BY KATIE ROTH

After only playing in 17 games during the 2013 season, Derek Jeter, also known as “The Captain”, announced he will be retiring at the end of the 2014 Major League Baseball season.

The 39 year-old shortstop will have played 20 years in the majors at the conclusion of the 2014 season, all with the New York Yankees.

He is a 5-time World Series Champion, 5-time Gold Glove Award winner, 5-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and 13-time All-star. No matter the outcome of this season Jeter will go down in history as one of the best to ever play to the game.

The media has already fallen in love with this story. The moment the announcement hit his Facebook page every sports writer and analyst in the business already had something to say about it.

One might wonder though, why the massive amount of coverage so early? Baseball season hasn’t even started yet and great players retire every year with much less coverage on the subject even during the season.

My answer to those asking that question simply put is, “The Captain”. Derek Jeter is not only one of the greats to play the game for the New York Yankees, he is their captain, their go to man, their leader, their rock, and he has been for the past several years. When you think New York Yankee baseball, you think Derek Jeter.

This year when Derek Jeter takes the field for his last season he will be wearing the pinstripes of the New York Yankees, just as he has done for all 19 previous years of his career. That is almost unheard of in the world of baseball today. That is why he is “The Captain” and deserves every ounce of media coverage he receives. He plays the game the way it should be played, period.
With all the attention the media has already given this story I think it safe to say we will be seeing a lot more of it all season long, and I am just fine with that.