Accepting the end gracefully is part of being a professional athlete. “And today I’m saying goodbye”.
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Rodriguez scored 696 home runs during his career, trailing only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the all-time count.
In March, Rodriguez said he planned to retire at the end of next season. When he renegotiated his contract that same year, the $275 million, 10-year deal was the sport’s largest.
In a statement, Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner said the slugger will mentor the next generation of New York Yankees. “And his baseball mind is unbelievable”, said Sabathia, who could see A-Rod fitting well into a broadcast booth, as he did during Fox’s postseason coverage last fall.
Steinbrenner added: “Baseball runs through his blood”.
McCann called A-Rod “one of the better teammates I’ve had”, and “a tireless worker”. And with Rodriguez leaving, Gardner would be the only Yankee remaining to continuously play for the Yankees as the team transitioned from the old Yankee Stadium to the new Yankee Stadium.
“As far as milestones”, he said, “I would have had an unbelievable time trying to go after them…”
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had reached out to Rodriguez on Wednesday about possibly retiring. “He always has been”, Cashman said of Rodriguez.
Following Friday’s game, the Yankees will turn Rodriguez into a special instructor, and he will begin his duties in full next spring. “It’s been very painful and embarrassing to be on the bench”.
Rodriguez is a three-time American League MVP (2003, 2005, 2007) and 14-time All-Star (1996-98, 2000-08, 2010-11). He’s eighth in runs with 2,021 and 19 in hits with 3,114. He also is the only major leaguer ever to have 14 seasons of at least 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. The long ball was his 25th career grand slam.
Rodriguez helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series but had been in repeated controversy since he arrived ahead of the 2004 season in a trade with Texas.
Slowed by injuries, the 36-year-old switch-hitting first baseman is batting.198 with 10 homers and 27 RBIs. The Bambino had 714 home runs in his stellar career while it appears A-Rod will finish his career four home runs shy of 700 & fourth on the all-time Major League Baseball list.
Gardner filed into the same room at Yankee Stadium just two days earlier, when Mark Teixeira announced he’d retire after the season, when his contract expires.
Alex Rodriguez’s retirement announcement on Sunday had stirred the sentiment in the Yankees players, who spoke of his superior work ethic and passion for the game.
“Alex and I need to have a conversation”, said Girardi. “He’s just a student of the game and, because of that, guys want to be around him”.
Cashman said Rodriguez is free to sign with any team following Friday’s release. “It’s been awkward…management has told me I’ll get a few at-bats on Friday”.
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“No matter what happens, I’m at peace with myself”, Rodriguez said Tuesday. “I think he’s provided excitement around the country and around the world for years with the numbers he’s put up”. I think he should’ve been released outright. That wasn’t in the cards.
