In front of a sold out crowd at Yankee Stadium on September 25,  Derek Jeter finished off his last home game as a New York Yankee with a walk-off single, earning a 6-5 win for his team over the Baltimore Orioles and capping an incredible 20 year MLB career.

Following the exciting end to the game, Jeter knelt down at the shortstop position in the infield amidst the roars of the crowd, which was chanting “De-rek Je-ter.”

“I basically just said, ‘Thank you,”’ Jeter said, “Because this is all I ever wanted to do. Not too many people have the opportunity to do it. It was above and beyond anything I dreamed.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi commented, “I don’t think there was a more fitting way for it to end, for all of the big hits, and all of the things he’s done to win championships here.”

Jeter began his iconic MLB career in 1992, when the New York Yankees drafted him straight out of high school. After a rocky start, he went on to become the Yankees’ all-time career leader in hits, doubles, games played, stolen bases, times on base, plate appearances, and at bats. He has collected 14 All-Star nominations, five Golden Glove Awards, five Silver-Slugger Awards, and two Hank-Aaron Awards. But Jeter’s legacy is founded on more than statistics or trophies (he led the Yankees to five World Series Championships).

In a culture in which sports figures are scrutinized and glorified and the egos of many star athletes have sky rocketed, Derek Jeter has always displayed remarkable poise, maturity, respect, and humility. Former Yankees manager Joe Torre explained to CBS News, “He stands out because of the way he did it. He never patted himself on the back; he was always comfortable in his own skin, but he kept his ego under wraps, and it’s tough to have guys like him come down this path, especially today when we want to know every single thing about every single person.”  Torre added, “He’s a remarkable human being. I used the one word, which is ‘trustworthy’ to describe him, based on the fact that everybody around him was better because of him and he’d always be there for them.”

Baseball fans alike, despite team loyalties, are heartbroken to see Jeter retire. In a letter to USA Today, 50 year baseball fan Jeffery Carney shared, “Most players don’t realize that how they conduct themselves off the field is more important than what they do on the field. Treating others with dignity, respect and kindness matter, and doing it on a big stage where millions are watching makes it matter even more. Fans showered him with respect. Not just Yankee fans — but fans of opposing teams, who under ordinary circumstances would be rooting against the Yankees. But no one rooted against Derek Jeter.”

Jeter’s ability to transcend the game and sports rivalries was evident in his final game ever, which took place at Fenway Park. In an extravagant pregame ceremony that “built a bridge from the Bronx to Boston,” Boston gave Jeter a hero’s exit. The Red Sox paraded out sports legends Carl Yastrzemski, Luis Tiant, Bobby Orr, and Paul Pierce. Jeter’s name appeared on the old school scoreboard beneath the Green Monster, and the team made a $22,222.22 donation to Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, which helps create better lives for at-risk youth. Peter Frates, the ALS victim and former Boston College baseball player who inspired the Ice Bucket Challenge, entered the field in his wheelchair; Jeter, an Ice Bucket participant, ran from his position onto the infield grass to greet him.

Jeter left the field mid-game, feeling that his time was “complete.” Later, Jeter commented, “This is a place where we’ve been an enemy for a long, long time. For them to flip the script, it made me feel extremely proud to be a part of it.” But the magical memory at Yankee Stadium, “is never going away,” Jeter concluded, just as scores of baseball fans will never forget the impact Jeter had on the game.