Jeter: ‘This is my last season’

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said on Wednesday he would retire from Major League Baseball at the end of the 2014 season, a decision the 19-year veteran said he made after being hobbled by injuries last year.

In a post on his Facebook page, Jeter, 39, widely considered one of baseball’s greatest shortstops, said he made the decision following a tough 2013 season when he struggled to recover from a broken ankle and other injuries.

“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,” he said.

“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 percent sure.

“And the thing is, I could not be more sure. I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball.”

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said the sport would salute the future Hall of Famer during the upcoming season.

“In the 21-plus years in which I have served as commissioner, Major League Baseball has had no finer ambassador than Derek Jeter,” Selig said in a statement.

“He is one of the most accomplished and memorable players of his – or any – era.

“Derek is the kind of person that generations have emulated proudly, and he remains an exemplary face of our sport. Major League Baseball looks forward to celebrating his remarkable career throughout the 2014 season.”