In a pretty bizarre development, the Yankees will retire Derek Jeter’s #2 on Sunday when they honor their longtime captain, according to Newsday:
Derek Jeter’s No. 2 will be retired on Sunday when the Yankees honor their shortstop, a source familiar with the team’s plans said last night.
Jeter, in his 20th and final season, will become the 19th Yankee to have his number retired.
The Yankees are following the same script they did last September when they retired Mariano Rivera’s No. 42 during a ceremony honoring their former closer, who is baseball’s all-time saves leader with 652. Rivera’s number is retired throughout the major leagues in tribute to Dodgers great Jackie Robinson.
It’ll mark the first time I can ever remember – in any sport – where a team has retired a player’s number while he was still an active player. (Rivera doesn’t really count because his number was already retired.)
The news comes after the team announced that they would be wearing a patch on their hats & jerseys to honor Jeter for the final month of the regular season, which is also a pretty unconventional move.
