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TAMPA, Fla. -- Derek Jeter spoke for 25 minutes, 44 seconds and answered 26 questions about his decision to retire at the end of this season. He said "its time," "the right time" and "the time is now." Twice more he added "the time is right." Jeter will be leaving the major leagues the way he entered: accessible, yet opaque; approachable, but distant. So why is Jeter retiring? "He just said its time, but he didnt really say," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman concluded after Jeter reported to spring training Wednesday for his 20th and final major league season. One week earlier, the Yankees captain surprised and saddened teammates with his announcement, revealed by posting a 15-paragraph, 644-word statement on his Facebook page, one relatively few people were aware he even had. "You cant do this forever. Id like to, but you cant do it forever," he said to a crowded room filled with Yankees management and players in addition to media. Jeter, who turns 40 in June, was limited to 17 games last season, hitting .190 with one homer and seven RBIs after breaking his left ankle in the 2012 AL championship series opener. While he returned last July, he wound up on the disabled list three more times because of leg ailments caused by a lack of strength after the ankle healed. "It wasnt fun because I wasnt playing. I think it forced me to start thinking about, well, how long do I want to do this? And thats how I came to my decision," he said. "It just became a job last year." He sounded much like Joe DiMaggio, who left the Yankees in December 1951 saying, "when baseball is no longer fun, its no longer a game." Just two years ago, Jeter led the big leagues with 216 hits. And after an off-season of intensive workouts, Jeter is confident he will regain his productivity this year and be an everyday shortstop -- only the fourth in big league history in the season they turned 40. Wearing a navy Yankees pullover and shorts, and a New York cap, he spoke directly and dispassionately, much like during every interview since he first reached the major leagues in 1995. He kept his arms crossed in front of him for much of the time, resting them on a table. He flashed those famous white teeth and smiled, displaying not a trace of melancholy. "Trying to get me to cry?" he said after one question. "I have feelings. Im not emotionally stunted. Theres feelings there, but I think Ive just been pretty good at trying to hide my emotions throughout the years. I try to have the same demeanour each and every day." Hes been clear that he doesnt reveal his deepest thoughts publicly, not in the tabloid, talk-radio and Twitter-driven tumult of the Big Apple. "I know I havent really been as open with some of you guys as you would have liked me to be over the last 20 years, but thats by design," he said. "It doesnt mean I dont have those feelings. Its just thats the way I felt as though Id be able to make it this long in New York." He made the announcement on Facebook to circumvent "cut-and-paste" media, to get out his full message and to draw attention to his Turn 2 Foundation -- a pun on middle infielders making double plays and on his uniform No. 2. He is a relic, the last of the single digits to wear a Yankees uniform, the last to be introduced before each at-bat by Bob Sheppard, the Yankee Stadium public address announcer from 1951-07. While Sheppard died in 2010, a recording is played when Jeter walks to home plate. In the second half of his life, Jeter could have a future in business or even baseball management -- hes earned enough to become an owner. Hes been among New Yorks most eligible bachelors. "Theres other things I want to do. I want to have a family. Thats important me," he said, without a hint of what "other things" might entail. Jorge Posada retired after the 2011 season, and Mariano Rivera spoke in the same pavilion behind the third base stands last March and said 2013 would be his final year. Andy Pettitte departed last fall, too, leaving Jeter as the last of the Core Four who helped New York win five World Series titles. Owners Hal and Hank Steinbrenner and Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal watched Jeter from the front row, manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman in the second. Teammates, who said his decision shocked and saddened them, were in the rows after that. Cashman called Jeter "a Secretariat, so to speak, that you can run in as many races as you can and win a lot." "Right now its kind of surreal and its strange to think of the Yankees without him in the lineup. But were not there yet," said Hal Steinbrenner, the teams managing general partner. When he spoke with Jeter hours before the Feb. 12 announcement, he didnt lobby for a reconsideration. "I respect when an individual makes a decision like this because I know how much time and thought they put into it. Its not my place to second guess," he said. Jeter wouldnt put an exact date on when he made up his mind. "I wanted to make this announcement months ago. I really did. But people -- I dont want to say forced, but they advised me to take my time before I said it," he said. He kept getting asked about his future. "Even walking down the street," he said, "people ask because I missed last year: Are you playing this year? How much longer are you going to play? How many years to do you have? You get tired of hearing it." He enters his 20th big league season with a .312 average, 256 homers and 1,261 RBIs. Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson already has Tweeted "for those booking early" the 2020 induction ceremony is scheduled for July 26. For Jeter, the titles mean more than the statistics. And most of all, he treasures getting to wear the pinstripes. "The thing that means the most to me is being remembered as a Yankee, because thats what Ive always wanted to be, was to be a Yankee," Jeter said. "I have to thank the Steinbrenner family thats here today and our late owner, the Boss, because they gave me an opportunity to pretty much live my dream my entire life. And the great thing with being a Yankee is youre always a Yankee. So in that sense it never ends." Jesus Molina Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Miguel Layun Jersey .C. -- Duke sophomore Rodney Hood is entering the NBA draft. http://www.mexiconationalshop.us/Customized/ . LOUIS -- When Braves second baseman Tyler Pastornicky backpedaled into shallow right field to catch the popup and Jason Heyward didnt arrive fast enough to take charge, Kolten Wong got the green light. Hirving Lozano Jersey . Nwaneri, who was born in Dallas and attended Naaman Forest High School in nearby Garland, Texas, tweeted, "Its official! Im coming home, Im coming home. Giovani dos Santos Jersey . "This is my city," the Toronto native said upon his arrival Wednesday night. And the 35-year-old former league MVP says he is hoping to making 2014 a memorable year.TORONTO -- Randy Carlyle has been in Morgan Riellys situation before. During his playing days as a defenceman, Carlyle was made a healthy scratch and didnt like the excuse he was given. "They said, Oh maybe its better that you look at the game from a different perspective. I dont think Im going to use that one," the Toronto Maple Leafs coach said. "I think the best message when you make a decision is you tell the player that you feel the other guys are ahead of him, and thats the truth. Or else you wouldnt make that decision." Rielly could be a healthy scratch Friday night against the New Jersey Devils with defenceman Mark Fraser poised to return after missing 13 games with a left knee injury. The 19-year-old rookie was paired up with John-Michael Liles during Thursdays practice, suggesting hell be out of the lineup. "Im not too worried about it at all," Rielly said. "Its great that (Fraser is) back and healthy. I think its going to help our team a lot." Rielly wasnt hurting the Leafs terribly, though he has been on the ice for 14 goals against this season. Thats second-worst behind only veteran Cody Franson, who has been on for 17. Even though Carlyle didnt necessarily agree with the notion that Rielly was going through some growing pains, he could be due for some tough love. "Hes made some mistakes as every member of our hockey club has," Carlyle said. "I dont like to say that the young player, especially a player thats cutting his teeth in the NHL, is experiencing anything other than life in the NHL. We have veteran people that are making the same amount of mistakes or the same type of mistakes and they dont gett the same recognition maybe because they get a pass.dddddddddddd. "What wed like to do is make sure that Morgan understands, as every player has to understand, that in certain situations those mistakes are not ones that were going to tolerate." Rielly acknowledged some deficiencies in his game but brushed them off. "Im not really too concerned about it," he said. "That happens to everybody. But I just got to keep playing well. Im not sure if theres one area of my game that has really been bad or anything like that. Just going to keep working hard here and just keep trying to play a good, team game." The Leafs elected to keep Rielly beyond the nine-game limit that would have allowed them to not burn a year of his entry-level contract. He has now played in 13 of Torontos 15 games and has five assists and a minus-3 rating. Rielly has averaged 17 minutes 49 seconds of ice time. "Hes been put in a situation where hes had to play very well and I think hes done a good job with it," Franson said. "Hes playing against the top two lines all night and hes playing pretty decent-sized minutes. When a 19-year-old kid can come in and play those minutes against those lines and do it like he has, its impressive." But its probably not impressive enough to keep him in the lineup every night if Fraser stays healthy. Captain Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson are locks to remain the lineup, while Paul Ranger has shown recent improvement after a long NHL layoff. Fransons offensive abilities keep him in, which makes it a decision between Rielly and Jake Gardiner for who sits out. For now, Rielly appears to be the odd man out. 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