Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesYankees shortstop Derek Jeter announced on Wednesday that the 2014 season will be his last and it is time "for the next chapter."
The baseball icon, who has spent his entire career in pinstripes, shared a heartfelt message on his Facebook account which began with a simple message: thank you.
"I know they say that when you dream you eventually wake up," the five-time World Champion wrote. "Well, for some reason, I've never had to wake up. Not just because of my time as a New York Yankee but also because I am living my dream every single day."
The 39-year-old veteran athlete went on to explain that the 2013 season was a "tough one" after suffering several injuries and only playing 17 games, "some of the things that always came easily to me and were always fun had started to become a struggle."
"The one thing I always said to myself was that when baseball started to feel more like a job, it would be time to move forward," the Yankees captain explained.
He continued: "I could not be more sure. I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball."
Jeter, who will turn 40 on June 26, reflected on what will be 20 years playing in the Bronx and how he will continue to remain focused on "playing my best and helping the Yankees win."
"I will remember it all: the cheers, the boos, every win, all the plane trips, the bus rides, the clubhouses, the walks through the tunnel and every drive to and from the Bronx," he wrote.
Jeter vowed to "soak in every moment of every day this year" and to "help the Yankees reach our goal of winning another championship."
Jeter's last home game at Yankee Stadium, barring an appearance in the postseason, will be Sept. 25 against the Baltimore Orioles. His final game will be, fittingly, at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
Mr. November's announcement comes after two Yankee pitching legends, closer Mariano Rivera and starter Andy Pettitte, retired last season.
"In the 21-plus years in which I have served as Commissioner, Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Since his championship rookie season of 1996, Derek has represented all the best of the national pastime on and off the field. He is one of the most accomplished and memorable players of his—or any—era."
"For nearly 20 years, there has been no greater ambassador to the game of baseball than Derek Jeter," Tony Clark, Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director said in a statement obtained by E! News. "Day in and day out, on the world's greatest stage, and through the peaks and valleys of a 162-game schedule, Derek consistently demonstrates awe-inspiring levels of passion, determination and excellence."
Jeter leads all Yankee players with 3,316 hits and ranks 10th on the all-time list. In addition to his five World Series rings, he has appeared in 13 All-Star Games and has won five Gold Glove Awards. He also founded the Turn 2 Foundation in 1996.
—Additional reporting by Lindsay Good