Girardi on sitting A-Rod: ‘My job description doesn’t entail a farewell tour’
Alex Rodriguez, who will play his final major-league game on Friday, is out of the Yankees’ lineup once again on Wednesday in Boston.
When asked about the decision, manager Joe Girardi said that “farewell tours” are not part of his daily responsibilities.
“I’m putting out what I feel is the best lineup,” Girardi told reporters. “That is in my job description. My job description does not entail a farewell tour.”
This echoes what Girardi told reporters about benching him on Tuesday, that he was “managing to try to win games.”
• What if Alex Rodriguez had been traded to the Red Sox after all?
The decision to bench A-Rod has drawn much ire around the baseball world, as one of the greatest hitters in history, and one of the most controversial, has just days before he will step away from the game. On Tuesday night, Red Sox fans even chanted “We Want A-Rod!”
Manager Joe Girardi had said on Sunday he’d find a way to play A-Rod if the slugger wanted to, but it seems the skipper has gone back on his word.
First baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Aaron Hicks, both hitting below .200, are in the lineup. Rodriguez has hit marginally better, at .204 in 216 at bats.
The Yankees sit 5 1/2 games back in the wild card standings with 50 games left. They face the Red Sox shortly after 7 p.m. ET.
Rodriguez is expected to be back in the lineup on Thursday in Boston, and on Friday in New York.
– Kenny Ducey
