Monday, September 29, 2014

Derek Jeter's final at bat


There are moments in sports history that we will never forget. Derek Jeter stepped up to the plate for his last time at Fenway park and leaves his legacy behind with a base hit RBI...and I missed it all.

As a die hard Yankees fan and an even more die hard Derek Jeter fan, you would think that I wouldn't miss this game for anything. But I did. I'll tell you why in a minute. I now understand more than ever why it was time for Derek Jeter to retire. He has sacrificed so much and given everything he has to baseball and I can only imagine the things he missed out on. It's time for him to enjoy life and make up for all of those moments that have passed him by. After giving us two decades of excellence and dedication, Derek Jeter will finally get the opportunity to live his life outside of baseball. And I'm sure it will be just as epic as his career with the Yankees. 


The reason I missed the game is because I was working. For those of you who don't know, I'm an actress. I have the starring role in a pilot for a TV series called Alexis Ronan, so it's not like I could have called in sick. The series revolves around my character so I had to be there. It was so hard knowing that I was missing my favorite player's last game, but just like Jeter, I knew I had a job to do and I did it well. It was probably one of the most powerful scenes I have ever shot in my career and I had the director and producer in tears after they watched the edit that the director surprised us with the next day. It was such a great feeling to do your job so well that others take notice and your confidence and ability begins to soar. 


But I took notes from Jeter and I have to remember to stay humble and focused because you don't know how long your career will last and not everything in life is about your job. 


I've been in this business for the same amount of time that Jeter has been with the Yankees so I can relate to the years of commitment he has given and the events he has missed while focusing on his career. I have the starring role in this project and like Jeter, I am the "Captain". My cast and crew depend on me to carry the show and give my best at all times. Missing a day on set is not an option. It's my responsibility to show up every day and give the best performance I can when I'm on set. The hours are long, the days are many, and I have given up everything to be a part of this show. But also like Jeter, I love what I do so the sacrifices are just part of the job.  

I'm not retiring by any means. As a matter of fact my career is just taking off. But I'm happy for The Captain that he gets to enjoy his life now in a different way and experience the things that you and I could only dream of. For as many years that Derek Jeter has put in and given to his fans and his team, he deserves this time to just simply be Derek Jeter. 


I could talk about how Jeter's final time at bat was a base hit RBI at Fenway. The fact that the last game he played was against the Red Sox. Or how much he has given to all of us over the years and to the game of baseball. But you know what, I just wanted to talk about Derek Jeter the man. I wanted to say thank you to him for all he has done not only on the field but off the field. The joy he gave my brother Shane as he was battling cancer giving us quality time together watching him play, taking our mind off our troubles. The smiles that Jeter put on so many faces throughout his career and through his charity organization called the Turn 2 foundation is endless. Derek Jeter is not just a baseball player, he's a man with heart, integrity and passion. And I can't wait to see what he does next! So Farewell Captain, we all love you and will miss you. If I ever run into you in my travels, I'd love to buy you a drink or a meal and just say hi to Derek Jeter. Welcome to your new life my friend. Enjoy it! You've earned it. 

The quote of the day... "Farewell Captain" 

Oh, and yes, I recorded the game so I'll be watching it on my next day off. And thanks to social media, I was able to watch the video of Derek Jeter's last time at bat so thank you to everyone who posted.





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