JUPITER, Fla. — The first stop on the Derek Jeter Long Goodbye Tour will be in Houston the opening series of the season. It should be one memorable tribute, especially when you consider who will be taking a large part in the event — Roger Clemens.
“Roger is going to be driving the bus,’’ Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told The Post Monday at Roger Dean Stadium. “I’m sure it will be something special.’’
Clemens is a special assistant to Luhnow. Clemens spent six seasons with the Yankees and won two world championships with Jeter.
Clemens was present last season when Rivera was honored at Minute Maid Park and said this that day about the greatest closer of all time: “Incredible person, incredible teammate. Nobody wants to see him go. There are not many sure things in this world, but when we saw you coming in from [the bullpen], that’s as close as you’re going to get.”
Rivera was presented with an amazing multi-paneled painting by artist Opie Otterstad with 13 memorable Mo Moments forged into and around the No. 42. Rivera gave the gift two thumbs up and mouthed the words “Oh my God,’’ when it was presented. Now it’s Jeter’s turn.
Luhnow said he is looking forward to making the Jeter ceremony a teaching point to his young, improving team.
“To have Mariano to finish the season at Minute Maid Park and to be able to recognize him and to follow up and be able to open up against the Yankees and Derek Jeter this year, we want those types of players in our system,’’ Luhnow said. “We hope that some of those guys are already there. The more our young players can see greatness like that and model themselves after two of the greatest players who ever played and did it the right way the whole time, that’s something we really want our guys to appreciate.
“They’ll be on the top step. I got to stand next to Mariano when we presented the gift to him and I felt blessed to be out there. We had a chance to chat in Spanish, which was fun. Even though Mariano’s playing career is over, he is going to do amazing things with the rest of his life.’’
Now it’s Jeter’s turn and it all starts in Houston with Rocket driving the bus.