A-Rod on final game: 'It's going to be tough to top that'
NEW YORK - His pregame tribute ended by a storm, Alex Rodriguez soaked in repeated cheers during his final game in pinstripes, getting one more hit for the New York Yankees and returning to third base one last time.
On a night filled with nostalgia as the Yankees and Rodriguez turn to uncertain futures, baseball's most notorious star of the last two decades drove a 96 mph fastball from Tampa Bay's Chris Archer into the right-center field gap in the first inning of New York's 6-3 win Friday.
And with the sellout crowd of 46,459 chanting ''We want A-Rod!'' the 41-year-old designated hitter trotted to third base for the first time in 15 months at the start of the ninth inning as the organist played ''Thanks for Memory.''
He was replaced after a leadoff strikeout, hugging his teammates as fans, many of whom never warmed to a player who served a year-long drug suspension, applauded in respect if not devotion.
Rodriguez raised his cap and then his arm before walking into the dugout, sitting down and holding a white towel to his face as he tried to hold back tears. A-Rod ran back on the field for more hugs after the final out, grabbing a handful of dirt from the infield.
"This is a night I'll never forget," he said, shortly after the last out.
Moments later, manager Joe Girardi was teary-eyed talking about the entire evening.
"If this is the last time he plays," Girardi said softly, pausing for 10 seconds and sniffling as his voice cracked and his eyes teared, "I wanted it to be something he never forgot."
In a 4-for-47 funk, Rodriguez started for just the third time in 19 games, the 2,784th and perhaps final regular-season appearance in a career that started with Seattle in 1994, moved on to Texas in 2001 and then New York three years later. Admitting to plenty of errors in a life that has included the 2009 World Series title, a divorce, celebrity girlfriends, high-stakes poker games and what seemed to be as many photos on tabloid fronts as backs, he leaves without establishing his own era.
He has 696 home runs, fourth on the career list behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). But owner Hal Steinbrenner told him on Aug. 3 the end was at hand, and Rodriguez said last Sunday he had accepted an offer to play one final home game and then become a team adviser through 2017, tasked with mentoring young players.
"With all my screw-ups and how badly I acted, the fact that I'm walking out the door, Hal wants me as part of the family, that's hitting 800 home runs for me," Rodriguez said.
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New York will owe him $7,103,825 for the rest of this year and $20 million for next, the final season of his $275 million, 10-year contract.
Having seen his lights go down on Broadway, is Miami 2017 in his future?
He has not said he is retiring.
"I'm going to need a long nap and recover and I want to see where life takes me," he said, ''but right now I think I value wearing this uniform, and for me the Yankees pinstripes is enough.
"It's going to be tough to top that. That's a memory I will own forever."
A 14-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, A-Rod has a .295 batting average, 3,115 hits and his 2,086 RBIs, second to Aaron's 2,297 since RBIs became an official statistic.
With no more batting practice to take, he planned to watch the Yankees on television Sunday. But not Saturday.
"I may have a couple cocktails tonight, so I may not wake up by game time tomorrow," he said.