Derek Jeter plays in his fourteenth and final All-Star Game tonight at Target Field in Minneapolis. Nike pays its respect to the retiring 20-year veteran with a moving commercial during the Midsummer Classic.
Set to a stark piano soundtrack sans narration, the tribute features the voice of the late Yankee Stadium announcer Bob Sheppard introducing the captain and the signature start-game “Derek Jeter” chants from New York fans. The visual quickly overwhelms the audio in tips of the cap from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, comedian Billy Crystal, rapper Jay-Z, and even Jon Lester and several Red Sox fans.
Jeter’s last All-Star Game recalls his first. “I was a little scared to approach him,” Jeter remembered of another legendary retiring shortstop. “It was Cal Ripken. Even though I had played against him, I really hadn’t had a chance to talk to him.” Sixteen years later, Jeter plays the role of Ripken with any number of upstarts hoping to imitate Jeter’s subsequent career arc.