Five years ago – Derek Jeter had one of the greatest send off’s that sport has ever seen. Truly, it was one of those moments that just came to him. Then, he delivered for all of us who love baseball and sports in general.
In case you forget, allow us to throw it back to September 25th, 2014. Once upon a time on a Thursday evening in the Bronx, at Yankee Stadium. It was in fact – as Yogi Berra said – getting late early out there during this occasion.
5 years ago today, Derek Jeter walked it off in his final game at Yankee Stadium. pic.twitter.com/9GmTuaigA9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 25, 2019
Of course it took place in the bottom of the ninth inning. While Jeter came to the plate with the game tied 5-5, Baltimore Orioles’ reliever Evan Meek was asked to be the man to get Jeter out and try to send it to extras.
First Jose Pirela had singled to left field. Then Brett Gardner sacrificed him to second base. And Jeter knocked the first pitch of the at-bat – and final pitch he ever saw in the Bronx – into right field to score Pirela and end the ballgame.
It’s one of those moments that you should remember exactly where you were for if you saw it live. I know that I do. A moment that; even if you weren’t a Jeter or Yankees fan, you realize the prominence of the moment and say to yourself ‘yeah, that was pretty epic’.
Indeed, that’s what makes it Throwback Thursday worthy. And then everyone woke up the next morning, and it was the talk at water coolers all around America.
