Having spent some of the best years of his career patrolling third base for the New York Yankees, soon-to-be-released Alex Rodriguez asked manager Joe Girardi if he could play his old position Friday in his final game.
Girardi wasn't having it.
During an appearance on the Michael Kay Show ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Rodriguez said the manager denied his request to play third in Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.
"Tuesday, I came into his office," Rodriguez said, according to ESPN's Andrew Marchand. "He told me what the plan was and I said, 'Well, any chance I could play third base on Friday?' He just said no."
When asked about it prior to Thursday's game, Girardi said: "We thought about it, but he hasn't done any work. We are still in the business of trying to win games."
A day earlier, after omitting Rodriguez from the lineup for a 10th straight game, Girardi stressed that being sentimental isn't part of his job.
"My job description does not entail a farewell tour," Girardi said. "My job description is to try and win every game and put everyone in the best possible position, and that’s what I’m trying to do."
Rodriguez, who has logged just four games at third base since the end of the 2013 campaign, said it was both "surprising and shocking" to be left out of the lineup for Tuesday's series opener at Fenway Park. In defending his lineup, Girardi emphasized that his obligation is to "the game of baseball" and not one particular individual.
"I know he didn't like it, but again, I have a responsibility to the game of baseball, and no one individual is bigger than this game," Girardi said. "No one. No one, no one, no one."
