Derek Jeter’s farewell tour of a season is coming to an end and this weekend marks the New York Yankees captain’s final visit to Toronto.
Teams throughout the league have been giving the 40-year-old some interesting gifts when he rolls through their respective towns.
We’re not sure how much surfing Jeter did growing up in New Jersey but that didn’t stop the Anaheim Angels from giving him the most SoCal gift ever.
Things got interesting in Texas, as the Houston Astros decided to outfit Captain Clutch in the least practical footwear ever.
A trip to Cleveland yielded significant return as the Indians decided to give Jeter a custom guitar with white pinstripes and a LEGO portrait.
Wayne Peltz, the Indians clubhouse manager, specializes in LEGO artwork and a portrait of New York’s Core Four (Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada) is displayed in the visitors clubhouse at Progressive Field.
With those examples in mind, our team of writers gave their thoughts on what the Blue Jays should give Jeter when he checks through customs for the last time in his playing career.
Ben Nicholson-Smith: Given Jeter’s interests in baseball and book publishing, the Blue Jays should give him a signed first edition copy of Shoeless Joe (the basis for Field of Dreams) by Canadian author W. P. Kinsella.
Erica Dymond: An autograph from the only person with more hits in Toronto — Drake.
Arden Zwelling: A bucket of Blue Jays fans tears.
Or, failing that, a third base bag from Rogers Centre with the No. 2 imprinted on it, presented by former Jays catcher Ken Huckaby who dislocated Jeter’s left shoulder in a collision at third base on opening day in 2003, sending the Yankee shortstop to the disabled list for six weeks, the longest time he’d spend on the DL until 2013 (and a generous donation to his charity or whatever).
Mike Cormack: Ken Huckaby’s shin guard.
Jordan Heath-Rawlings: A leather-bound, 36-volume, 59,846-page compilation of all the fawning tribute columns written by all the old-time baseball guys in all the press boxes across Major League Baseball.
Sasha Kalra: A new gold chain and some tanning oil…
Luke Fox: Adam Lind on first and Dioner Navarro at the plate. Every inning.
Alanna Kelly: A giant bucket of pinstriped wrapped double bubble gum for Jeter from the Jays.
Steven Loung: With Jeter’s career batting average of .313 against the Blue Jays, Toronto should gift him 313 bottles of pure Canadian maple syrup.
James Doyle: Pinstriped robe and slippers.
Mike Johnston: A framed portrait of Cameron Diaz feeding his former teammate Alex Rodriguez popcorn because—forget all the championships and all-star games—that was the best thing that happened during Jeter’s time as a Yankee.