The three teammates who with Derek Jeter comprised the Core Four, the storied Yankees group that combined for five World Series championships, gathered to honor the future Hall of Fame shortstop on his final home Opening Day. And so they met in The Bronx for the last time.
Until the next time. When might that be for Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, beyond Jeter’s last game at Yankee Stadium?
“Probably an Opening Day like this year,” Posada said. “Probably all of us will be in street clothes. It’s kind of weird but it is what it is and we have to move on and another Core Four has got to step up now.”
Another Core Four? Yeah, good luck with that.
Rivera, Posada and Pettitte appeared together to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, with Rivera throwing to Jeter and Posada catching Pettitte.
Even Jeter proved his humanity Monday during the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Orioles. In one of the most uncharacteristic scenes of the day — or ever — Jeter jogged to first on a fifth-inning drive to left field. Jeter thought it was gone. Virtually everyone in Yankee Stadium thought it was gone. But it hit the wall, stayed in play and Jeter barely made it to second for a double. Oops.
“The wind played some tricks … on a few balls today. So I hit it, thought it was a home run, then I thought it was going to go foul,” Jeter said.
OK, no one is going to rail against Jeter, even for an act so out of character. But it emphasized why another such group is so unlikely.
“He said a lot on the field without speaking,” said Rivera, who had his own retirement tour last season. “How he runs from home to first. With a ground ball to a pitcher, he runs 100 percent. The fly ball that is in the infield, he’s running 100 percent. That’s how you lead.”
At least 99 times out of 100.
“Derek for me is like a brother,” Posada said. “We’ve been together for a long time. I know what he likes, I know what ticks him off. I’ve never been mad with these three people. Why? Because they’ve always wanted the same thing that I wanted, to represent the game the right away. They only wanted to win.
“Derek made me a better player. He’s tough. He’s very smart. He thinks,” Posada said. “He was a leader by example.”
Rivera and Jeter both announced their retirements before their final seasons. Pettitte knew but he announced it in-season and “I was able to soak it up even more.” So he gave advice.
“Just embrace it and really enjoy it because he’s going to blink and the season is going to be over,” Pettitte said.
And then the Core Four will be the stuff of memory and the history books.
“No one’s going away,” Rivera said. “Nothing is guaranteed, but next year on Opening Day the Core will be there.”