miaowang123: Jonas Hiller needed to make only 16 saves for Anaheim,

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NEW YORK -- To Derek Jeter, it was just another day to get ready for spring training. Braden Smith Jersey . On a minor league field at the New York Yankees complex in Florida, he took batting practice, fielded grounders and chatted with teammates. And then he drove away in his Mercedes, offering no hint that the countdown to his retirement had already begun. Hours later, Jeter alerted the sports world: This will be his final season. "I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball," Jeter posted Wednesday in a long letter on his Facebook page. "I have gotten the very most out of my life playing baseball, and I have absolutely no regrets," the shortstop wrote. While it was no secret the team captain was getting close to the end of his brilliant career as he neared 40 -- especially after injuries wrecked him last season -- Jeters announcement caught many by surprise. In fact, some people wondered whether his account had been hacked. But it was quickly confirmed that one of the greatest players in the history of baseballs most storied franchise was serious. A 13-time All-Star shortstop who led the Yankees to five World Series championships, Jeter was the last link to the powerful Yankees teams that won three straight crowns from 1998-2000. Longtime teammates Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte retired after last year. "erek Jeter is Mr. Yankee of his era," Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press. "He was the face of one of the greatest teams ever." Jeter was limited to 17 games last season while trying to recover from a broken left ankle sustained during the 2012 playoffs. He hit only .190 with one homer and seven RBIs. "Last year was a tough one for me. As I suffered through a bunch of injuries, I realized that some of the things that always came easily to me and were always fun had started to become a struggle," Jeter wrote. "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." "So really it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last. As I came to this conclusion and shared it with my friends and family, they all told me to hold off saying anything until I was absolutely 100 per cent sure," he wrote. "And the thing is, I could not be more sure," he wrote. His agent, Casey Close, said Jeter wanted to declare his intentions before the Yankees start spring training later this week so that his future status wouldnt be a distraction. The Yankees open camp for pitchers and catchers on Friday. Jeter has said hes healthy and ready to go -- at 39, his next birthday is in June. "erek called me this morning to tell me that he planned to retire following the season," Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said. Said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, a former Jeter teammate: "Im excited for him. Its kind of nice to see him go out on his own terms." Jeter is the Yankees career hits leader with 3,316. Hes ninth on the all-time list; a 200-hit season would put him in fifth place. Jeter is a lifetime .312 hitter in 19 seasons, with 256 home runs and 1,261 RBIs. He has scored 1,876 runs, stolen 348 bases and is a five-time Gold Glove winner. Added up, his numbers put him among the greats in Yankees history, with fans often invoking the names of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle when mentioning Jeters legacy. But No. 2 is defined by so much more than his numbers. His backhanded flip in the playoffs, his diving catch into the stands, his speech to close old Yankee Stadium and his home run for career hit No. 3,000. An October presence for so many years -- Jeter is a career .321 hitter in seven World Series -- he also became Mr. November in 2001. His winning, 10th-inning homer came shortly after midnight in a Game 4 that began on Halloween. Jeter was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1996, the season the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978 and re-established themselves as a major force. He was the MVP of the 2000 World Series. Commissioner Bud Selig said during his tenure, "Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter." A staple for so long in the Yankees lineup, Jeter missed the first 91 games last year. He felt pain in his right quadriceps when he returned July 11 and again went on the disabled list. Jeter came back for three games but strained his right calf. In early September, he was done for the year. The Yankees will open the 2014 regular season on April 1 in Houston. Their final game is scheduled to be at Fenway Park, against the longtime rival Boston Red Sox. Rivera announced a year in advance that he would retire, and was saluted everywhere he played last season. Jeter is sure to get a similar farewell tour. "I wish everybody does it like that," Rivera told ESPN radio. "I think that would be the right thing for him to do." Jeter wrote that he wants to pursue business and other interests "in addition to focusing more on my personal life and starting a family of my own." "And I want the ability to move at my own pace, see the world and finally have a summer vacation," he said. "But before that, I want to soak in every moment of every day this year, so I can remember it for the rest of my life. And most importantly, I want to help the Yankees reach our goal of winning another championship," he said. Darius Leonard Jersey . A little more than one year after missing a last-second tip-in that would have given the Wolverines a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, the 6-foot-8 forward scored on a layup with 7. Kemoko Turay Colts Jersey . Hicham Khalouas late goal improved Almerias chances of avoiding relegation in a match dominated by contentious calls, including three penalties. One day after Barcelonas 4-3 win at Real Madrid featured three penalties, referees again dominated a wide-open game that saw Almeria ultimately move out of the relegation zone and one point ahead of Getafe which took its place.Anaheim - The rolling Anaheim Ducks will shoot for a 13th win in 14 games when they host the Vancouver Canucks in Sundays Pacific Division battle at Honda Center. Chris Higgins is out for the Canucks so newly-recalled Benn Ferriero will be in the lineup. The Canucks enter Sundays showdown on a three-game slide and Vancouvers last two setbacks have come in regulation, including Saturdays 3-1 loss in Los Angeles. Vancouver led 1-0 heading into the third period before the Kings scored three times in the final 20 minutes for the win. Jeff Carter scored twice for L.A. and he notched the game-winner with 7:55 left in the third after Dustin Brown tied it just 67 seconds into the period. Carter also added an empty-net goal to seal the victory. Ryan Kesler had the only goal of the game for the Canucks, while Roberto Luongo stopped 46 shots to take the tough-luck loss in his return to the lineup. Luongo had missed the previous three games with a lower-body injury. "In our division we are going to have to learn to battle hard, and it starts with our forwards, as far as the forecheck," said Vancouver head coach John Tortorella. "Our D was under siege all night long. If we are going to compete in our division in the second half of this year, we need to be more consistent." Vancouver is currently sitting fourth in the Pacific Division and now trails L.A. by three for third place. The Canucks will turn to Eddie Lack in net this evening. Lack has one career outing against the Ducks, as he took a loss after allowing two goals in Vancouvers 3-1 setback in Anaheim on Nov. Kemoko Turay Jersey. 10. In addition to posting 12 wins in their last 13 outings overall, the Ducks, who lead the Pacific by seven points over San Jose, still havent suffered a regulation loss on home ice this season. Fridays 5-2 home victory against the Edmonton Oilers boosted Anaheims superb record as the host this season to 16-0-2. The Ducks are the only team in the NHL yet to lose in regulation at home in 2013-14. Ben Lovejoy was the unlikely offensive star in Fridays win against Edmonton, as the defenseman recorded the first two-goal game of his career in the win. Lovejoy has seven goals in 171 career games and three of them have come this season. The two-goal performance also came just three days after Lovejoys wife delivered the couples first child, a daughter, on New Years Eve. "Great feeling, great win," said Lovejoy. "It?s been an awesome couple of days, and I would love to keep it going. It was pretty special." Kyle Palmieri also notched a goal and an assist in Fridays victory. Tim Jackman and Andrew Cogliano added the other goals for the Ducks. Jonas Hiller needed to make only 16 saves for Anaheim, which outshot the Oilers by a commanding 37-18 margin on the night. The Ducks notched a win over a visiting Vancouver club on Nov. 10, taking the first of five meetings between the clubs by a 3-1 score. Anaheim has taken two straight and three of four overall from the Canucks, but Vancouver has won three of the past five encounters in Orange County. China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback NFL Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Cheap NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap Jerseys China' ' '