Farewell A-Rod?

Farewell A-Rod?

August 12^th 2016 the last day that Alex Rodriguez would ever play for the New York Yankees, ending an entertaining twelve year career. A-Rod came into the game at eighteen years old, energizing the game as a young shortstop for the Seattle Mariners. Rodriguez in his first full season batted .358 with 36 homers and 123 RBI’s. This after being bounced around in the Seattle system in 1994 and 1995. A-Rod also had 15 stolen bases in 19 try's in ’96 solidifying his spot as a young star in the game along side his teammate Ken Griffey Jr. The future looked bright for Rodriguez and for good reason.

Fast forward a couple years to 2001 where Rodriguez is in Arlington Texas playing for the Rangers and playing well. In his first season A-Rod hit 52 bombs, batting .318 while also collecting 135 RBI’s. If that wasn't enough the very next season Rodriguez hit 57 homers with 142 RBI’s and batted an even .300; and stapled his spot as a superstar in the game with a loud bang. Hit the fast forward button a few more years and Alex has landed himself in the media capital of the world in New York City playing for the games most prestigious franchise in the Yankees. With a switch of position to third base Rodriguez did not fall behind at the plate. In 2004 Rodriguez collected 36 homers with 106 RBI’s only batting .286 on a very good Yankee team that would make it all the way to the ALCS. Rodriguez would follow up the ’04 campaign with an MVP 2005, where he batted .321 with 48 big flys and 130 RBI’s. And if you think Rodriguez was done putting up numbers well you would be wrong… Enter 2007 where Alex seemed to just be on fire the entire season, finishing with a .314 batting average, 54 homers, and 156 RBI’s.

Now if this sounds like a Hall of Fame career you'd probably be spot on, only that there is a big asterisk on Rodriguez career, that be steroids or HGH. For his time in Texas and some time in New York, A-Roid was cheating the game taking forbidden substances to enhance his game and live up to the 10 year $100 million dollar contract that New York offered him following the 2007 season. Rodriguez did not admit to juicing until his suspension in the 2014 following his connection with a drug clinic in Miami. The suspension and connection was no surprise to many who new about the list that came out many years before for Major League Baseball itself naming players that were “suspected” to using HGH or have tested positive in that study. If you aren't familiar with the report; names like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez were on that list along with Rodriguez.

So, you could say A-Rod is his own worst enemy and has ruined a chance to be enshrined with the games greatest because of his own doings. You could also argue if Rodriguez didn't use he would be the greatest to EVER play. You could make arguments for all of those, but that's not the most interesting angle to his career. You see, A-Rod who was a known cheater for pretty much his entire career in New York, hated by most of the country ( including many Yankee fans) still played his best and still tunneled out all the noise, winning a championship in 2009, grabbing 3,000 hits in 2015 and riding off into the sunset if there is one, all of this still while being considered the King of hitting. Playing the villain for most of his career and still being adored by fans everywhere, to this day it puzzles me. Completely embracing the villain role, denying cheating for many years and still getting cheered.

So for me this is not a farewell tour or a ride off into the sunset for Alex Rodriguez, but a door slam to the face by not only the Yankee organization, who forced him into retirement, but also the game of baseball as a whole who have gotten their share at the A-Rod smear train when the game suspended him for an entire season. In his press conference announcing his retirement from the game, Rodriguez said “I want to remember as a guy who loved the game” which doesn't really sit well with me. Yes I don't doubt the fact that Rodriguez was a complete student of the game, being that he came into the Majors at eighteen years old. But I do doubt the fact that he truly loved the game as a whole. If he loved the game he wouldn't have cheated it. He has played with guys like Griffey, Jeter, Marino; these guys being 1^st ballet Hall Famers, guys who never cheated and put all the work in naturally. If Alex really cared about the game he would have thought about his legacy and what he really meant to the game and to the youth of the game before he took any steroid.

Here's my two cents to A-Rod who played for my favorite team the Yankees for many years. Dear A-Rod,

Thank you for showing the game of baseball who you really are after 22 years. Thank you for everything you've done for the game showing the youth of baseball how to lie and get away with it. I don't doubt that you are one of the greatest baseball minds on planet earth, or the fact that you will help future Yankees get to a place you never could. I appreciate every opportunity I got to see you play. I'm thankful for the World Series that you won, because it was the first time I ever truly saw a World Championship. Enjoy your retirement and watching the 2023 Hall of Fame induction ceremony from your couch and every one after that.

Sincerely a die hard Yankee fan

Sources:( baseball reference.com, mlb.com, Yankees.com)

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