NEW YORK, NY – Plenty of column inches on this website have been devoted to Alex Rodriguez and his forced retirement from baseball by the Yankees this week, so I will try to keep the A-Rod talk short. Goodbye and good riddance. There’s no doubting Rodriguez’s talent and his impact on baseball over the last two decades. But there’s also no question that he’s done plenty to hurt his legacy and the game of baseball. It’s time for him to go.
The manner of his retirement is a bit strange. The Yankees could have waited until the end of the season to let him go. But they decided to do it now before rosters expand. Rodriguez has seen diminished playing time, as his performance dipped precipitously from last year. I thought they might release him after the trade deadline, once they decided to liquidate the roster and stock the farm system. They waited a couple of weeks and gave A-Rod some warning, which is nice… I guess. Joe Girardi hasn’t really done Rodriguez any favors in his final week. He’s treated Rodriguez like he has all season, playing him sporadically, as if the Yanks have anything to play for. Not sure if he’s holding a grudge or following orders from the top. But it has been strange.
Rodriguez’s farewell tonight should be interesting. There will be more cheers than boos for sure. He’ll most likely finish his career with 696 home runs. PEDs and other scandals will keep Rodriguez out of the Hall of Fame for the foreseeable future. Whether he eventually gets in will depend on what happens with guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. If they end up getting a bump in their HOF votes then that may bode well for A-Rod. But I don’t think that will happen.
Prince Fielder announced his retirement this week also. The vegan behemoth has had an injury plagued few seasons in Texas and finally called it a career this week after his second neck surgery in a year. He ends his career with the same home-run total as his old man, Cecil. It’s a shame that Prince’s career is coming to this premature end, but he’ll still be paid through 2020. He’s still owed over $100 million. Not a bad haul for retirement.
Meanwhile, Prince’s teammate Adrian Beltre is quietly sneaking towards the 3000-hit mark. Ichiro Suzuki accomplished the feat last weekend and Beltre will get there next season. He’s just over 100 hits away. It’s an amazing accomplishment for a player that has hit .300 only five seasons in his 19 year MLB career. But his numbers have been consistent throughout and he’ll reach the 3000 hit milestone a year after Ichiro.
Preseason football is here, which could only mean that I’ll soon be seeing guys in bars on Sundays with iPads checking fantasy football stats. What a society we live in. At least the start of football means that hockey is right around the corner. We’re under two months away from puck drop. I’m hoping for a good year from the rejuvenated Rangers.
Until then, tune in tonight for A-Rod’s farewell and I guess there’s some event going on in Brazil or something.
That’s it for me today. Come back tomorrow for a man that allegedly slept with one of the Clintons, Ben Whitney. And please follow us on Twitter – @Different_Matt & @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook page, Meet The Matts.
P.s… Since the Olympics were sort of mentioned, click here for the Hottest Female Athletes in Rio.
