Alex Rodriguez has just 4 games remaining in one of the most impressive, controversial, hall of fame worthy, somehow also back page tabloid worthy, storied, and indescribable careers. When the Yankees announced that Rodriguez, whose performance in his second year removed from a full season steroid suspension had utterly deteriorated, would be released Friday, manager Joe Girardi said outright that he would do his best to Alex as much playing time as possible from here on out.
However, Rodriguez isn’t in the Yankees’ lineup for game 1 of their 3 game set in Boston with the Red Sox. Apparently, Alex is pissed. He has every right to be.
There is no good reason to keep Alex Rodriguez off the field for these final 4 games. It deprives one of the most talented baseball players ever of some final memories in a sport that built him up, tore him down, and made him one of the most polarizing figures in the history of the game. It deprives fans in Boston, New York, and everywhere else of one last chance to see what could be the last player to challenge 700 home runs in our lifetimes. It deprives everyone the chance to witness one of those improbable, only-happens-in baseball moments like Alex getting a big hit or batting .500 over his last 4 games. And it makes Joe Girardi and the Yankees look awful.
Last week, the Yankees positioned themselves as trade deadline sellers for the first time in two decades. The traded their best hitter and two best relief pitchers for players that can only help them in future seasons. The Yankees are not trying to win this season. Whatever damage, real or perceived, the Yankees feel they might be suffering with 4 games of even the most inept version of AROD imaginable is completely worth it to give a nice send off to one of baseball’s all time greats.
Of course, even calling Alex Rodriguez an all time great is controversial. This is a man who ranks 16th all time in Wins Above Replacement, is just 4 homers from becoming the 4th man ever with 700, and was either the 1st or 2nd highest paid player in baseball every year from 2001-2013. Alex is a steroid cheat and burned a lot of bridges with a lot of people in a misguided attempt to defend himself at all costs.
That doesn’t’ change the fact that his career is unlike any other and that he deserves the dignity of at least making the starting lineup for 4 utterly meaningless games. Especially when he, rightfully so, is not getting the full season, or even partial season, farewell tour throughout the league that many lesser players get.
In the end, Alex Rodriguez will be remembered for home runs, batting prowess, massive contracts, and performance enhancing drugs, not the way that he sat on the bench for most of the final few games of his 22 year career. That doesn’t change the fact though that the Yankees, and Girardi specifically, have managed to take a surprisingly smooth and harmonious end to the AROD era and making it acrimonious for no good reason.
It’s not a good look and Alex has every right to be pissed, no matter what transgressions he might have committed in the past.
-Max Frankel
