And if you were hoping for Rodriguez to play third in the final game of his career, it’s not happening unless the Yankees are leading by a ridiculous amount. Will he be booed?
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The team plans to honor him during a pre-game ceremony at 6:50 p.m. Instead, Rodriguez will be the designated hitter in his final game before being released and transitioning into a role as special adviser and instructor.
“It’s gonna be odd and surreal”, Rodriguez said earlier this week of his final appearance in pinstripes. Manager Joe Girardi said A-Rod wouldn’t be at third base Friday night at Yankee Stadium against Tampa Bay. “I’m so grateful for the fans of NY that have been so good to me through thick and thin”.
Derek Jeter congratulated former teammate Alex Rodriguez, saying in a statement that the New York Yankees slugger “lives and breathes baseball”. “Not how I pictured it when I woke up this morning, but definitely I’m glad that run came in and we won the game”.
Rodriguez, who sits four home runs shy of 700 for his career, has generated no shortage of headlines over the years – from his admitted steroid use to his suspension for the entire 2014 season to his incredible feats. We started laughing. ‘If I get two hits.’ Highly unlikely.
Rodriguez will still receive the roughly $7 million he’s still owed this season as well as the $17 million the Yankees owe him next season, but technically he’ll be free to sign with another club following his release. In his first full game action since July 30, Rodriguez went 0-for-4 with an RBI against the Red Sox on Thursday.
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“He’s a great player, lot of home runs, but PED use is always going to taint him”, fan Chauncey Clark added.
