Yankees release Alex Rodriguez

“I disappointed a lot of people but this feels good”, Rodriguez said after the game.

Alex Rodriguez has been unconditionally released by the New York Yankees, ending his 12 years in pinstripes and perhaps his big league career after 22 seasons.

Rodriguez has been a fixture in the Yankee lineup since 2004, but he announced on Sunday he would transition to an off-the-field position with the team. It could be seen as a fitting finale to a turbulent time, which Rodriguez acknowledged during a news conference three hours earlier. He hit.200 with nine homers and 31 RBIs. But the Yankees decided last month to trade veterans and turn toward youth.

Despite all of that, the club wanted to wish him a formal, heartfelt goodbye.

The last few years of his career provided more drama than many fans cared for, but during his prime, he was unbelievable. “That was a season everyone on that team can cherish”. He walked to the area behind third base, leaned down and grabbed a handful of dirt. Robinson Cano cited A-Rod’s influence on his own formative seasons and said, “He’s one of the best players who ever played”. Current teammates Didi Gregorius and Starlin Castro walked with his brother and sister, Joe and Suzy.

Rodriguez received an ovation for about 30 seconds.

“We’ve always talked about offense and defense, starting in spring training past year, and he’s always talked to us about how to be a better player”.

The elements had more to say in the soaked ceremony for a player who came into the sport with the brilliance of a lightning bolt and had a knack for creating tempests. 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.

Rodriguez’s 2,086 RBIs are second to Hank Aaron’s 2,297.

“Around the bottom of the eighth I guess, he told me the plan, said ‘you’re going to hit and Al’s going to go out for defense”.

Rodriguez’s locker still had two photographs of himself with daughters Natasha and Ella and three more of the siblings together. One is to win games and two is to entertain.

“With all my screw-ups and how badly I acted, the fact that I’m walking out the door, Hal wants me as part of the family, that’s hitting 800 home runs for me”, Rodriguez said.

New York’s move leaves the team responsible for $27,103,825 remaining in his $275 million, 10-year contract. But like I’ve always said’ you don’t have to be defined by your mistakes, how you come back matters, too, and that’s what New York’s all about.

Having seen his lights go down on Broadway, is Miami 2017 in his future? He hasn’t said he’ll definitely retire.

The 14-time All-Star and three-time most valuable player has 3,115 hits and 696 home runs, fourth all-time.

With no more batting practice to take, he planned to watch the Yankees on television Sunday.

“I may have a couple cocktails tonight, so I may not wake up by game time tomorrow”, he said.