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A-Rod’s announcement caps emotional week for Yanks
- Updated: August 7, 2016
NEW YORK — The most emotional seven-day period in recent Yankees history ended on Sunday with the retirement of Alex Rodriguez, effective after Friday night’s game against the Rays at Yankee Stadium.
During that short period, clubhouse favorites Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran were traded, and Mark Teixeira also announced his retirement at the end of the season.
How emotional was the week? The usually staid Joe Girardi started choking back tears when he was asked how he’s handled it. After all, these are players the Yankees manager loved, respected and nurtured — investing enormous time in their production and well-being.
“It’s been a tough week,” Girardi said, stopping to compose himself. “It’s been a tough month for a lot of different reasons. We can talk about the Trade Deadline. We can talk about Tex and what he meant to this organization. As I said [on Saturday], Tex is the kind of player everybody wants to manage. To lose guys like that, it’s hard.
“Alex has meant a ton to me. Obviously, he’s been a hot topic every day. It’s not an easy topic to talk about. So, it’s taken its toll.”
Girardi has been there before. During his nine-year managerial tenure, he’s presided over the retirements of the Core Four from 2011-14: Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter.
They all are expected to return next Saturday for the reunion of the 1996 World Series-winning team, the club that began its run of four World Series titles and six American League pennant winners in eight seasons.
A plaque will be dedicated on Sunday to the great Rivera out in Monument Park. Couple that with A-Rod’s last game on Friday night, and it should be a tremendous weekend of teardrops and nostalgia.
And then, as reality usually dictates, the Yankees will spin forward into what the organization hopes will be the beginning of a new, productive era.
That fact was irreconcilably consecrated by the changes in the roster during the past week.
“I think the game tells you when it’s time to go,” general manager Brian Cashman said on Sunday. “That’s how we try to use our evaluating tools in the Minor Leagues. When are some of the young guys going to be …
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