Derek Jeter announced on Wednesday that the upcoming 2014 MLB Season will be his last.
In a lengthy post on his official Facebook account, Jeter, who is considered as one of the most decorated player to wear the Pinstripes, said that his colorful MLB ride will be coming to an end.
Jeter said that the injuries that slowed him down over the past few seasons, including the fractured left ankle he sustained during the 2012 American League Championship series, made him realize that baseball has not been enjoyable for him anymore.
"The one thing I always said to myself was that when baseball started to feel more like a job, it would be time to move forward," Jeter said. "So really, it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last."
The 19-year veteran struggled to find his old form last season due to injuries, which limited him to just 17 games. In those games, Jeter hit a career-worst .190 with only one home run and seven RBIs to boot.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, who was the first person informed by Jeter on his decision, issued a statement, revealing that he had a lengthy conversation with the 39-year-old shortstop on Wednesday morning.
Steinbrenner said that Jeter wanted to remain silent about his decision, but the Yankees owner was able to convince Jeter to inform his long-time fans as well.
"Derek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "In our conversation, I told him that I respected his decision because I know he put a lot of thought into it. I also let him know that I thought it was great that he was letting fans know now so they will have a chance to say goodbye to him."
Over his 19-year-career with the Yankees that started in 1996 in which he was named as the AL Rookie of the Year, Jeter had a total of 3,316 hits, and recorded a .312 batting average with 256 home runs, while leading the Pinstripes to five World Series titles.
Curiously, Jeter's final series as Yankee will be against long-time rivals Boston Red Sox scheduled on September 26 to 28 with the final game set to take place at Fenway Park.
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