Jeter Day drew record TV audience
NEW YORK » Derek Jeter held a microphone and spoke without notes to the crowd that filled sold-out Yankee Stadium. His No. 2, the last of the single digit pinstripes, had been retired and a plaque in his honor dedicated that will be placed in Monument Park alongside tributes to Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and the rest of the team’s greats.
The captain drew higher television ratings than his former Boss.
The ceremony the most-viewed program in the New York area during its time period on Sunday night and was the most-watched non-game in the history of the YES Network, which launched in 2002.
YES’s coverage from 6-7:30 p.m. averaged 724,000 viewers, the network said Monday, with 952,000 tuning in from 7:15-7:30 p.m., when Jeter gave his speech to the Yankee Stadium crowd. YES said it was the most-viewed network in New York’s designated market area for each quarter hour from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
The previous high for a non-game on YES viewers was 651,000 for the dedication of George Steinbrenner’s plaque in Monument Park on Sept. 20, 2010.
“There isn’t a person or player I would trade places with that’s playing now or ever,” Jeter told the fans.
Three years removed from a big league career that spanned 1995-2014, Jeter personally picked Mother’s Day for his tribute. His grandmother, parents, sister, nephew and pregnant wife joined him for the ceremony, and he laughed when he saw the plaque , which reads “DEREK SANDERSON JETER/’THE CAPTAIN’/”MR. NOVEMBER”’ and goes on to call him “THE CORNERSTONE OF FIVE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS” AND “A LEADER ON THE FIELD AND IN THE CLUBHOUSE, SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR HIS TEAMMATES WITH HIS UNCOMPROMISING DESIRE FOR TEAM SUCCESS.”
Jeter recalled flashing back to the plaques of teammates Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte unveiled in recent years.
“When Bernie had his, he had the big mole. When Jorge had his, he had the big ears. Andy had the big nose. So I was happy with mine,” Jeter said.
Now 42, Jeter captained the Yankees during his final 12 seasons, capping a career that included five World Series titles, a .310 batting average and a New York-record 3,465 hits. He is the 22nd player to have his number retired by the Yankees, by far the most among major league teams.
“I want to thank my family for their love, support, honesty and more importantly their presence at everything I did both on and off the field,” he said during a three-minute speech that ended the 40-minute ceremony. “And the fans — wow — I want to thank you guys for pushing me, for challenging me, making me accountable, more importantly for embracing me since day one.”
Jeter decided not to use notes as he addressed the crowd of 47,883.
“When I prepare speeches if I forget part of it, none of it makes sense,” he said later.
New York appropriately played two on Derek Jeter Night, a doubleheader against Houston caused by a rainout Saturday, and the festivities took place between an 11-6 win and a 10-7 defeat.
Former teammates Mariano Rivera, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, David Cone and Hideki Matsui also were on hand. Alex Rodriguez was not — spokesman Ron Berkowitz said A-Rod was in Miami, spending time with his mother and daughters.
Several of the players whose numbers had been retired previously wore a new Monument Park navy blazer, and one also was given to Jeter by Houston’s Carlos Beltran, a former Yankees teammate who suggested the idea last year to equipment manager Rob Cucuzza. Reggie Jackson was on the field in shirt sleeves.
Yankees co-owner Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal presented the 14-time AllStar with a 14-karat white gold ring with “2” in diamonds, surrounded by diamonds.
Introduced by a recording of late Yankee Stadium public address announcer Bob Sheppard — it was played before Jeter’s at-bats following Sheppard’s death in 2010 — Jeter wore a blue threepiece peak-lapel suit, white collared shirt and no tie.
Highlights of his most famous moments were shown on the video board, including his homer and over-theshoulder catch on his first opening day in 1996; backhanded flip to the plate against Oakland in the 2001 playoffs and Mr. November home run just after midnight a few weeks later that won World Series Game 4; and his face-first dive into the seats for a popup against Boston in 2004.
Jeter began the ceremony with his family in Monument Park and didn’t see the clips.