HOUSTON — Derek Jeter got his first taste of the Mariano Rivera farewell tour Wednesday when he was honored by the Astros.
While Rivera embraced the ceremonies a year ago, Andy Pettitte doesn’t think Jeter will be as comfortable.
“I don’t think he’s crazy about it,” Pettitte said after a brief tribute before the Yankees faced the Astros at Minute Maid Park. “I think he knows he’s got to go through that. It’s good that he is.”
Both Pettitte and Joe Girardi acknowledged the retiring shortstop doesn’t like his schedule to be altered. Wednesday’s ceremony lasted less than five minutes and the only person who spoke was the Astros’ public address announcer.
“We didn’t do a whole lot,” Pettitte said with a laugh. “We kind of stood there and shook his hand.”
Jeter received a pair of cowboy boots with the Yankees logo and a ‘2’ inscribed, a Stetson hat and a set of golf clubs from the Astros and was also greeted by former teammates Roger Clemens and Mike Stanton. Clemens declined to speak about Jeter — or anything else.
It was the first of many ceremonies Jeter will have to take part in, and Girardi acknowledged Jeter might have to make some adjustments.
“I think it’s something he will think about as he goes through them,” Girardi said. “It’s different than Mo. He could go back inside for five innings.”
“I know Derek is crazy, crazy, crazy about his pregame routine stuff,” Pettitte said. “He’ll probably get used to doing that as he continues to travel from city to city. I think each time will get easier. He’ll be ready to play the games, but probably the first few times it might get him out of his routine a little bit. He’s got his routine down to a ‘T’ and this is probably putting a kink in his schedule.
“He’s been too great of a player and ambassador for this game not to let the fans in every city he goes honor him. … That’s what makes him so great. You know he doesn’t want that.”
Before his first at-bat, Jeter received a standing ovation from the crowd and the Astros players stepped out of the dugout and bullpen to applaud him.