Twenty seasons as a pro player and a life in baseball – it all ended with the perfect moment for Derek Jeter. The legendary Yankees captain ended his career in 2014 with a walk-off home run that’s still talked about today. The Pinstripes lost a star the day Jeter retired, and while many have stepped up in the time since, that Jeter-shaped hole will probably never be filled.
Crowds cheered and roared for one of the greatest players the last few decades had seen at his iconic last game. Among that audience was a young Anthony Volpe, the number one prospect in the Yankees’ organization today. With skills that will probably enable him to go pro soon, Volpe is already being likened to Jeter. And while he would rather be his own person, who minds a Derek Jeter comparison?
A lifelong fan of the retired athlete, his last game will always be memorable for the 21-year-old.
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Anthony Volpe thinks he was destined to attend Derek Jeter’s last home game
Being a Yankee for life and playing in the Bronx for screaming fans is something the retired shortstop did all his life. Some of those games happened to be attended by a young fan that dreamed of playing like his role model someday. And Volpe himself thinks it was all fated to be that way.
Talking to The New York Post‘s Steve Serby, the Yankees prospect talked about his most memorable Jeter play. Unsurprisingly, it was his last game. “I went to some games when I was little, but I didn’t get to go to any big games. I don’t remember at the Stadium, but as a fan, when I was like old enough to realize when he hit the walk-off in his last game at Yankee Stadium. That was like the perfect crescendo moment. It was honestly like fate the way it all happened,” he told Serby.
Although Volpe is almost 22, he will never forget that electric feeling of watching Captain Clutch out on the diamond.
The names Volpe and Jeter will be associated with each other for a long time to come
When a person follows their idol into success, it’s natural to hear their names uttered together. There’s a reason everyone compares these two. In fact, there is more than one. It’s not just that Volpe is a die-hard Jeter fan, or he plays in the same position as The Captain did. The two have a similar mentality when it comes to how they approach a game. Winning is important, otherwise, what’s the use of playing?
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And when it comes to the physical cost, neither of them hesitates. Fans have already seen Jeter’s popular plays, the dive into the audiences a particularly famous one. His entire focus was on catching the ball and not where he was heading. The same goes for Volpe. People haven’t had a chance to watch him make any daring moves just yet, but he’s certainly not afraid to make them in the future, as he told Serby.
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When Volpe finally makes his major league debut, it will be exciting to see how he measures up to his beloved player.