Derek Jeter’s Number Will Not Be Retired Yet, But The Yankees Will Honor Him With A Patch

The New York Yankees have denied a claim reported by Newsday that an anonymous source said the team would retire Derek Jeter’s number this Sunday, September 7. The report stated that day is Derek Jeter Day, and the “original idea was to retire Jeter’s number that night.” However, the unnamed source also mentioned that the “decision has not been finalized.”

But the Yankees Director of Media Relations Jason Zillo said that Jeter’s number will not be retired that day, and “the report is completely inaccurate,” according to the New York Daily News. The official date on when the team plans to retire Jeter’s jersey has yet to be announced.

This is Derek Jeter’s 20th and final season in the major leagues. While it’s undecided when the Yankees will retire his number, the team will be honoring him by wearing a special patch on their jerseys and caps for the final three weeks of the regular season, according to a report from NBC Sports. The patch is available for fans to purchase, too.

The Derek Jeter patch will be worn by the team from Sept. 7 through the end of the 2014 season. #FarewellCaptain pic.twitter.com/0J80fJnCSX

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 2, 2014

However, some are confused by the team’s decision to honor Derek Jeter this way, while he is still on the roster. The Boston Globe‘s Chad Finn told CineSport‘s Brian Clark that he had “never heard of this before.”

“It’s usually an homage to a guy who may have passed away; maybe it’s for a guy who had a great career, and you’re honoring the 25th anniversary of some great feat that he did,” he said. “But it’s really weird for a guy who’s still an active player to have some kind of homage like this while he’s still taking the field with his teammates.”

And in his written report for The Boston Globe, Finn called this move by the Yankees “tacky.”

“For a player who is relentlessly praised as the epitome of class, this sure does smell crass,” Finn wrote.

He continued by stating that Derek Jeter and memorabilia seller Steiner Sports have agreed to sell jerseys, baseballs, and other items used during Jeter’s final games with the patch attached to them.

“Steiner is already selling game-worn Jeter jerseys that reportedly sell for $25,000,” Finn added. “Imagine the haul they’ll get for jersey with the patch.”

How do you feel about Derek Jeter being honored this way?

[Images via manginphotography.net and Real Sports Entertainment Network]