Archer humbled as final pitcher to strike out A-Rod
Chris Archer is great at verbalizing his emotions. He's well-spoken, and he knows a legend when he sees one.
With Alex Rodriguez potentially playing his final major-league game on Friday when the New York Yankees took on the Tampa Bay Rays, Archer was given the dubious honor of being the last pitcher to strike out A-Rod, albeit after giving up an RBI first-inning double.
"I was trying to be kind of humble and reserved about it before but when you say that, it definitely means something," Archer told reporters, adding he idolized Rodriguez in Little League. "I'm kind of getting chills thinking about it."
Despite the fact he gave up five runs over six innings of work, Archer notched nine strikeouts, including a punchout of A-Rod in the fifth inning.
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He has no illusions, either, of what Rodriguez has been through in his career and the reputation he's garnered. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he's one of the best hitters Archer has ever struck out, which will go down in his personal record as a special moment.
"He's had some trivial things go on throughout his career, but he's always treated me with respect," Archer said. "My parents always taught me to judge somebody based off how they treat you, personally.
"That's going to mean something to me, and my parents, and my closest friends, because we all admired A-Rod growing up."