I am absolutely in love with this ad. Not because it strikes a sentimental chord, but rather because of childhood memories.
Despite my pen, paper and technology ramblings, I played a considerable amount of baseball as a kid. I had the opportunity to play in almost every province in Canada and I even had the opportunity to play alongside and coach against some national team players. Baseball is, has been, and always will be my favourite sport.
Moreover, I was a shortstop. I had a short stint in right field as a minor age player on a provincial team once. Other than that, I played short.
And Mr. Jeter was the guy I emulated. I always said David Wright was my favourite player, but in the back of my head, I wanted to treat the game the same way Mr. Jeter did on and off the field.
But Mr. Jeter isn't really an exciting player to watch or to emulate. He consistently hit .300, he consistently won Gold Glove awards, and he consistently won World Series titles. He has never been the flashiest player and has always got the job done. Even today, he manages a .280 or so batting average.
I was never allowed to cheer for the New York Yankees in my household. Maybe it was because they seemingly bought their World Series titles in the 90s and 00s. Or maybe they represented the Montreal Canadiens in the game of baseball. Either way, cheering for the Yankees was a no-no as a kid.
Now I no longer care. The Yankees have a tradition greater than any sports franchise. They demand class, hard work, and respect and they hold fast to their traditions. I love watching the New York Yankees play baseball.
And Mr. Jeter has been the backbone of that tradition for the past 20 years.
Somehow, I get lucky enough to watch Mr. Jeter play this coming weekend at Yankee Stadium against the Cincinnati Reds. I'm traveling 5000 kilometres to witness the best player of our time roll a few double plays and smack a few singles through the right side. I can't believe my wife said yes.
You can bet you'll catch me crying as he leaves the field at the end of the game.
Mo's farewell was tear-jerking last year. But I don't think it will come close to Mr. Jeter's farewell at the end of September.
RE2PECT