But on Friday, as he rode to the Bronx for his final game with the Yankees, Rodriguez thought about all the good, bad and controversial things he had been through since coming to NY in a blockbuster trade in February 2004.
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New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez walks towards third base with the game ball after the Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 in Rodriguez’s final game as a Yankee player, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, in New York.
Making it to the big leagues in the wake of A-Rod’s departure can be awkward and pressure-packed, but the two got off to a smashing start – and made some history in the process.
A-Rod ran back on the field for more hugs after the final out, grabbing a handful of dirt from the infield. This is the last time he plays.
Moments later, manager Joe Girardi was teary-eyed talking about the entire evening.
“After all of this I’m going to need a long nap and recover and see where life takes me”, Rodriguez said.
Mattingly acknowledged the Marlins might be in the market for help at first base. Kids like Mateo Sucre, who at twelve is a very promising pitcher, or Argenys Morban, a 19-year-old Dominican-American who tells me like Rodriguez, he has come to realize that perhaps it’s time to move on from playing baseball.
The stormy Yankees career of Alex Rodriguez received a short, memorable and thunderous sendoff Friday. He hit at least 23 home runs 15 seasons in a row, including three 50-homer seasons and five times leading the league.
Dark clouds rolled in from the northwest as his ceremony began.
Rodriguez has been a fixture in the Yankee lineup since 2004, but he announced on Sunday he would transition to an off-the-field position with the team. But they rushed for cover from the rain as the big screen in center field showed a message from Lou Piniella, who fondly recalled Rodriguez’s days as a “young pup” when Piniella managed the teenager with the Mariners.
With the Bleacher Creatures chanting his name in the first inning during their roll call and the rest of the fans joining in, Rodriguez raised his cap toward them from the dugout.
“I’ve given these fans a lot of headaches over the years and I’ve disappointed a lot of people”, he said after the 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay, his voice sounding hoarse over the public-address system in one of baseball’s most unusual farewells.
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As a native New Yorker, but newly-based NY journalist, who is but a casual observer of baseball, the call from my boss to head to Yankees Stadium last Sunday morning was a thrilling one. In fact, he’s talked around the subject each time it’s been broached over the last week. Reggie Jackson accompanied his mom onto the field, and his daughters were escorted by former closer Mariano Rivera, who drew louder cheers than A-Rod.
