With the Yankees looking unlikely to make the postseason, there are less than three weeks remaining in Derek Jeter's career. He has been on a season-long farewell tour, receiving gifts and all sorts of other recognition from teams around the league.
The farewell tour itself is not a new idea. Chipper Jones went through it in 2012 and Mariano Rivera went through it last year. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz doesn't want any of that though. He told Alison Smith of WEEI.com that he doesn't plan to go on any farewell tour before retirement.
"What Derek Jeter is doing is fine because he’s Derek Jeter,” Ortiz said. “What Mariano did is fine because it’s Mariano. But I don’t know if I’m going to go through all that. I’m not going to wake up and be like, ‘I’m going to play this year and then not anymore.’ To me, it’s going to be how things go through the season and how I feel and then I’m going to be like, ‘Mama, it’s over.’ I’m going to let her know."
Maybe it's just me, but I never considered Ortiz to be a farewell tour type of player. I feel those are reserved for all-time greats, no doubt first ballot Hall of Famers. Guys like ... well ... guys like Chipper, Rivera and Jeter.
Ortiz has had an excellent career but he's a borderline Hall of Famer at best, especially since Edgar Martinez can't get in. At least now we know not to expect a farewell tour.
