Melanie Sabol – Copy Editor
With opening day for the New York Yankees right around the corner, the news that Derek Jeter is retiring is on everyone’s mind this season. It does not come as a shock since he has been playing for the Yankees for 19 seasons. However, the latest news is that the Yankees will have to be starting from scratch with their line up.
According to ESPN.com the Yankees will no longer have the same drive and motivation with the Captain gone. “As a team we feel that with Jeter leaving and the Core Four gone,” says C.C. Sabathia, “the drive and sense of baseball leaves with them. This may come as a shock to most, but we feel that all of us leaving together is the best for the team.”
Manager Joe Girardi was stunned to get the news. “We work so well together as a team that now we are actually starting from scratch,” said Girardi. “At the end of this season I am not sure what we are going to do.”
This is a first for the MLB. The question then remains: “What will become of the Yankees?”
There are a couple options that they have. The Yankees can pull up minor league players or pick up free agents. While the Yank’s had a good roster to begin with, it is less than ideal to have to build another team.
Owners of the Yankees, Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, shared their thoughts on the Yankee’s situation. “This does come as a shocker to us, but we are a close tight nit family that it some how seems logical to us,” said Hal Steinbrenner. “Even though this is a less than ideal situation, we believe that for these guys this is the best thing for them. Jeter has led the Yankees’ through some great moments within these last 19 seasons. As frustrating as this is for us, we see that the team sticking together once again.”
General Manager for the Yankees, Brian Cashman was not as surprised to hear the news of the team leaving with Jeter. “I see the bond that they have built as a team and I think it’s in a way endearing that they are all leaving together,” said Cashman. “We are working through this right now as a team to figure out what is going to happen.”
As of right now no other players have come forth to comment on this topic. It is also left to question what will happen once the 2014 season comes to a close. With this being the first time in history happening, here in lies the question of how it will affect the fan base that the New York Yankees have come to build.
After this announcement, there will be many eyes watching the Yanks and how they pan out this season and into the next. We are all now eager to see how they will make the transition between having a full roster to having to pick up the pieces after Jeter and the team leave come the end of this season. The transition may not be the smooth, but it will be one that everyone is watching.
