Alex Rodriguez walked into Fenway Park on Tuesday embracing an unwanted end.
He was two days removed from a tearful press conference announcing his retirement. He was three days away from his ultimate release by the Yankees after 12 years that was highlighted by a World Series title in 2009 and plummeted into a performance-enhancing drug scandal that cost him the 2014 season.
In the wake of the announcement, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he would put Rodriguez in the lineup every day if he could. But when Rodriguez got to Fenway, his name wasn’t in the lineup. He and Girardi talked.
“I came to the stadium really excited hoping I would play all three games, or maybe two out of three,’’ he said. “[Girardi] just said we’re trying to win games.’’
Girardi admitted he may have been swept up by the moment when he made that promise. Despite despite their struggles, the Yankees are still in the hunt for a wild-card spot and Girardi still has to manage games accordingly.
“I’m an emotional guy, and my heart can get tugged at,’’ Girardi said. “And I think I got caught up in the emotions a little bit. I mean, I’m human. There’s a human element to me, there’s a human element to Alex.’’
Late in Tuesday’s game, with the Yankees trailing, the Fenway fans chanted, “We want A-Rod,’’ but Girardi didn’t budge.
“It’s part of it,’’ Girardi said. “I’m sure I’m going to hear it, but I’ve got to do what I think is best.’’
Girardi said he didn’t consider pinch hitting for Aaron Hicks in the ninth, or at any other point for that matter. Asked if he would reconsider playing Rodriguez on Wednesday, he said the plan was still to start him Thursday against Steven Wright.
The decision to retire at this point will probably leave Rodriguez shy of joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth as the only players to reach the 700-homer plateau.
“It would’ve been fun to make a run at it,’’ Rodriguez said. “I love to play, but that wasn’t in the cards and I’m at peace with my decision.’’
But balancing the team’s priorities with the abrupt end to Rodriguez’s career has been difficult Girardi said.
“This whole month or so has been difficult just because of who he is and what he’s meant, our relationship. Obviously this has not been an enjoyable month for him, and it’s not enjoyable for me in a sense because I care about him.’’
Rodriguez’s 22 years in the majors can only be described as complicated. He came in a teenage phenom, emerged as a one of the game’s biggest stars, evolved into one of Boston’s favorite villains when he joined the Yankees in 2004, and became persona non grata after being entangled in a PED scandal. He returned two years ago a humbler man, determined to repair his shattered image.
Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and CC Sabathia are the last holdovers from the Yankees team that won the World Series in 2009. Last week, Teixeira announced that he would retire at the end of the year after 14 seasons, eight in pinstripes. In the process of making the decision, he said, he talked with Rodriguez.
“We talked a little bit about it and I think for both of us, we’re proud of the careers we’ve had,’’ Teixeira said. “We’ve done everything that you can do in baseball. That’s something that you can look back on your career and say you’ve hit a lot of home runs and won a lot of games and won a World Series and other than that we’ve had a whole bunch of fun. So it’s exciting.’’
Along with the changing of the guard in the Yankees clubhouse, the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox has evolved over the years.
“Those [games] are some of the most epic baseball battles I’ve ever seen — and long ones, too,’’ Rodriguez said.
One of the key figures in this rivalry for the Red Sox is David Ortiz. Rodriguez’s PED scandal strained his relationship with the Sox slugger, who was implicated by Rodriguez’s lawyer in 2014. But in March, the two spoke for the first time since the incident. With Ortiz also planning to walk away from the game at the end of the year, Rodriguez has kept tabs on Ortiz, who is enjoying an All-Star season.
“I wish I was hitting like him,’’ Rodriguez said. “He’s been unbelievable. I’ve been a huge David Ortiz fan from Day 1. I’ve known him since he was a teenager and I’ve got to tell you, I marvel at how he does it. I often say, he’s like our Magic Johnson. He’s just an incredible ambassador for us.’’
There were questions about whether Rodriguez’s end with the Yankees truly meant the end of his career, whether he could see himself signing with another team. Rodriguez said he hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“I’m trying to really enjoy the last three or four days,’’ he said. “I’m a bit nostalgic, going down memory lane a little bit.’’
Girardi, though, wrestled with the idea, trying to separate the player that had been so dominant for so long from the player that’s struggled for much of the season.
When Rodriguez made his redemption tour last season, he hit 33 home runs and drove in 83 runs.
“I think we all expected him to have a good year,’’ Girardi said. “And hopefully, when we all get away from this, he remembers more good than bad.’’
In his first 20 games this season, Rodriguez hit just .194, leaving Girardi to use him almost exclusively against lefthanded pitching. But even in that role, Rodriguez has hit just .219 against lefties this year.
“I don’t know if there would be a right situation out there for him,’’ said Girardi. “He’s going to be 42 and he doesn’t really play a position. So that’s hard for me to say.’’
It may have been just as hard for Rodriguez to hear, but he accepted it.
“Like I’ve said from the time I came back from my suspension, it’s up to Joe and I’ll do whatever he wants,’’ Rodriguez said. “I think I can still play, but the Yankees are not forcing me out.’’
But he can see the end in front of him, his last swings at Fenway just days away.
“It’s a great chance to give me one great, loud boo on the way out.’’