Jeter defined Yankee greatness over last 20 years

Plenty of greats have worn pinstripes, but only a few Yankees define an era. Derek Jeter is one such player, epitomizing one of the greatest periods in Yankees history as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle did before him.

For Bronx Bombers fans born in the '80s and '90s, Jeter is baseball. It's that simple.

At 12 seasons, he will have been the Yankees captain far longer than any before him, and it's hard to imagine anyone ever challenging that mark. Few players even stick with the same team for 20 seasons, and fewer still garner as much respect for their play on the diamond.

There's no need to be sad about 2014 being the end -- not if the Captain can make it through the season healthy, anyway. Every story has to wrap up sometime, and Jeter's was a classic.