MLB players react to Jeter's walk-off single

Sometimes, when the game or the person or the moment at one big league park is grand enough, the people at all the others take notice. Thursday was one of those times.

Derek Jeter's Yankee Stadium career came to an end Thursday night with a walk-off, 6-5 win over the Orioles, the game-winning hit coming courtesy of Jeter himself, leaving in awe not only those in attendance but also those watching on TVs in clubhouses and living rooms across the country.

Here's a sampling of some of the reactions from players and managers around the Majors -- from rivals to former teammates to folks who don't know him well but have watched from afar.

• Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz: "Wow. That's him. Perfect. I would say the Yankees fans this year, they're not going to go to the playoffs, but that was like a playoff game right there when you end up winning it. It was unbelievable.

"I think he should [play when the Yankees go to Fenway this weekend], and he will. Even one at-bat. I know that he probably will be thinking about leaving it right there. But he's a guy who knows what he does very well. Everybody is expecting him to get an at-bat or play in a game, or whatever."

• Tigers reliever Joba Chamberlain, Jeter's teammate of seven seasons: "It was a little bit surreal for me, obviously playing my whole career -- besides this year -- there with him. I just talked to him a couple of days ago. I didn't really want to bother him when all this was going on. I just wanted to thank him for everything he did for me.

"I was sitting there before the game, and I called it. I knew there was going to be something that he did to change the game, and obviously it started off in the first inning, he hit a double. Then watching that last inning unfold, and watching him up there, it shouldn't be written any other way. You want to go out on his terms, and he did. Seeing him get that hit, and drive that run in to win the game, was cool for me, as his old teammate, but more importantly his friend. He's one of the most genuine men I've ever met."

• Mets outfielder and former Yankee Curtis Granderson, who was in the on-deck circle when Jeter recorded his 3,000th hit (a home run): "He's had some magical moments, and tonight just adds to the list of the ones that he had."

• White Sox manager Robin Ventura, Jeter's teammate in 2002-03: "That's great. Hopefully [Paul Konerko], playing his final home games this weekend] has something like that. You get something similar. But it doesn't surprise me. We've seen it plenty of times. It's good for him and I'm sure it was a good moment just there for the fans and everybody."

• Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre: "That was textbook right there. You can't beat that."

• Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez: "This thing looks like a movie or something. It's crazy. Good day for him."

• Rays manager Joe Maddon: "Why wouldn't it happen that way? Bully for him. It is a pretty great script to write at the end of his career."

• Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer: "I mean, you could see it coming when the inning started. We were sitting in the lunch room and Jeter's hitting third, and it's like, he's gonna walk it off. We knew it. And so we were saying, how loud would the boos have been if they would've walked him?"