By Chip Glover
Staff Writer
So what is all the fuss about Derek Jeter’s retirement? As ESPN sports pundit, Keith Olbermann, was quick to announce to the world last week, “Derek Jeter is not the greatest person in human history. He did not invent baseball, he did not discover electricity, he is not the greatest shortstop who ever lived. And among all the terrific players in the history of the New York Yankees, he is not by any measure number one.”
In fact, he was rarely even the greatest player on any of his individual teams. He is not the fastest, not the most powerful, not the flashiest, not the most flamboyant, or even the most winning player of all time. So the question I would like to answer is- why all the hoopla surrounding his retirement?
Derek Jeter’s value to that of the sports world is so much more than simply statistics. Yes, he did have very good stats, but not good enough to warrant the attention he currently receives in the media. His value is shown through his commitment, dedication, passion, and the undeniable consistency in which he shows these traits. The way he goes about his business, and has since the day he entered the major leagues twenty years ago, is awe inspiring.
No matter what team you have grown up rooting for, all of us students have not known baseball, or the sports world in general, without Derek Jeter. In an area marred with the use of performance enhancing drugs, conflicts with the media, criminal activity, and the overall unprofessionalism of many of the biggest named athletes, it was a rarity to have someone like Jeter. With the media able to blow up any story nowadays, every player is under a microscope and any misstep, on their part, can lead to the whole world knowing about it instantly and being reminded of it constantly. Playing baseball in New York City, of all places, is definitely one of the most difficult places to play and perform in a sport as well. As we have seen with so many athletes, some can not handle the pressure, spotlight, and expectations placed upon them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Jeter is one of the few that cannot only handle it, has also become a role model for so many of us. He is able to do this by personifying professionalism and genuine class for the last twenty years. He does not live or portray the party lifestyle of Johnny Manziel, he does not provide us with entertaining interviews to the likes of characters like Terrell Owens and Rob Gronkowiski, and when watching him for a single night, he will not prove that he is anything more than a good baseball player. It is watching how he goes about his business, day-in and day-out, without ever putting himself above the team or the fans. He has managed to sustain a career while keeping himself out of conflict, and he has managed to do this while putting together a hall of fame career. He represents how a professional should act and how we should all behave on an everyday basis.