As the 2015 Major League Baseball season approaches, Derek Jeter doesn't appear to regret his decision to retire at the end of the last campaign and he's put ownership on the backburner.
Jeter is set to play in a charity baseball event with former teammate Hideki Matsui on Sunday in Tokyo along with survivors of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan.
After retiring last season, there have been murmurs of Jeter owning a team someday, but the former Yankee captain said he needs some time away from the game after spending over two decades on the diamond.
"I need to get away from (baseball] for a little while, I've been doing it professionally for 23 years," Jeter said per ESPN. "At this moment, I'm not thinking about getting back in the game. My ultimate dream is to one day own a team, but that's in the future."
Jeter and Matsui will play a home run derby and put on a baseball clinic for kids from the Tohoku region, which was hit by the disasters that killed over 15,000 people four years ago.
With many people still coping with the loss of loved ones and living in temporary housing, Jeter is hopeful to bring some relief even if it is temporary.
"The kids will never forget what happened," Jeter said. "But if they can come out and have fun and enjoy themselves through the sport of baseball, that's what we're trying to do here."
Jeter was a 14-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion during his illustrious career and is the Yankees all-time leader in hits (3,465) and games played (2,747) among other franchise marks.
New York will move on without Jeter for the first time since 1995 and acquired Didi Gregorius to be his successor this offseason.
The Yankees are looking to bounce back from a 2014 season that saw them finish 84-78 and in second place in the NL East, missing the postseason for the second straight campaign.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.