NEW YORK -- To Derek Jeter, it was just another day to get ready for spring training. 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. "Derek 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. "Derek 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. Custom Miami Marlins Nike Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Custom Cincinnati Reds Nike Jerseys .Y. - Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs didnt flinch in the face of adversity. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/ . INJURIES - Cardinals 1B Matt Adams has been put on the DL with calf tightness, resulting in some lineup shifting, with Allen Craig moving from right field to first base, so that the Cardinals could bring up top prospect Oscar Taveras, who was the No. Custom Baseball Jerseys .Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems to be leaning the fiscally responsible way.Let me put it like this: Its going to be a challenge, Jones said of re-signing both of Dallas biggest potential free agents. Custom Chicago White Sox Nike Jerseys .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to complete a sweep of the Washington Capitals when the clubs cap a quick home-and-home series Tuesday night in the Steel City.BOSTON -- It took a couple of last-minute goals for the New Jersey Devils to snap their recent woes against the Boston Bruins. Marek Zidlicky and Andy Greene scored power-play goals 23 seconds apart late in the third period, lifting the Devils to a 4-3 win over the Bruins on Saturday night. The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Bruins for the Devils (2-5-4). "I mean, we were due for some good fortune," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said of his teams start this season, but he could as well have been referring to the recent games against Boston. "We havent had a lot of it through the first 10 or 11 games," he said. "I thought the guys continued to work hard, we dug ourselves a little hole there early and considering the circumstances, it would have been easy to pack it in and we didnt. We kept chipping away and like I said, we were due for some good luck." Adam Henrique and Damien Brunner also had power-play goals for the struggling Devils. Martin Brodeur stopped 25 shots after a rough start. Torey Krug, Jarome Iginla and Milan Lucic scored first-period goals for Boston (7-3). Iginla and David Krejci each had two assists as Boston built a 3-1 lead. With the Devils skating with a 6-on-3 advantage after Krug was given a double minor for high sticking Brunner, Patrice Bergeron was whistled for delay of game and they pulled Brodeur, Zidlicky unloaded a shot from the point that beat Tuukka Rask with 1:08 to play. "Its a huge win," Devils forward Patrick Elias said. "Obviously we didnt start well." Green then scored the game-winner from the left circle on a 5-on-4 advantage at 19:15. Rask made 28 saves. New Jersey went 4 for 7 on the power play. "Well, obviously the power play -- four power-play goals tonight," DeBoer said. "I dont think weve won in this rink in four or five years, so we were going to need something special tonight, whether it was a four-star performance from somebody or our power play to click. We got some of that." Coming off a last-second win against San Jose on Thursday, Boston grabbed a 2-0 lead on its first two shots of the game against Brodeur. Krugs power-play goal gave the Bruins a 11-0 lead at 7:52 of the opening period when he fired a slap shot from just above the right circle that ricocheted in off a Devils player in front of the net.dddddddddddd Boston made it 2-0 just 1:27 later when Iginla sent a shot from the right wing that caromed off Brunners skate and between Brodeurs pads. DeBoer then called time out. It turned out to be a small key in sparking his team. Iginla didnt think the Bruins were overconfident after jumping on the Devils early. "I think were confident (when) we have the lead. We think we can hold it. It was just the second period that we werent as good," Iginla said. "We werent skating as well. We werent first to the pucks like we were in the first period. You give them credit. They got better. "But the third, with the lead by one goal up until the last four minutes, it was the way we want to play that. Being at home wed like to put them away, but we werent able to and they hung around and they got the power plays late and they took advantage of it." It was Bostons third game in four days and coach Claude Julien thought it may have hurt his team, but didnt use it as an excuse. "To me tonight we had one line going and too many mediocre guys," he said. The Devils cut the deficit to 2-1 on Henriques power-play goal when he swooped in and scored off the rebound off Eric Gelinas shot at 11:24. But Krejci sent Lucic in alone down the left wing and he fired a wrister past Brodeur with 56 seconds left in the first. The Devils played a more spirited second period and had a handful of decent scoring chances before Brunners goal sliced it to 3-2 with 27.1 seconds left in the period. He fired a backhander that slipped between Rasks right arm and the post, trickling across the line. NOTES: Boston had won 11 of the previous 12 games against New Jersey, with the lone loss in April 2011. ... Bruins D Zdeno Chara was whistled for two minor penalties. ... It was the first of three meetings between the teams this season, the only in Boston. ... Boston is off until Wednesday when it plays at Pittsburgh in a rematch of last seasons Eastern Conference finals, swept by the Bruins. ... The Devils host Tampa Bay on Tuesday. ' ' '