With Alex Rodriguez Retiring, Is There Anything Left of The Red Sox Yankee Rivalry?
Today, August 7, 2016, Alex Rodriguez announced his retirement from professional baseball at 41 years of age.
Even though A-Rod was commonly disliked around the sports world for his involvement with steroids and classless behavior, we can all reminisce on a quite astounding career.
Rodriguez was selected for 14 All-Star teams, won 10 Silver Slugger awards at SS and 3B, has 2 Gold Gloves, was American League MVP in 2003, 2005, and 2007, and has 696 career homeruns, which is 4th on the all-time list. These are just some of A-Rod’s many accomplishments at the professional level.
As a Boston sports fan, and die-hard Red Sox fan, A-Rod was never a player I had much respect for. Here’s why:
To avoid being tagged out on a ground ball to pitcher Bronson Arroyo, Rodriguez slapped the glove of Arroyo, knocking the ball loose and allowing a run to score in game 6 of the 2004 ALCS. The umpires later gathered together after Boston manager Terry Francona flipped a shit and decided that A-Rod was out, and the run would not score. Are you kidding me A-Rod? Talk about classless. I’m glad Jason Varitek gave you a face full of catchers mitt earlier that season.
Not always was this enjoyable to watch as a Red Sox fan, especially when he would come back with something of his own, like in 2013 when he took Ryan Dempster deep after getting plunked earlier in the game by him.
This is the kind of action-packed baseball that all Boston fans and baseball fans around the world will miss. Even though he wasn’t liked by many, he sure made a huge impact on the game of baseball itself.
As for Boston fans, I think it’s safe to say that the Boston New York Rivalry will no longer be the same. It really has never been like it was before since this Yankee team is much younger and consists of many different faces, but with Alex Rodriguez retiring, along with long-time Yankee Mark Teixeira, things will never be the same. It is officially the end of an era.
Originally published at baseballfam.com on August 8, 2016.
