5 other legends who didn't get the exit they wanted
When Alex Rodriguez was a kid, he probably dreamed about completing his big-league career in grand style.
Suffice to say, Sunday's press conference revealing A-Rod would be playing his final game with the New York Yankees on Friday, after which he'd be released, is probably not close to what he may have envisioned. It's likely not how most baseball fans thought they'd watch one of the game's all-time greats depart - but then again, nothing in A-Rod's career has ever gone according to script.
A-Rod should take solace in one thing, though: He's not even close to the first baseball legend to have his career come to an ignominious end. Ahead of Rodriguez's final game, let's look back at five other all-time greats who didn't get the exit they wanted or deserved.
Babe Ruth
The Babe's 1934 season probably should have been his last hurrah, but Boston Braves owner Emil Fuchs - desperate to boost the attendance of his moribund franchise - lured the 40-year-old back to the city where he began his career by making him both a player and vice president. It was, in short, a disaster. An out of shape Ruth was clearly done, hitting just six homers (his final three came in the same game) while batting .181 in 28 contests. Braves attendance, meanwhile, sagged and the team would finish with the worst record in franchise history. Ruth wouldn't even finish the year, only hanging around long enough to play a road game in every NL city. He was pulled from his final game on May 30 after grounding to first in his last at-bat, then misplaying a routine fly ball; three days later, the Bambino quietly retired.
Yogi Berra
The man who later quipped "It ain't over 'til it's over" didn't realize his career was over. Yogi played his last game in pinstripes in 1963 before taking over as Yankees manager in 1964. When he was fired after that season, his old skipper Casey Stengel lured Berra to the four-year-old Mets as a player-coach. He only played four games in blue and orange and they were quite forgetful: In his last game he struck out three times for the first and only time in his career. As his granddaughter Lindsay wrote in 2013, that performance prompted Yogi to get in his car, drive home, and retire. "I didn't go out there to be embarrassed," he said. Hey, as Yogi himself once mused: If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be.
Willie Mays
It was nice of the Mets to trade for Mays in 1972 so he could finish his career in New York, where it all started for him. But Mays also stuck around for 1973, and by doing so unwittingly became the poster child for baseball players - and all veteran athletes - who hung around longer than they should have. While taking a season-long farewell tour, Mays hit just .211/.303/.344 with six homers in part-time duty for the NL Pennant-winning Mets. In Game 2 of the World Series, Mays lost a fly ball in the sun at the Oakland Coliseum, tripped, and fell down, instantly creating a sadly iconic moment at the end of a legend's career. "This is the thing that I think all sports fans in all areas hate to see," announcer Monte Moore said, echoing a sentiment likely felt across many American living rooms as they watched the unfortunate scene.
Ken Griffey Jr.
On the surface it would seem "The Kid" had the perfect ending: He finished as a Seattle Mariner, the franchise he basically saved from extinction, and his final at-bat was a pinch-hit walk-off single. But Griffey's final season in 2010 wasn't anything like his storybook return to Seattle in 2009, as he was hitting just .184 with zero homers and, like his old teammate A-Rod, found himself glued to the bench. Meanwhile, reports were swirling that the Hall of Famer was napping in the clubhouse during a game. After the Mariners won a game against the Twins on June 1, Griffey cleaned out his locker, said goodbye to the team, and left. By the time his retirement was announced nearly 24 hours later, the face of the Mariners was in his car driving back to Florida.
Juan Marichal
Both Giants and Dodgers fans probably want to forget this one happened. The great Marichal underwent back surgery in 1973 - his final season in San Francisco - and was barely hanging onto his career when he shockingly joined the Dodgers as a free agent in 1975. Marichal had become the enemy of Dodgers fans years earlier when he swung his bat at the head of catcher Johnny Roseboro, sparking a nasty brawl between the bitter rivals. Needless to say, the history between the two sides made this union a rocky one from the get-go. It also didn't help that Marichal was completely finished as a pitcher: His regrettable Dodgers tenure consisted of two April starts and a 13.50 ERA, prompting the Giants legend to retire.