Derek Jeter, After Nearly Two Decades, is Retiring From the New York Yankees

Derek Jeter has played shortstop for his entire career with the New York Yankees and no one could have done it better. As a complete optimist, Jeter never looked at anything in a negative light. Even if he were injured he would still try and play, which you don’t often see anymore. Jeter currently has a career batting average of .312 and has managed a total of 256 home runs during his career with the Yankees.

Earlier today, Jeter held a press conference about his retirement. (NJ.com, Derek Jeter’s press conference archive: Captain answered questions on retirement, February 19, 2014) Read full transcript here.

Instead of leaving due to a serious injury, Jeter is retiring on his own terms. Fans are, of course, disappointed to see him go but have enjoyed almost two decades of his dedication and passion for baseball. He is well respected throughout Major League Baseball and other players look to him for inspiration in their own careers.

Jeter has previously been on the disabled list so he has not ended his career injury-free. He was placed on the disabled list in 2013 and ended the season early due to complications from a broken left ankle he suffered in 2012. His last season was definitely not his luckiest so it was for the best that he bowed out of the rest of the 2013 season so he could rest up and be ready for this coming year. (ESPN.go.com, MLB Player, Derek Jeter, September 29, 2013).

“If his ankle injury had been more severe, his individual or team purchased disability insurance policy would have replaced 60-70% of his earnings,” explains Frank N. Darras, America’s top disability insurance lawyer. “An own-occupation disability insurance policy would provide a good percentage of Jeter’s income through monthly benefits. The premiums are expensive but the potential lost income for a talented athlete like Jeter could be devastating. Top athletes like Derek Jeter can be freer than most citizens with how much coverage they wish to purchase. They are not limited as much by cost but on the flip side, they are more likely to be disabled in their lifetime.”

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti was quoted saying: “When you consider every dynamic of this sport he is the greatest player of this era. He’s a Hall of Fame player even without all the intangibles. But when you consider the championships, the character, the leadership and the way he represented baseball without fail with class and dignity and honor, there was nobody better. And he did it playing every day in the spotlight. He is everything you would want in a player,” (Derek Jeter represented everything a superstar should be: Sports Illustrated, February 12, 2014).

Baseball is certainly a team sport and the Yankees wouldn’t have been the same without him.

“Disability insurance is always there to support athletes in the event of a career ending injury,” says Darras. “Thankfully, we did not see this happen with Derek Jeter and I hope to see him retire injury free at the end of the 2014 baseball season. Insurance experts and top disability insurance lawyers can be consulted in regard to what type of policy an athlete like Jeter or the team would need to protect their income. All athletes have the chance of a disabling injury so get in touch with an insurance expert or disability insurance lawyer to help you navigate the language and the insurance loopholes.”