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Michael Ruwoldt
Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
8 October 2014
Farewell to the Captain
At the beginning of the baseball season one of the greatest to play the game, announced
that he would be retiring after the upcoming season. Derek Jeter, who leads the Yankees in
almost all statistics was leaving the game he loved after 20 years. As the season winded down
and the Yankees were no longer in the run for the playoffs, the anticipation grew, the four
hundred dollar tickets quickly sold out for the last home game of the 40 year olds career, and the
October 2014 issue of Rolling Stone really captured Jeters final moments at Yankee Stadium.
"Derek Jeter's Final Home Game: Hollywood Ending in the Bronx," the author Brendan Punty
uses pathos and ethos to successfully show how Jeter's final game in the Bronx was a night to
remember.
From the beginning of the article, Punty establishes the emotional aspect of the final
home game of Jeters career. The Yankees had a proper send-off planned for Jeter and it was
going to be something that was once in a lifetime experience to see. Punty explains how the
manager of the Yankees was going to have Jeter walk off the field and some of his former
teammates, would take him from this world to the next. This would have shown the fans and
everyone watching that he was leaving his home after 20 seasons, to join some of the greats.
Punty then goes on describing how many people felt the rush of Jeters final home game and
includes one fan saying that today is bigger than baseball, ya know? This was the feeling for
many, but to Jeter he was trying to keep it as simple as, just game 159 out of 162. As Jeter

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stepped up to the plate for the first time he hit an RBI double, something that comes up in a
what if conversation. The crowd went crazy Punty explained, the game started how
everyone wanted it to. The high hopes of seeing something amazing on this day bigger than
baseball was becoming a reality. As the night went on and the visiting Orioles had the lead in the
bottom of the ninth, the what ifs started to come back. The chances of Jeter being the last guy
up to bat were slim to none, but when it happened the crowd was on their feet. Punty set the
scene by explaining the excitement and anticipation that struck the faces of every fan in there. As
Jeter stepped into the batters box, the bittersweet sound of the PA announcer saying Derek
Jeter, rang through the ears of Yankee faithfuls on last time. 30 seconds later, Jeter amazed the
crowd one last time as he hit a walkoff single to win the game, he did it again. The crowd was
in awe and thrilled to be a part of the legacy Jeter made.
Even though emotion was huge in this article, author starts by explaining how Joe
Girardi, the Yankees manager told the press about the send-off that was planned, he explained in
the interview he said that Jeter would walk off into the tunnel after his last lap around the place
he called home. Looking at statistics you wouldn't expect that the 40 year old who was batting
.205 in the month of September would have 3 RBIs in his last home game. Who would have
thought that in the 1/9 chance that Jeter could have been up to bat, that he would be there at the
end of the game. There were 10 different types of Jeter jerseys being sold for the 50,291 people
that were there to see arguably the top five Yankee end his career. Mr. November pulled it off
again, Even the Baltimore Orioles stood at the top of the visiting dugout applauding, having
been bested one last time. The final home game of the shortstops career was summed up by
him and many others by I dont even know what to say.

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Most articles dont touch on the fact that Jeters last home game was more than baseball.
Reading this article made me realize that Jeter was bigger than just a player he was the
centerpiece of the South Bronx, and Brendan Punty effectively does so by reaching out to the
emotions of fans and readers, and uses post game interviews and statistics to show that The
Captains final home game was a Hollywood Ending.

Work Cited
Punty, Brendan. Derek Jeter's Final Home Game: Hollywood Ending in the Bronx.

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Rolling Stone. 26 Sep. 2014: n. pag. The Rolling Stone Oct. 2014: Web. Sept. 30
2014