The Texas Rangers’ Prince Fielder and New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez have this much in common: Statistically, they will be regarded as two of the best sluggers of their respective eras. As closer Dellin Betances trotted out from the bullpen to protect a 6-3 lead, Rodriguez – who had gone 1 for 4 with an RBI double as the DH – ran out to the familiar third base position he had called home for almost a decade.
Advertisement
“I just wanted a little bit of a memory”, said A-Rod.
He will be cut Saturday by a Yankees team pivoting to youth.
As a huge media crowd descended upon Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez’s eventful 13-year career in pinstripes concluded Friday night with sentimentality and, for the designated hitter, some form of amazement at how it ended with him being asked to become an advisor to managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, who came up with the plan August 3.
Rodriguez played with a few of those members in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte in NY as well as Jeff Nelson and Tino Martinez in Seattle.
The Yankees have essentially benched A-Rod for the last several weeks simply because he wasn’t hitting.
Then the Yankees will try to win their fourth straight game, which would be their second such streak since the All-Star break.
While this was the end of his time as an active player for the Yankees, the word retired has not been officially used and this might not be Rodriguez’s retirement from baseball.
Photo 3: Alex Rodriguez, along with his mother, brother, sister, daughters, and teammates Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius, watch the Yankee Stadium scoreboard during a video message from Lou Piniella. “I’ve got to tell you, it’s going to be tough to top that”, he said. “Give those guys a lot of credit”. He’s a hard worker, hard-nosed player. “I guess we went out with a bang”.
“I’m relieved”, he said. Amidst previous rumors that the Yankees might release him, Rodriguez made a decision to play one more week and hang it up as much on his own terms as possible. Reports from Scranton said Tyler Austin is expected to join the Yankees after he batted.323 in 53 games there this season.
He finished his career with a slash line of.283/.382/.506 with 319 homers and 1,028 RBI over 12 Major League Baseball seasons. Darvish struck out five and allowed five hits and two earned runs in 6 2-3 innings.
And the Baby Bombers they did it back-to-back in a five-pitch span Saturday against Tampa Bay. The 1-for-4 night left him with a.200 average, nine homers and 31 RBIs in his 12th and final Yankees season.
Being the opponent for the 1996 celebration is nothing new for the Rays.
But in the final inning of Friday night’s game against the Rays, Girardi found the exit that he hoped Rodriguez would want. He won three Most Valuable Player awards.
Advertisement
In Miami, Carlos Rodon pitched six innings for his first victory since May and Chicago downed the Marlins. He is 6-0 against Detroit in his career.
