Let’s Make Jeter’s Retirement Tour The Last One

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I’m not going to do a better job with the Derek Jeter’s ‘retirement tour hits STL’ than Christine Coleman did over at Aaron Miles’ Fastball.

But a few thoughts? If that’s cool with you?

This whole thing – honoring Jeter in every city he visits in 2014 – is group think at its worst. A case of nobody asking why we’re doing this. Instead just doing something to make sure they’re not the ones NOT doing something.

Is it harmless? Yes. It’s harmless.

The Cardinals gave Jeter a pair of cuff-links with a likeness of Stan Musial on them. They made an announcement before Sunday’s game. He was greeted on the field by Ozzie Smith. The whole thing was the equivalent of going on a first date and running into his/her parents… everyone just wants wrap this up as quickly as possible.

After tonight, Jeter will have played 9 of his 2,647 regular season games in St. Louis. Or exactly the same amount of games in St. Louis as Colin Porter. Thankfully the Wall Street Journal brought some sanity back to the situation:

“Perhaps it’s coincidence, perhaps not—but the Yankees arrived in the middle of a massive Cardinal celebration, as the franchise honored its 1964 World Series-winning club—in which the Cardinals beat the Yankees, of course—bringing back most of the remaining names and parading Cardinal greats around before the game. It’s a reminder that in at least one major-league city, the Yankees are just another team.”

Well, I’ll at least admit it’s not just “another team”. They are the Yankees, after all.

But a note to the next commissioner, whomever he or she may be – let’s keep these year-long goodbyes to division rivals and some pre-approved exceptions. No need to drag the Cardinals down because other cities need to sell tickets and jerseys.

After all, St. Louis has a League Championship they’re trying to defend. Right, Yankees?

Photo: NY Post

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