Why Alex Rodriguez chose Friday to be his final game
The storied career of Alex Rodriguez will come to an end Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
In a press conference on Sunday morning, A-Rod and the New York Yankees announced that date will mark his final game in a Yankees uniform. Immediately following the game, Rodriguez will officially be released before transitioning into a new role with the team as a special instructor and advisor.
Essentially, Rodriguez is retiring, or perhaps more accurately he’s been talked into walking away as gracefully as possible. Since it will be termed a release, he will still be paid the remaining $27M on his contract over the next two seasons. Obviously, that money owed gave him some leverage in planning his exit too, and that has led to where we’re going on Friday.
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The question being asked by a lot of people now though is simply this: Why Friday?
Typically, when a player announces his retirement it’s effective immediately or at the end of a season. Not A-Rod though. He’s going out on a Friday in August against the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s not exactly the most ceremonious way to go out, but there is a special reason he selected that date.
His family.
A-Rod said they chose Friday vs. #Rays for farewell as matter of logistics, wanted mom and daughters to see him play again at Yankee Stadium
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 7, 2016
Rodriguez told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that having his mother, Lourdes, and daughters, Natasha and Ella, attend his final game in New York was a major consideration in bringing the proper closure to his career. It’s also noted Rodriguez will have “people flying in from all over the place,” including friends and perhaps some former teammates.
In between, the Yankees will make a stop in Boston, where Red Sox fans will have their chance to say goodbye too. That will be an interesting dynamic too. It’s unknown how much or even if A-Rod will appear in that series, but It seems like a no-brainer to get Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz on the field together one last time.
Manager Joe Girardi indicated he would find ways to get A-Rod in the lineup if he wants to play, so perhaps that too will be in the cards as we embark on the Week of A-Rod in MLB.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
