So Alex Rodriguez played his last game, at least with the Yankees today. As a Yankee fan I've loved him and hated him at separate times but in the end I think he deserved his ovation.
He came from the steroid era and his PED use will forever tarnish his career, but I think he was truly a phenomenal player either way. Steroids effect very little of a player's game compared to PED's in an endurance sport like cycling, and I think regardless of the power, he was a truly all around player.
And despite all the controversy and offenses, he made good in the end. In a lot of ways he was like the Armstrong of baseball, but unlike Armstrong, he finally admitted what he did and really made an effort to start doing things right, and he's earned a lot of respect for that.
I don't agree at all with how the Yankees handled this to be honest. I see no reason to release him now. He isn't taking up a roster spot for young players for that long, as September call ups are only a couple of weeks away anyway.
Besides that, he's been hitting poorly all season, but so have plenty of other guys on the Yankees and they haven't been questioned. Aaron Hicks is getting even more playing time now and he has a worse average than A-Rod. By benching for so long he was never able to hit his way out of the slump like an everyday player would. And it's a shame, cause I really do think he has something left. Which is why I could still see him signing with another team now that there's not a 27 million dollar barrier stopping it from happening.
I don't know if that was the last game of his career, but if it was I think it was a truly phenomenal career, and eventually he should get into the Hall. Maybe not first ballot, but at some point. At his peak the guy had brilliant contact, power, speed, fielding, and an arm. Only Willie Mays could match that arsenal.
As a Yankee fan this marks the end of an era and it's quite sad. He's played for the Yankees for 12 seasons which is quite long, and he's been a part of the team since I was 5 years old. Only Yankee left from the old stadium now is Brett Gardner. it's sad to see all the old core players gone, but on the other hand with all the prospects the Yankees have now, a new core should be coming up soon.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy
