s in a 37-23 upset victory over Arizona State i | Forum
Mitglied jcy123
Jan 23 '20
NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez returned to the infield, hugged a reception line of teammates and was handed the final ball from his final game with the New York Yankees. Rex Grossman Jersey . He walked to the area behind third base, leaned down and grabbed a handful of dirt.Baseballs most notorious star of the last two decades then headed back to the dugout after a Yankee Stadium finale Friday night that included a pregame ceremony punctuated by thunder cracks and cut short by a downpour, a first-inning RBI double and a surprising ninth-inning return to third base.A sellout crowd of 46,459 gave him standing ovations and chanted his name, admiration and perhaps even affection coming out after more than a decade of trouble and tension.Ive given these fans a lot of headaches over the years and Ive disappointed a lot of people, he said after the 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay, his voice sounding hoarse over the public-address system in one of baseballs most unusual farewells. But like Ive always said, you dont have to be defined by your mistakes. How you come back matters, too, and thats what New Yorks all about.He will be cut Saturday by a Yankees team pivoting to youth. The 41-year-old designated hitter isnt sure whether he will play again.A-Rod drove a 96 mph fastball from Chris Archer into the right-center field gap in the first inning, ending an 0-for-11 slide. Rodriguez then grounded out, struck out and bounced out again on the first pitch in his last at-bat. The 1-for-4 night left him with a .200 average, nine homers and 31 RBI in his 12th and final Yankees season.With the sellout crowd of 46,459 chanting We want A-Rod! Yankees manager Joe Girardi sent him to third base for the first time in 15 months at the start of the ninth inning as the organist played Thanks for Memory.Rodriguez had criticized Girardi for benching him for most of the past month.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.Girardi offered to leave him in the field for two outs, but Rodriguez opted to leave after Mikie Mahtooks leadoff strikeout. Fans applauded, many of whom never warmed to a player who in 2009 admitted using performance-enhancing drugs, then served a yearlong drug suspension in 2014.Rodriguez raised his cap and an arm before walking into the dugout, sitting down and holding a white towel to his face as he tried to hold back tears.`With all that Ive been through, and for them to show up on a night like tonight and show me that type love is something that Ill never forget. It was overwhelming, he said during a news conference, perfectly coifed in a gray suit and silver necktie.Dark clouds rolled in from the northwest as his ceremony began. Rodriguezs family was on the field and public address announcer Paul Olden said: Alex, you spent 12 of your 22 seasons with the Yankees when a loud thunder crack shook the ballpark, as if ordered by a film director.Rain started to fall during a video message from Lou Piniella, Rodriguezs first big league manager, and the festivities ended awkwardly after 10 minutes when a downpour began.Ten minutes later, the clouds started to clear, symbolic of A-Rods time in New York, and a rainbow came out shortly before the first pitch.It was certainly like Biblical. Did you hear the thunder crackle? he said. You cant make that up. I guess we went out with a bang.With the Bleacher Creatures chanting his name during the traditional roll call and the rest of the fans joining in, Rodriguez raised his cap toward them from the dugout.Fans gave him a 30-second ovation when he walked up to the plate in the bottom half and stood and took photos and videos during his at-bats. Rodriguez clapped as he came out of the batters box and pumped both arms in triumph as he reached second base without a throw.Take it easy on the old man, Rodriguez told the 27-year-old Archer before the game.Starlin Castro had four RBI for the Yankees, hitting a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the sixth off Archer (6-16) that gave CC Sabathia (7-9) his second win since mid-June.Rodriguez had slept late, ate his egg whites, stretched and took one final trip to the ballpark as a New York player.The last time I drive up Broadway and through Harlem and through the neighborhoods that have brought so much comfort to me, he said.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. Rodriguez was a supporting actor in the Derek Jeter-Mariano Rivera epoch, and when the stars left the cast he could not carry the show.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 Im walking out the door, Hal wants me as part of the family, thats hitting 800 home runs for me, Rodriguez said.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.Im 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.A 14-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP, A-Rod has a .295 batting average, 3,115 hits and his 2,086 RBI, second to Aarons 2,297 since RBI became an official statistic. Earlier this week in Boston, as A-Rod watched the offensive exploits of 23-year-old teammate Gary Sanchez, a realization dawned.I cant do that anymore, Rodriguez remembered telling him. And I was happy about it. Im at peace.UP NEXTRHP Masahiro Tanaka (8-4) starts Saturday for the Yankees, who hold a reunion of their 1996 champions, and RHP Matt Andriese (6-3) for the Rays. Chase Daniel Jersey . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Willie Galimore Jersey .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. http:///...rsey-large-396t.html . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. TEMPE, Ariz. -- Failure to force turnovers had been a big problem for Arizona State this season.Until the final three minutes Saturday night.The Sun Devils picked off Davis Webb twice in that span and D.J. Calhoun returned a Cal onside kick attempt 42 yards with 48 seconds to play in a 51-41 victory over the Bear in the Pac-12 opener for both teams on Saturday night.Laiu Moekiola returned the second interception 28 yards for a touchdown to put the Sun Devils (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) ahead 44-34 with 2:52 remaining.You cant throw two picks in the fourth quarter and expect to win, Webb said. That is on me. If you turn the ball over, you are probably going to lose.Webbs fifth touchdown pass of the night, 26 yards to Demetris Robertson, cut the lead to 44-41 with 54 seconds to play. But Calhoun grabbed the onside kick try and ran untouched to the end zone.Manny Wilkins completed 21 of 30 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown for Arizona State and ran 23 times for 72 yards and three scores.Salamo Fisos interception set up the last of Zane Gonzalezs three field goals, a 23-yarder that careened off the right upright, to put the Sun Devils ahead for good 37-34 with 2:55 remaining.On the first play after the subsequent kickoff, Moekiola picked off Webbs short pass and returned it for the score.You see veteran guys make big plays tonight when it mattered, Arizona State coach Todd Graham said.Webb completed 31 of 55 for 478 yards for California (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12). He wrapped up his night with a lost fumble.Clearly turnovers, clearly turnovers, Cal coach Sonny Dykes said, and we just diddnt make any breaks for ourselves down the stretch. Thomas Jones Jersey. Chad Hansen, who entered the game the national leader in yards receiving and receptions, caught 10 passes for 110 yards for Cal, but had just two catches for six yards in the second half.The Bears led 24-10 at the half before allowing Arizona State to score 41 second-half points, 31 in the fourth quarter.First half, thats on me, Wilkins said. I just have to get things rolling a bit quicker, but well be good, 4-0.Arizona State took the second-half kickoff and drove 75 yards for a touchdown.The big drive they had was at the start of the third quarter, Dykes said. They really ran the ball well on that drive and that gave them some confidence that they can run it against us. It seemed like we got on our heels at that point.THE TAKEAWAYCalifornia: Nothing changed the perception that the Bears have one of the top passing offenses in the country, but it wasnt enough. Webb had thrown only two interceptions in the first three games.Arizona State: The Sun Devils are gaining a reputation as a fourth-quarter team. They rallied to beat Texas Tech, UTSA and California.FAMILIAR FOEThe Sun Devils knew all about Webb. As a freshman at Texas Tech, he threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-23 upset victory over Arizona State in the 2013 Holiday Bowl.UP NEXTCalifornia: The Bears return home to face Utah next Saturday.Arizona State: The Sun Devils go to Los Angeles to play USC on Saturday. ' ' '
