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TAMPA, Fla. -- Derek Jeter spoke for 25 minutes, 44 seconds and answered 26 questions about his decision to retire at the end of this season. He said "its time," "the right time" and "the time is now." Twice more he added "the time is right." Jeter will be leaving the major leagues the way he entered: accessible, yet opaque; approachable, but distant. So why is Jeter retiring? "He just said its time, but he didnt really say," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman concluded after Jeter reported to spring training Wednesday for his 20th and final major league season. One week earlier, the Yankees captain surprised and saddened teammates with his announcement, revealed by posting a 15-paragraph, 644-word statement on his Facebook page, one relatively few people were aware he even had. "You cant do this forever. Id like to, but you cant do it forever," he said to a crowded room filled with Yankees management and players in addition to media. Jeter, who turns 40 in June, was limited to 17 games last season, hitting .190 with one homer and seven RBIs after breaking his left ankle in the 2012 AL championship series opener. While he returned last July, he wound up on the disabled list three more times because of leg ailments caused by a lack of strength after the ankle healed. "It wasnt fun because I wasnt playing. I think it forced me to start thinking about, well, how long do I want to do this? And thats how I came to my decision," he said. "It just became a job last year." He sounded much like Joe DiMaggio, who left the Yankees in December 1951 saying, "when baseball is no longer fun, its no longer a game." Just two years ago, Jeter led the big leagues with 216 hits. And after an off-season of intensive workouts, Jeter is confident he will regain his productivity this year and be an everyday shortstop -- only the fourth in big league history in the season they turned 40. Wearing a navy Yankees pullover and shorts, and a New York cap, he spoke directly and dispassionately, much like during every interview since he first reached the major leagues in 1995. He kept his arms crossed in front of him for much of the time, resting them on a table. He flashed those famous white teeth and smiled, displaying not a trace of melancholy. "Trying to get me to cry?" he said after one question. "I have feelings. Im not emotionally stunted. Theres feelings there, but I think Ive just been pretty good at trying to hide my emotions throughout the years. I try to have the same demeanour each and every day." Hes been clear that he doesnt reveal his deepest thoughts publicly, not in the tabloid, talk-radio and Twitter-driven tumult of the Big Apple. "I know I havent really been as open with some of you guys as you would have liked me to be over the last 20 years, but thats by design," he said. "It doesnt mean I dont have those feelings. Its just thats the way I felt as though Id be able to make it this long in New York." He made the announcement on Facebook to circumvent "cut-and-paste" media, to get out his full message and to draw attention to his Turn 2 Foundation -- a pun on middle infielders making double plays and on his uniform No. 2. He is a relic, the last of the single digits to wear a Yankees uniform, the last to be introduced before each at-bat by Bob Sheppard, the Yankee Stadium public address announcer from 1951-07. While Sheppard died in 2010, a recording is played when Jeter walks to home plate. In the second half of his life, Jeter could have a future in business or even baseball management -- hes earned enough to become an owner. Hes been among New Yorks most eligible bachelors. "Theres other things I want to do. I want to have a family. Thats important me," he said, without a hint of what "other things" might entail. Jorge Posada retired after the 2011 season, and Mariano Rivera spoke in the same pavilion behind the third base stands last March and said 2013 would be his final year. Andy Pettitte departed last fall, too, leaving Jeter as the last of the Core Four who helped New York win five World Series titles. Owners Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal watched Jeter from the front row, manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman in the second. Teammates, who said his decision shocked and saddened them, were in the rows after that. Cashman called Jeter "a Secretariat, so to speak, that you can run in as many races as you can and win a lot." "Right now its kind of surreal and its strange to think of the Yankees without him in the lineup. But were not there yet," said Hal Steinbrenner, the teams managing general partner. When he spoke with Jeter hours before the Feb. 12 announcement, he didnt lobby for a reconsideration. "I respect when an individual makes a decision like this because I know how much time and thought they put into it. Its not my place to second guess," he said. Jeter wouldnt put an exact date on when he made up his mind. "I wanted to make this announcement months ago. I really did. But people -- I dont want to say forced, but they advised me to take my time before I said it," he said. He kept getting asked about his future. "Even walking down the street," he said, "people ask because I missed last year: Are you playing this year? How much longer are you going to play? How many years to do you have? You get tired of hearing it." He enters his 20th big league season with a .312 average, 256 homers and 1,261 RBIs. Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson already has Tweeted "for those booking early" the 2020 induction ceremony is scheduled for July 26. For Jeter, the titles mean more than the statistics. And most of all, he treasures getting to wear the pinstripes. "The thing that means the most to me is being remembered as a Yankee, because thats what Ive always wanted to be, was to be a Yankee," Jeter said. "I have to thank the Steinbrenner family thats here today and our late owner, the Boss, because they gave me an opportunity to pretty much live my dream my entire life. And the great thing with being a Yankee is youre always a Yankee. So in that sense it never ends." Reilly Smith Jersey . They wanna make t-shirts about it and sell them at our next hockey game..DB: Wow, they want to make t-shirts? That sounds pretty amazing.MS: Yeah, I was also on the Top 10, I was number 1 today, so that was pretty cool. Jonathan Marchessault Jersey . According to a police report, Douglas is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and slamming her against the wall several times while he carried her from the elevator to their Hartford hotel room early Sunday morning. http://www.officialgoldenknightspro.com/...knights-jersey/. Notes on Bergeron, Marchand, Gorges, Vanek, Gaborik, Doughty, Hiller and more. BRUINS STORM BACK TO TAKE GAME TWO The Boston Bruins rallied from a 3-1 deficit, scoring four unanswered goals, to win Game Two, 5-3 over the Montreal Canadiens. Paul Stastny Jersey . The New York Rangers centre had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators ending a 13-game goal-scoring drought. William Karlsson Jersey . Joakim Nordstrom and Garret Ross also scored for Chicago and Corey Crawford made 30 saves. Tomas Tatar scored twice for Red Wings (2-3-0), Jonathan Ericsson added a goal and Gustav Nyquist had three assists.CHICAGO -- Adam Rosales hasnt been a big hitter throughout his career. Except when he faces Chris Sale. Rosales homered twice in a game for the first time in his career and Nick Tepesch pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning, leading the Texas Rangers over Sale and the Chicago White Sox 3-1 Wednesday. Rosales hit a two-run shot in the second of Sale (10-2), Chicagos left-handed ace, and added a solo shot in the seventh of reliever Daniel Webb. Rosales entered the game with only one homer this season, 21 in his career and a .222 lifetime batting average in parts of seven seasons. But against Sale, a three-time All-Star, Rosales is 6 for 11 with three homers. "I feel like Ive always picked up the ball pretty well against Sale," Rosales said. "Im an aggressive hitter and he just comes right at me." "A power pitcher, and hes going to come right at you and you better be ready," he said. The Rangers, who began the day with baseballs worst record, have won consecutive games for the first time since June 27-28. They routed the White Sox 16-0 on Tuesday night. Tepesch (4-7) gave up six hits in 5 2-3 innings. He had lost four straight decisions, and skipped a turn because of a sore left knee. "He hadnt pitched in 10 days, so I didnt know what to expect," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. Sale allowed three hits in six innings, striking out nine. His only other loss this season came on June 12, when he was outdueled by Detroits Max Scherzer. "I was just sporadic through the whole day," Sale said. "Its just been the last couple of starts. Fastball command has been kind of off." Chicagos Dayan Viciedo homered in the seventh off Roman Mendez. Neftali Feliz got two outs for his fourth save in five chances. White Sox centre fielder Adam Eaton exited in the second after running into the right-centre field fence trying to catch Rosales homer. Eaton bruised his lower back. "Ive never done that before," Eaton said. "Little embarrassed, but my back kind of took a beating a little bit there. Im very happy that it wasnt my head." In four starts and one relief appearance in July, Tepesch allowed 18 runs in 22 2-3 innings before his knee fllared up in the seventh inning of his last start, on July 26 against Oakland.dddddddddddd. This time, Tepesch sailed through five innings before leaving with runners on second and third and two outs in the sixth. Roman Mendez replaced him and got major league home run leader Jose Abreu to ground out. TRAINERS ROOM Rangers: Catcher Geovany Soto (strained right groin) is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Friday, and catcher Chris Gimenez comes off three-day paternity leave Thursday. With catcher Robinson Chirinos already on the roster and the addition of first baseman Mike Carp on Monday, Gimenez will likely to be sent to Triple-A Round Rock. White Sox: Alejandro De Aza was back in left field after sitting out Tuesday nights game with a bruised left knee. ... Pitching coach Don Cooper missed the game because of a recurrence of vertigo-like symptoms. He wont make the trip with the team to Seattle. Cooper has missed 13 games with the condition so far. UP NEXT Rangers: Texas is off on Thursday, then opens a three-game series at Houston on Friday. Rangers RHP Miles Mikolas (1-4, 7.29) is scheduled to make his seventh start against LHP Brett Oberholtzer (4-7, 4.13). White Sox: Chicago starts a four-game series at Seattle on Thursday night. RHP Scott Carroll (4-6, 4.36) will oppose RHP Roenis Elias (8-9, 4.19). Carroll is 2-1 with a 3.03 ERA in his last four starts. WELL DUNN White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn took the mound for the first time since high school when he pitched the ninth inning of Tuesdays 16-0 loss to the Rangers. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder allowed one run on two hits and a walk. "I really dont know what I threw," he joked. "I was just holding the ball and spinning it one way or another." HOMETOWN SHOW Rosales, a native of the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Ill, put on his power show front of family, including his mother, father, wife and daughter. He left 15 passes for Wednesdays game and 25 for Tuesdays contest. "Its neat to do it, this is my hometown," he said. ELVIS SINGS Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus extended his hitting streak to 13 games with two singles off Sale. He had been 0 for 15 in his career against Sale. 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