bob Sheppard, 1910-2010)

This post is a bit of a detour for me.  Most of my photography involves artistic interpretations of nature, landscapes, travel and city scenes.  On occasion, I have directed my attention to one of my life-long loves, BASEBALL.  This week I return to baseball to honor the final week of Derek Jeter's career.  

September 20, 2014.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

For much of his career, the New York Yankees were seen by rival cities as the Darth Vaders of baseball.  They were viewed as the school bullies who picked on the weaker and less fortunate. But here's the thing.  Jeter's career has been defined by class, humility, outstanding and clutch play, and winning.  He has always been a "team first" player.  Just in the past few weeks, the sports media has been dominated by off-the-field troubles of talented athletes: domestic violence, child neglect, and amphetamine use.  Jeter's career has taken place during and immediately after baseball's "steroids era."  Jeter has played hard, clean and smart.  While the legacies of many peers have been tainted, Jeter has always  been a model citizen:  a true "ambassador" for baseball.  This whole season, wherever the Yankees played, Jeter has been cheered.  Each team has a special "farewell" for him.  Perhaps he's not such a Darth Vader after all ("The force is strong with this one!")

This past Saturday, I got to see the Jeter play, live, for the last time.  I went with my younger son and our friends to the Bronx to see the Yankees, who were still (technically) in the playoff hunt.  Most importantly, we wanted to join the packed stadium and say goodbye to one of the greatest, classiest, and most clutch baseball players of all time.  Each time Jeter came to the plate, the entire crowd stood up and chanted: DE-rick JE-ter, DE-rick Je-ter.  Fans all over the stadium held homemade signs proclaiming their love and admiration for Jeter. The usual flags on the roof of Yankee Stadium (which normally have banners for each major league city) were replaced by "2" banners to honor the retiring Yankee captain.

September 20, 2014.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

What follows is a collection of Yankee and Jeter photographs I have taken during the past ten years (I didn't include images from my pre-digital days).  This includes "big" (i.e. World Series, American League Championship, All Star) games, regular season games and even one of his 2011 injury rehab games with the AA Trenton Thunder (about 12 minutes from my house).  The photos are really in no particular order.  As you look, you can almost hear the crowd:   
DE-rick JE-ter.  DE-rick JE-ter.  DE-rick JE-ter.....


Jeter's career can be defined by all kinds of numbers and awards (3000+ hits, the most postseason hits in history, 5 gold glove awards, AL Rookie of the Year, All Star Game MVP, World Series MVP, .300+ lifetime batting average, .320+ batting average in seven World Series, etc.).  However, my guess is that to Jeter, there are primarily 2 numbers that define his career:  1 team, 5 World Series championships.

Hey Derek - Thanks for the memories, and may the force be with you!

September 20, 2014.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

Fans stood and cheered for each of Jeter's five at-bats.  Here he is leaving leaving the batter's box.  He later scored, putting him in sole possession of 10th place (ALL TIME!) in run's scored. September 20, 2014.  Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

September 20th, 2014 in Yankee Stadium.  Jeter's last homestand.
I went to the top row of the stadium to get image.

September 20, 2014.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

Here is the Monument Park Tribute to Mariano Rivera (Jeter's Long-Time Teammate, and the greatest closer of all time)
September 20, 2014.  Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

Yankee Royalty in Monument Park:  Gehrig, Ruth, Dimaggio,
Mantle, Berra, etc. Jeter will join them soon, and he
will be the last player in Yankee history to wear a
single-digit uniform number.
September 20, 2014.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

September 20, 2014.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

Jeter batting in the 2008 All Star Game.
(the original) Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York.
The game went 15 innings.  The American League finally won, 4-3.
The game ended at 1:38 a.m.  Yes, we stayed until the end!

Jeter batting in the 2006 All Star Game.
PNC Park. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

September 20, 2014.
Jeter's final homestand.
Yankee Stadium.  Bronx, New York

Warming up with fellow American Leaguers before the
2004 All Star Game.  Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas.  Jeter never had quite the numbers of fellow starters A-Rod, Giambi, or Manny Ramirez (seen here).  Then again, Jeter never used steriods!

October 13, 2012.  Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Jeter's last Postseason game (versus Detroit Tigers)
The Yankees had scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to
tie the game.  In the top of the 12th, Jeter went down fielding a ground ball.  He had to be helped off the field.  The Yankees
lost 6-4.  Jeter never played in another postseason game.

2010 All Star Game.  Angel Stadium.  Anaheim, California.
Legendary Yankee Stadium public-address announcer Bob Sheppard had died 2 days before the game, but Jeter used a recording of Sheppard for his introduction.  

July, 2011.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

July, 2011.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

2010 All Star Game.  Angel Stadium.  Anaheim, California.

2010 All Star Game.  Angel Stadium.  Anaheim, California.

July, 2011.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

July, 2011.  When he was six hits shy of 3,000 career hits, he got injured and went on the Disabled List.  During his rehab, he played several minor league games, including two with the 
Trenton Thunder (AA Affiliate of the Yankees).

July, 2011.  Jeter playing for the AA Trenton Thunder.
Waterfront Park, Trenton, NJ
(now known as Arm and Hammer Park).

July, 2011.  Jeter playing for the AA Trenton Thunder.
Waterfront Park, Trenton, NJ 
(now known as Arm and Hammer Park).

July, 2011.  Jeter playing for the AA Trenton Thunder.
Waterfront Park, Trenton, NJ 
(now known as Arm and Hammer Park).

July, 2011.  Jeter playing for the AA Trenton Thunder.
Waterfront Park, Trenton, NJ 
(now known as Arm and Hammer Park).

July, 2011.  Jeter playing for the AA Trenton Thunder.
Waterfront Park, Trenton, NJ 
(now known as Arm and Hammer Park).

July, 2011.  Jeter playing for the AA Trenton Thunder.
Waterfront Park, Trenton, NJ 
(now known as Arm and Hammer Park).

October 13, 2012
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Jeter's last Postseason game(versus Detroit Tigers)

June, 2012.  Subway Series Game versus Mets.
Citi Field.  Flushing, New York

Derek Jeter and David Wright.
June, 2012.  Subway Series Game versus Mets.
Citi Field.  Flushing, New York

June, 2012.  Subway Series Game versus Mets.
Citi Field.  Flushing, New York

June, 2012.  Subway Series Game versus Mets.
Citi Field.  Flushing, New York

July, 2011.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

July, 2011.
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

2009 World Series versus Phillies, at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. (taken with my old point-and-shoot camera!)

July, 2011
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York

September 20th, 2014 in Yankee Stadium.  Jeter's last homestand.
I went to the top row of the stadium to get 
this panoramic image.