Derek Jeter, New York Yankees shortstop, to retire after the 2014 season

The 2014 season will be the last for first ballot Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees shortstop who was one of the best players of his generation. Jeter, who will turn 40 in June, made the news official on his Facebook page.

Jeter posted a lengthy, 15-paragraph statement to his fans, admitting that after a season hindered by injuries, he could not play baseball beyond 2014.

His friends and family told him to “hold off saying anything until I was 100 percent sure. And the thing is, I could not be more sure. I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball.”

In his statement, Jeter said that it had always been his dream to play shortstop for the Yankees and he thanked the fans and the Steinbrenner family for making that dream a reality.

Jeter was picked in the 1992 ameteur draft by the Yankees and made his MLB debut when he was just 21-years-old in 1995 and was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1996. While he had remained remarkably consistent and healthy throughout his career, his 2013 season was cut short by injuries and he only played in 17 games and hit only one home run.

Jeter has a .312 career batting average, with 256 home runs and 3,316 hits.

image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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