Retired New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter “presumably” will suit up for the team’s Old-Timers’ Day this year, according to NJ Advance Media’s Bob Klapisch.
But there’s a catch.
Klapisch reports the Yankees legends will return to the field to play … softball.
“The club sent a questionnaire to the invited guests, asking if they’d be OK with the modified competition,” Klapisch reported. “Enough said yes for the game to proceed.”
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Jeter, who retired after the 2014 season, has resisted putting on his uniform for Old-Timers’ Day celebrations in the past.
But long-time Yankees radio announcer Suzyn Waldman thinks fans will love seeing Jeter back in pinstripes.
“No one’s going to care how Derek looks or how old he is,” Waldman said, according to Klapisch. “You know who understands that? The guys who show up every year: (Ron) Guidry and (Willie) Randolph. They come to have fun.
“I wish everyone would get that. No one expects you to be young again. That’s not what Old-Timers’ Day is about.”
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The Yankees will hold their 77th Old-Timers’ Day on Saturday, August 9th, when the Houston Astros visit Yankee Stadium.
MLB.com reports the festivities will include the Yankees celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 2000 World Series win over the New York Mets.
Jeter, a five-time World Series champion and 14-time All-Star, was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2020. He ranks sixth all-time with 3,465 base hits.
Jeter now works as an analyst for FOX Sports, sharing pregame and post-game duties with former teammate Alex Rodriguez and Red Sox rival David Ortiz.
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